Antique Restoration: giving life to lifeless antiques

Randy Brower knows that the cost of an antique is not that much more than a new item, but the real value lies in its longevity. “Antiques will appreciate in value over the years, while the new particle board items will end up in a garage sale for five dollars,” he said.

Antique Restoration, Randy’s refinishing and restoration business, is located in Fallbrook. His wife Paula and son Bradley also work alongside him in the business. Fifty-five-year-old Randy has worked in antique restoration since the age of twelve. He learned to restore antiques from two of his Nebraskan uncles who owned antique businesses.

Randy sees a trend in the furniture industry and knows that most of the furniture built in the last 80 years or so doesn’t measure up to the skilled craftsmanship of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. “A lot of the art in this business has disappeared,” Randy lamented.

The techniques of the nineteenth century have to be researched in order to properly repair the pieces. “I need to have a good grasp of those techniques so mistakes aren’t made that will decrease the value of the furniture,” Randy explained.

Most of the furniture in Randy’s workshop was made in the 1800s, although some pieces were fashioned as late as 1920. Many of the pieces are made with “quarter-sawn oak,” which is a beautiful wood with swirls and patterns of color. It is also a strong and stable wood, but because “quarter-sawing” was a wasteful method of cutting, it became unpopular. However, Randy has a warehouse full of items with quarter-sawn oak he found on trips to the Midwest. “Eighty percent of our pieces are oak,” said Randy, “but we also have burled walnut pieces and mahogany.”

It took Randy about twenty years to perfect his craft, and his goal is to restore each piece to its original quality. The piece of furniture is first stripped down to the bare wood, sanded, wiped with lacquer thinner, then stained and lacquered. Randy sands the lacquer between each coat to create greater adhesion. “I put on many coats of lacquer, sometimes up to ten coats, which makes the wood practically impervious to water damage,” he explained. Randy believes that lacquer is better for use in restoration than the new plastic finishes because it actually melts into the previous coat.

Wood filler is never used in Randy’s restoration process, but instead he painstakingly cuts pieces of wood for patches. “We match the grains and the color with wood from our scrap pile,” he said. “Authenticity is the name of the game for us — we will not compromise.”

Randy’s large warehouse is overflowing with marvelous items: curio cabinets, glass lawyers’ bookcases, curved glass china cabinets, cedar chests, trunks, roll-top desks, dining sets, high-boy dressers, sideboards, small church pews, fireplace mantles and even antique kitchen cupboards.

“People who have been all over Orange and LA counties and haven’t been able to find what they want find it here,” said Randy. They deliver all purchases because “these are prized possessions and we know how to move them.”

Randy recommends that antique owners record as much about their items as possible by writing down the history and also taking photographs. He also believes that it is wise to provide copies of pertinent information to the owner’s insurance company.

To sell, purchase or have your antique pieces refinished please call Randy Brower at Antique Restoration, (760) 731-2403.