Institutions & estates
For institutions and estates.
Collections held in trust deserve a conservator who works in the same way a museum would: assess first, document everything, and never carry out a treatment that cannot be undone.
Condition surveys and treatment proposals.
Assessment
We survey single pieces and whole collections, recording construction, materials, condition and risk for each item. The survey is delivered as a written report with photographs, and forms the basis for any treatment that follows.
Treatment proposals set out what we recommend, why, what it will involve, and what it will cost. Nothing proceeds until the proposal has been approved in writing by the responsible curator, trustee or executor.
Condition surveys
Item-level records with photography and risk grading.
Written treatment proposals
Scope, method, reversibility and cost, approved before work begins.
Insurance and appraisal documentation
Reports prepared for insurers, appraisers and estate attorneys.
Assessment for pieces that should not travel.
On site
Some pieces are too fragile, too large or too significant to move without good reason. We assess them where they hang or lie, and advise on whether treatment can be carried out in place or whether a carefully planned move is justified.
Handling, storage and collection care.
Standards
Pieces in our care are handled with gloves, rolled on archival tubes against the pile, wrapped in breathable materials and transported flat or rolled as the piece requires.
For institutions and estates with ongoing responsibilities, we offer collection care programs: scheduled inspection, cleaning and rotation, pest monitoring, and advice on display, lighting and storage.
Frequently asked.
Questions
Related reading
Antique rug restoration steps, from intake to return
What actually happens between the day a rug leaves your floor and the day it comes back: seven stages, in the order a conservator works them.
Searching for rug repair near me? What to ask before you hand it over
Not every shop that says rug repair does the work in house. Six questions that separate a conservator's studio from a drop-off counter.
Inquiry
Arrange an assessment.
Describe the collection or the piece, and whether it can travel. We will propose a survey and a written scope.