Restoring furniture to its original state always means, without exception, that we will most certainly dismantle it down to its wooden frame. This means replacing everything that may have become unusable and rebuilding it inside and outside with traditional or modern upholstery, according to its age. Whatever is in perfect condition, we take great care of, because we have a duty to save what can be saved.
The set in the pictures is quite old, and its character is attributed to Joseph Danhauser, the real father of Biedermeier, as can be seen from the light shades of the woodwork, the simple structure and the decent, unpretentious form.
Danhauser was also a very talented businessman: he started his career as a sculptor, first founded a precious metal foundry and later traded with tapestries, curtains and carpets. He set up a company and his own manufactory, which produced furnishings, soon employing hundreds of people. During the bourgeois period, he created a rich and varied range of furniture in the Biedermeier style, favouring soft lines, simple, but striking pieces and paying particular attention to the everyday usability of the furniture.
This set also bears these stylistic traits, and we will endeavour to preserve everything we can. For example, the springs. With a little remoulding, we allow them to be reused, so that once the joinery is done, the original springs can be returned to their rightful place. We will work with linen straps and afrik, using traditional techniques.
I show you some pictures of the preparations also. It's worth looking at all the nails we had to remove from the frames and the marks they left behind. I'm looking forward to our carpenter colleague working his magic again, to turn these surfaces into smooth surfaces.
