Category: Workshop Stories · Reading time: 6 minutes
A few weeks ago, the workshop phone rang.
A woman wanted us to restore her mother's bedside table.
We explained what we always explain: we don't restore furniture on commission. All the hours in our workshop go to the pieces we later sell on the website. We simply don't have enough hands for more.
But the conversation didn't end there.
She asked us how much it might cost at a professional workshop. We told her, based on experience and without committing anyone.
Silence on the other end.
"But... the bedside table isn't worth that much."
And she was right. The bedside table wasn't worth that much.
What was worth that much were the fifteen hours of work involved: disassembling, treating woodworm, gluing, adjusting drawers, replacing a molding, cleaning hardware, waxing. The bedside table was the excuse. The price was for the craftsmanship.
We hung up thinking that we have this conversation several times a month. And that almost no one publishes the figures.
So, we're going to publish them.
What a professional restoration truly includes
When someone imagines a restoration, they imagine sanding and varnishing.
Sanding and finishing are the visible part. The cost is in the invisible:
→ Treatment against wood-boring insects. For pieces older than 1900, it's almost mandatory. Woodworm isn't always visible, but it's there. And if it's not treated, it will destroy the furniture —and sometimes your home's parquet flooring.
→ Disassembly and structural gluing. A hundred-year-old piece of furniture will have weakened glue joints. The necessary parts are disassembled, old joints are cleaned, and then re-glued. This is what makes a piece of furniture stable.
→ Adjustment of drawers, doors, and hardware. For a drawer from 1890 to slide like new isn't luck. It's hours of work.
→ Replacement of parts. A lost molding, a mismatched knob, a lifted veneer piece. It's replaced with wood from the period when possible, and it shows when it's not done.
→ Cleaning and finishing while respecting the patina. The most delicate part. As we explained in the 7 signs of a truly antique piece of furniture, the patina is the furniture's birth certificate. Restoring is not about making it look new: it's about making it look good.
→ Drying and waiting times. Glues, treatments, and finishes have their own timelines. A well-restored piece of furniture spends weeks in the workshop, not days.
Estimated prices for a professional restoration in 2026
Each piece is unique, and no serious quote is given without seeing the furniture. However, based on our knowledge of the trade and the industry, these are the usual ranges for a complete restoration in a professional workshop in Spain:
| Type of piece | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| Chair or slipper chair | €80 – €180 |
| Bedside table | €150 – €350 |
| Chest of drawers | €300 – €600 |
| Dining table | €350 – €700 |
| Sideboard or hutch | €450 – €900 |
| Wardrobe | €600 – €1,200 |
If a quote seems far below these figures, ask what it includes. Almost always, the answer is: sanding and varnishing. That is, the visible part without the invisible.
What makes a restoration more expensive (and what doesn't)
Increases cost: active woodworm, lost parts that need to be manufactured, accumulated layers of plastic paint (each layer is a battle, as we explained in the article on stripped wood), humidity damage, and structural changes.
Doesn't increase cost as much as you think: size. A large wardrobe in good condition can cost less to restore than a small bedside table riddled with woodworm. You pay for hours and problems, not square meters.
Why we don't restore furniture on commission
We get asked this several times a month, so we'll explain it here once and for all.
Our workshop in Navalcarnero has limited capacity, and we dedicate it entirely to what we do best: finding antique pieces with real value —those that pass the 7-sign test—, restoring them patiently, and selling them finished.
Choosing each piece is half the craft. When you restore on commission, the piece is given to you, good or bad. When you choose what you restore, you are responsible for everything: for the wood, for the era, and for the result.
We prefer to be responsible for everything.
So, when is it worth restoring and when is it better to buy already restored?
It's worth restoring when the furniture has emotional or historical value and a sound structure. The table where your family dined for forty years justifies every euro spent in a good workshop, because there's no store where you can buy that.
It's not worth it when the piece is a recent reproduction without history, when the structure is severely damaged, or when the restoration would cost more than a truly antique piece, already restored, with the work done and guaranteed.
Do the math with the table above in hand. Add up what it would cost to restore that chest of drawers you're looking at. And compare it to the price of an antique chest of drawers already restored, where all those hours are included.
Many times, the smartest restoration is the one already done by someone else.
One last thing, from workshop to reader
Restoring a piece of furniture is neither expensive nor cheap. It's the cost of a craft that has almost disappeared, applied for hours to a unique piece.
Every piece on our website contains everything you've read here: the treatment, the gluing, the adjustment, the respect for the patina. Already paid for, already done, and with no surprises.
→ Discover our already restored pieces
Best regards,
Pilar.
P.S.: The lady with the bedside table didn't restore it. She bought an Isabeline chest of drawers from us —a real one, with its irregular dovetails— and placed her mother's bedside table on top, just as it was, with its marks and everything. She sent us a photo. It looked beautiful. Some furniture doesn't need a workshop: it needs a place.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to restore an antique chest of drawers?
A complete and professional restoration of an antique chest of drawers usually costs between 300 and 600 euros in Spain, depending on the condition of the structure, the presence of woodworm, the parts to be replaced, and the type of finish. A much lower quote usually only includes sanding and varnishing, without treatment or structural work.
Why does the price of a restoration vary so much?
Because you're not paying for the furniture, you're paying for the hours of work and the problems that need to be solved: active woodworm, weakened glue joints, lost parts, accumulated paint layers, or humidity damage. Two identical pieces of furniture can require very different quotes depending on how they have been treated.
Do you restore clients' furniture on commission?
No. At Antique Arte y Decoración, we dedicate the entire capacity of our Navalcarnero workshop to the pieces we select, restore, and sell on our website. We do not offer restoration services for clients' furniture on commission.
Is it worth restoring an antique piece of furniture?
Yes, when the piece has historical or emotional value and the structure is sound. No, when it is a recent reproduction without history or when the restoration would cost more than an equivalent antique piece already restored by a professional workshop.
