Sadly over the years the chairs and settees had fallen into disrepair, with considerable deterioration to their delicate carving and gilding, many of the items also had extensive woodworm damage. As part of Kedleston’s State Apartment restoration project they have been returned to their former glory.
In many cases the chairs had to be taken apart in order to rescue as much of the original material as possible and to allow for extensive repairs this was undertaken by Tankerdale a specialist historic furniture conservators.
The restoration process
Back to basics - The first step was to completely strip back all of the 1970s fabric, rusty nails and old fixings. It was at this stage the conservation team were able to assess the full extent of the damage.
Fixing the frames - Many of the frames were severely damaged by woodworm making them structurally unsound. Where possible weak joints were repaired but in some instances these had to be completely replaced. Once the joints were stable the woodworm damage could be addressed.