The most common mistake we see is not neglect — it is enthusiasm. A treasured old cabinet is brought home, and within a week it has been buffed with silicone spray, wiped with a damp cloth, and set proudly in a sunlit window. Each of those good intentions quietly shortens its life. Living well with antiques means unlearning a little of what modern furniture has taught us, and trusting that age, gently kept, looks after itself.
Old timber: feed it lightly, and mind the light
Antique timber wants very little. A soft, dry cloth and a regular, unhurried dusting will do more good over a decade than any miracle product. Where a piece looks thirsty, a good-quality microcrystalline wax — the kind conservators use — applied sparingly two or three times a year will nourish the surface and lift a soft sheen. Work it in with a lint-free cloth, leave it to haze, then buff back. Resist the aerosol polishes: most contain silicones that build up, attract dust, and can cloud or interfere with an original finish that took generations to earn.
Light is the quiet thief. Direct sunlight will bleach walnut, redden mahogany and fade the very patina that gives a piece its worth. Keep antiques out of harsh window light where you can, draw a blind through the fiercest hours, and turn a piece occasionally so it ages evenly rather than in patches. Heat is the other culprit — a cabinet beside a radiator or ducted vent will shrink, split and lift its veneers as the timber dries. A little distance from the heat source spares you a great deal of later repair.
On water rings and small disasters
A pale ring left by a warm cup is trapped moisture in the finish, not damage to the wood, and often it will fade on its own. What you should never do is reach for a household abrasive or a "restorer" in a bottle. If a mark won't settle, leave it — a professional can lift it in minutes without disturbing the surrounding surface. It is always easier to mend a small thing than to undo an over-eager fix.
Velvet and upholstery: air, brush, rotate
Velvet and old upholstery ask for air and gentleness. Vacuum lightly with a soft brush attachment, always following the direction of the pile so you lift dust rather than crush it. Plump and rotate loose cushions so they wear evenly and keep their shape. Keep antique seating out of direct sun just as you would timber — sunlight fades dyes and rots natural fibres over time, and a faded arm on an otherwise good sofa is a needless loss.
Treat spills at once, but calmly: blot, never rub, with a clean dry cloth, working inward so you don't spread the mark. Old fabrics, natural dyes and hand-stitched work rarely respond well to shop-bought cleaners — when a piece truly needs it, a specialist clean or a sympathetic recovering is the honest answer. A tired chair is seldom a lost one; more often it simply wants the attention of a hand that knows traditional upholstery.
Gilt and gilding: the lightest touch of all
Gilding is the most delicate surface in the room and the one most often ruined by good housekeeping. Water-gilt frames and giltwood mirrors must never be cleaned with water, solvents or metal polish — real gold leaf is only microns thick, and a damp cloth can carry it clean away. Dust with a very soft, dry brush, working gently into the carving, and stop there. Handle gilded pieces by their sturdy timber structure, never by the ornament, where a thumb can crush a fragile edge. Where the gilding has worn to show the warm clay ground beneath, leave it be — that gentle wear is honest age, not a fault to be corrected, and re-gilding is skilled work best left to a specialist who can match tone and tone it back so nothing shouts.
The one rule worth keeping
If a single principle runs through all of this, it is restraint. A good piece has already outlived the fashions and the households that came before you; your task is simply to be a careful custodian for a while. Dust often, feed lightly, keep it out of sun and heat, and when something is beyond a gentle wipe, ask a hand that knows the trade rather than reaching for a bottle. Patina is not dirt to be scrubbed away — it is the record of a life well lived, and the single thing that cannot be bought back once it is gone.
A good restoration is the one you never notice — the aim is never to erase a piece's history, but to steady it.
When a piece needs more than a gentle hand
Some marks, splits and worn finishes are beyond home care — and that is exactly the work of our Kyneton workshop, where two generations restore timber, gilt and upholstery by hand. If you have a piece worth steadying, we'd love to look at it.