Until recently, furniture restoration for both private and museum collections was predominantly handled by skilled craftsmen, often master cabinet makers. When I trained at the close of the 1980s and the dawn of the 1990s, my education was rooted in traditional materials and techniques, handed down from one generation to the next at the workbench. Up until the early 2000s, there were no official regulations, charters, or professional bodies to standardise or guide restoration practices.
Many of the restorers I encountered at the outset of my career became pivotal in driving the shift from restoration to conservation. They pioneered innovative methods and materials, and most importantly, championed a more restrained, conservation-minded approach. This ongoing evolution, from restoration to conservation, has not been without its difficulties. In recent years, a confluence of challenges, including the pandemic, economic downturn, and changing interests, has led to the closure of most traditional workshops in France, England, and the United States.
Restorers who began in the 1970s are now retiring, and sadly, some have left us without having passed on their expertise. Over time, numerous courses and workshops have disappeared, and the era of large furniture restoration businesses (typically employing between five and ten staff) has definitively ended. With this decline, it is essential to consider what the future holds for furniture restoration and conservation.
This talk will explore the difficulties currently faced by the industry, but will also highlight emerging opportunities. I hope to share my personal experiences and advice with anyone interested in the restoration and conservation of decorative arts, fostering a meaningful exchange of ideas in this ever-changing field.
Yannick Chastang is an accredited furniture conservator specializing in European marquetry, decorative arts, and bronzes. He trained from the age of 15 at the École Boulle, followed by the University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris. He gained experience in private workshops before working at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Wallace Collection. In 2001, he curated a marquetry exhibition Paintings in Wood: French Marquetry Furniture and wrote the accompanying book.
In 2003, he founded his own studio, conserving pieces for museums and private collections worldwide, including works by Domenico Cucci and André-Charles Boulle. He has advised institutions such as the Louvre and the National Trust, as well as many international private collectors and major auction houses, and served on the vetting committee of TEFAF Maastricht for 18 years. In 2021, he was a Getty Scholar, researching metal marquetry and gilt bronzes. Chastang describes himself as a “practical conservator” with a “common sense approach.”
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