Please provide us with the following information when submitting an inquiry, and someone from the Trefler’s team will help you determine the next steps.

Please describe your item(s) in as much detail as possible. Information such as dimensions, what materials the item is made of (i.e. wood, plaster, porcelain), and your item’s current condition are all very helpful for our experts to make an accurate estimate.

We suggest providing at least three .jpg images per item. These should include; one image of the entire object, and detailed views of the area(s) of damage and/or pieces. 

If you are submitting an inquiry for painting restoration, please provide an additional photograph of the back of the canvas.

Our team will review all inquiries and assess the best course of action to suit your needs.

We look forward to hearing from you.

 


Services

Since 1921, Trefler’s has proudly provided restoration services unparalleled in quality. Our highly skilled experts are committed to approaching every project with the highest level of care and respect possible.

Our Services

FURNITURE RESTORATION

From refinishing to custom rebuilds, our full-service studio is capable of tackling any furniture restoration project that comes our way.

DECORATIVE ARTs RESTORATION

Well-versed in a wide variety of materials and treatments, Trefler’s Decorative Arts Department puts the pieces back together, fills chips and nicks, and in-paints missing ornamentation.

BOOK RESTORATION

Trefler’s Book Restoration Department handles bound materials ranging from rare books to family photo albums, all with the same level of care.

METAL RESTORATION

Trefler’s partners with a seasoned metal restorer to provide the best service possible when polishing, cleaning and restoring metals.

PAINTING & FRAME RESTORATION

Whether you are restoring a sentimental finger painting, or a museum quality masterpiece, Trefler’s artists have the talent and skill to execute the best restoration possible.

Antique Frames & gilding

In addition to our full-service framing studio, our team is highly skilled in restoring antique and gilded frames and can work in tandem to restore and mat new artwork in an existing frame.

WORKS ON PAPER RESTORATION

Buckling, water-staining, tears and folds, are amongst a few of the issues commonly treated by our paper restorers.

CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY SERVICES

Trefler’s partners with an exclusively trade only upholsterer to provide our clients with the best experts in the industry.

CLAIMS

Trefler’s Claims team provides the support and experience needed in the process of restoring items that were damaged due to fire, water, transit or accident. We an also visit your home to assess items for restoration.

custom framing & Display fabrication

Our framing experts have over 40 years of experience in high-end art framing.  

Chandeliers & Rewiring

Our Decorative Arts Department cleans and performs electrical repairs and rewiring for chandeliers, lighting fixtures and lamps.

Transportation & Installation

Our team facilitates the entire process to insure safe delivery and installation. Our services include professional packing and custom crate fabrication.

restoration projects

  • Conservation, with the sea in mind

    This was painted in approximately 1900, by our client’s husband’s Swedish great grandfather. He was a ship captain, and was lost at sea in 1910.
    The painting had a dark layer of discolored varnish and soot obscuring the surface. There were some losses in the paint layer and scratches.
    The restoration process included a cleaning with a combination of solvent solutions. An isolating varnish of Paraloid B-67 with 2% Tinuvin 292 hindered-amine light stabilizer was brushed over the surface. Losses were filled with Flügger and inpainted with pigment ground in Laropal A81 aldehyde resin. A final coat of Paraloid B-67 with Tinuvin was applied.

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  • A Collection of Civil War badges is displayed

    This client’s Great-Great-Grandfather fought in the Civil War for the Indiana 44th Infantry regiment. After the war, he attended many of the GAR reunions, acquiring a badge at each one. After his death, his daughters (both of whom I knew as a child – one as an adult) created the display of badges that you have prepared the shadow box to house. One of his daughters, the Great-Great-Aunt I knew even as an adult, was an invalid and never married. Until her death in the late 1970s she received a Civil War pension as a dependent of a veteran – the princely sum of $11 a month!

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  • The New Bedford Whaling museum repairs its lamp

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum contacted us with a very special project. Their Pairpoint Mushroom electric lamp, made in the time somewhere between 1907-1929, was in pieces.

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  • An antique carousel horse is restored

    This antique carousel horse was brought to Trefler’s as part of a larger fire claim which included an incredible private collection of fine and decorative artworks. The capabilities of our full-service studio, coupled with the trained hands of our skilled restorers, allowed our team to address damage to the wide array of objects, antiques and artworks that were affected by this unanticipated and unfortunate event.

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  • Framing a Soviet-era shawl woven with family history

    This beautiful Russian shawl was brought into Trefler’s framing department with a story that spans three generations of women.

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  • A Sentimental Armoire Gets An Update

    This piece was incredibly sentimental to its owner, however its original finish was heavy and no longer suited its contemporary surroundings. With the ambition to give this armoire a new aesthetic, Trefler’s furniture department worked extensively with the client to create a custom finish that would re-imagine the piece of furniture by simply refinishing it.

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  • A Family’s Dollhouse is Restored For Future Generations

    This dollhouse was originally played with by Boston architect John Hubbard Sturgis, who would later come to design the Codman House in Lincoln, MA, and the personal residence of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

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  • Original Boston Garden Benches are Given a Custom Base

    This historic artifact was once part of the Boston Garden, and was later acquired by a private collector through a local fundraiser. With hopes of preserving the history of the benches, while also restoring their function, their new owner enlisted Trefler’s team to ensure these benches could be appreciated for years to come.

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  • An Asian Figurine is Put Back Together

    This antique Asian figurine came to Trefler’s in several pieces after taking a fall. Our Decorative Arts Department securely re-attached the figure’s head and shoe. Filling and sanding of the fractured areas was required in order to ensure a smooth surface texture. Finally, the affected areas were painted and color matched to the original glazing, restoring it to its former self.

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  • An Iconic Steamer Trunk is Conserved

    This Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk came to Trefler’s for minor conservation and cleaning. It was presented with its original paper tags and stickers. During its lifetime, its various owners made sure to take the right measures to preserve this artifact. Despite this, it still required some care and attention to help keep it in tip top shape!

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