Conservation and restoration
Conservation and restoration.
Conservation is the careful end of our work. An antique rug is stabilized, repaired where something has been lost, and recorded, so that it can go back on the floor, onto a wall or to the next generation without losing what makes it worth keeping. Every intervention is reversible, written down and carried out by hand.
What the work involves.
The work
Every piece starts on the floor, front and back, under good light. We photograph it, measure it and write a condition report: the weave and knot count, the foundation, the dyes, and every area of wear, loss, staining or earlier repair. That report is what the proposal and the estimate are built on, and it is the record the finished piece is checked against.
The structure comes first. Weak foundations are consolidated, splits are closed from the back, and loose ends and open selvedges are secured before anything else is done, because a rug that is handled or washed with an open edge only loses more. Fugitive dyes are tested and, where possible, set before any water is used.
Then comes the repair. Where knots have gone, we reweave knot for knot in wool or silk matched for fiber, spin and color, following the original design. Where the foundation itself has been cut, warps and wefts are rebuilt first. Edges and ends, the first parts of a rug to fail, are rebuilt to carry the tension of the whole piece. Where wear is honest and stable, we often leave it alone: the aim is a rug that is sound and handsome, not one that looks new.
Cleaning, where it is safe, is part of the treatment. We test a hidden area first and carry a method across the field only when the ground is unaffected. Some pieces are best cleaned by hand in the studio; others are better treated where they lie.
Dye and foundation stabilization
Fugitive dyes set and weak foundations consolidated.
Hand reweaving
Losses rewoven knot for knot in matched wool or silk.
Edge and end repair
Selvedges and ends rebuilt to hold the piece together.
Tested cleaning
A corner first, the field only when it is safe.
Condition report
Photographs and a written record that travels with the rug.
Rugs and textiles we conserve.
Pieces we take in
Most of what we conserve is hand-knotted: Persian, Caucasian, Anatolian and Turkmen rugs, often inherited, sometimes bought decades ago for a room that has since changed. We also treat silk and wool-silk carpets, kilims, soumaks and other flatweaves, and textile panels made for hanging.
For French and European flatweaves the approach is different again; see our Aubusson and tapestry page. Moth-grazed pieces have their own guide on moth damage repair. Museums, historic houses and estates can read how we work with them on our institutions page.
What to send us.
What to send us
Photographs are the quickest way to begin. Send one of the whole rug laid flat, one of the back, close-ups of each end and each side, and a close-up of every area of damage. A coin or a tape measure in one of the close-ups helps us judge scale.
Tell us the approximate size, what you know of the rug's history, where it lives, and what you would like to happen to it: back on the floor, onto a wall, into storage, or simply assessed before a decision is made. If the piece has been repaired before, say so; earlier work changes how we approach it.
The whole rug, front and back
Each end and each side
Every area of damage, close up
Approximate size and history
Timelines and pricing.
Timelines and pricing
Conservation is quoted in writing after assessment, because no two losses are alike. The estimate sets out what we propose, why, and what it will cost, and nothing proceeds until you have agreed it. Our pricing page explains what moves a figure up or down. Workshop rug cleaning takes about two weeks on average; every rug is different, and any repairs needed will extend that time. Larger reweaving is scheduled at assessment.
Where the work is done depends on the piece and what it needs. Cleaning, repair and restoration are carried out at our Williston Park workshop or in your home, and our Greenpoint studio in Brooklyn is there for city clients to bring a piece in and meet us. Pickup and delivery are free.
Frequently asked.
Questions
- Will the repair be visible?
- From standing height a good reweave should disappear into the field. Up close it should be identifiable, because honest, reversible work is the conservation standard.
- Is it worth restoring an old rug?
- For most hand-knotted rugs, stabilizing damage costs far less than the value lost by letting it spread. If a repair is not worth doing, we will say so.
- Do you need to see the rug in person?
- Photographs are enough for a first opinion and a rough idea of cost. A firm written estimate follows once we have handled the rug front and back.
Related reading
Restoration vs conservation vs repair: what each word means
These three words get used interchangeably, but they describe different goals and different amounts of intervention. Knowing the difference helps you ask better questions.
Is your antique rug worth restoring? A conservator's checklist
Not every worn rug should be restored, and not every restoration needs to be extensive. Here is how to think through the decision before committing to work.
Inquiry
Have a piece assessed.
Send photographs of the field, the ends and any damage. We reply with a treatment proposal and a written estimate.