Antique Furniture Restoration: Swedish Burr Birch Secretaire | Part 2

Can this beautiful Swedish burr birch secretaire be brought back to life? In Part 2 of our antique furniture restoration series, Marc and Lucien tackle damaged veneer, stubborn old finishes and the challenge of revealing the beautiful natural grain.

This mid-19th-century Swedish secretaire chest of drawers has plenty of character, but years of wear and an unattractive dark plum-coloured finish have hidden its potential.

In this episode, we continue the restoration:

• Lucien removes the clamps and checks the repaired veneer.
• Marc strips away the dark plum finish from the writing compartment.
• We carefully sand and prepare the drawer fronts and cabinet.
• The beautiful burr birch figure begins to emerge.
• We experiment with satinwood stain to achieve a warmer golden colour.
• We preserve historical repairs and the character of this genuine antique.
• The furniture is prepared for the next stage of traditional polishing.

This is a real workshop restoration, showing the challenges, decisions and techniques involved in bringing antique furniture back to life.

Watch the complete three-part restoration:
Part 1 – Discovering the Swedish Secretaire: https://youtu.be/edapkUk_xMc
Part 2 – Stripping and Restoring the Burr Birch: https://youtu.be/3BVb_DAGzD0
Part 3 – French Polishing and Final Reveal: https://youtu.be/wcgOiKjA0vk

At Antique Repair Shop, Marc and Lucien share genuine antique furniture repairs, traditional craftsmanship, veneer restoration, wood finishing and French polishing techniques from our workshop in Suffolk, England.

Whether you enjoy furniture restoration, woodworking, antique conservation or watching neglected furniture being transformed, follow this restoration from start to finish.

Featured antique: Mid-19th-century Swedish Burr Birch Secretaire Chest of Drawers.

#FurnitureRestoration #AntiqueRestoration #Woodworking