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WHAT IS SYMPATHETIC RESTORATION?
Sympathetic restoration means restoring furniture using the same tools, materials, and techniques that would have been available when the piece was originally made. An 18th-century cabinet maker did not have access to a high-powered electric sander and spray gun, therefore these modern tools shouldn’t be used when working on period furniture. The aim of sympathetic restoration is to restore a piece while conserving all of its antiquity, patina, and history. While doing things by hand takes time, this is the only way to guarantee that a 200 year old piece of furniture will last another 200 years.
The Superb Sustainability of Shellac
French polish, also known as the finish of kings, is widely considered the best finish achievable in the world. Offering unrivalled depth and colour, and sharing the same light refraction properties as valuable gemstones. This 300-year-old finish can only be achieved by hand, it takes years to learn and a lifetime to master. Shellac, the raw ingredient of french polish, is one of the most sustainable resins available. A natural biodegradable side product left behind by the lac beetle as part of its natural life cycle. This resin is then farmed by local communities in certain areas of Asia where these insects flourish. No equipment or energy is required, only a reused piece of cotton, the elbow grease of the polisher, and many thousands hours of practice.
A Long History of Fine Furniture
The Long family has been building, polishing, upholstering and restoring fine furniture for over 200 years. In 2017 Alistair Long, grandson of master carpenter & french polisher Geoffrey Long, took up the family reigns and started his own restoration company, keeping true the hand craftsmanship of over seven generations.
