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Rant: Saw a 'restored' 1920s sideboard at the Portland antique mall with a polyurethane finish
It was a beautiful piece of oak, but they'd coated it in a thick, plastic-looking poly that totally killed the wood's character. The dealer argued it's more durable for modern homes, but I think it's a shame to put that on period furniture. What's your take on using modern finishes on antiques?
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owens.cameron5mo ago
Actually have that exact sideboard in my dining room. Kids and dogs would have wrecked a shellac finish in a month. The poly lets us use a real antique instead of some new particle board junk. Sometimes you have to pick between a museum piece and something that can actually live in your house.
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joseph_torres5mo ago
Read an article once where a furniture conservator called that "finish armor." Sure it's tough, but it seals the wood in a plastic tomb. Doesn't the whole point of an antique get lost when it can't age or breathe anymore? That thick poly just makes it look like a cheap copy. Why buy old wood just to make it feel new and fake?
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