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Completed wardrobe in Newstead House, fully restored and conserved.

Newstead House
An Idiosyncratic Wardrobe

Newstead House is Brisbane's oldest European residence, built in 1846. It played a significant role in early colonial life in Brisbane. Today, this historic house serves as a museum, offering visitors a glimpse into what life was like during colonial times. Frank was proud to be part of the effort to conserve this important piece of history, which hopefully will be appreciated by future generations.

Background

Frank was approached by the custodians of Newstead House to work on a highly idiosyncratic wardrobe. It is an unusual mix of timbers and styles, making it difficult to determine its origins and date. Overall, it has a Victorian style, and at first glance, it appears to be what is called a "marriage"—a piece of furniture assembled from various other pieces. However, as Frank disassembled and began working on it, he realized that this was probably not the case, as there were none of the typical residual witness marks that would indicate such a history.

Historically, this is a fascinating piece, most likely made locally from a variety of Queensland timbers. Frank thinks that it wasn’t crafted in a professional cabinetmaker's workshop. While it may not represent furniture making at its finest, it reflects the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the people during Brisbane’s early days.

Base of wardrobe in the process of being taken apart and repaired.

The base of this piece was in urgent need of repair. It supports the considerable weight of the entire wardrobe and its contents, and it had completely come apart.

Base of wardrobe, repairs completed with replacement blocks and brackets.

The insect-damaged areas were removed and replaced. Once the base was reassembled, supporting glue blocks and corner pieces were fitted. Old hoop pine, a Queensland timber, was used for the repairs.

Process

This was an extensive project that combined both conservation and restoration. Although interventions, treatments, and repairs may vary throughout a project, Frank's initial approach is always based in conservation and preservation. Each piece of furniture, along with its individual components, is assessed on a case-by-case basis. A balanced and thoughtful approach is taken, carefully weighing the risks and benefits of each decision.

  • The base of this piece was just nailed together and had a lot of insect damage. It contained sapwood which has a high starch content and attracts wood boring insects.

  • It was important to make sure this base was strong and structurally secure. I have rebuilt the base to retain all the old original surfaces, which had a nice patina.

  • This piece was covered in a thick black grime. I suspect that this was from an overused French polish reviver. Revivers were often a strange secret mix of drying oils and waxes.  

  • This black coating of grime was very thick in places and difficult to remove. A combination of hydrocarbons and an aqueous cleaning solution were used to remove it.  

  • Under this grime was very nicely figured Blackbean timber. As cleaning progressed many different timbers were revealed. 

  • The primary timber, door panels and drawer fronts were Blackbean. The carcass timber was Australian Cedar. There was also Yellowwood, Casuarina and Hoop pine.

Back and inside of the cabinet showing old repairs and damaged drawer runners.

The original cedar drawer runners were long gone. Cedar is generally not used for drawer runners because it is very soft. It appears that many unsuccessful attempts were made over the years to repair them.

Back and inside, showing completed repairs. New timber drawers runners replace the existing badly damaged cedar ones.

To make the drawers functional again, they were refitted since the original surfaces were long gone. Old repairs were removed, and reclaimed old-growth hoop pine was used to create a smooth running surface for the drawer sides.

Drawer bottoms being glued up. Splits being repair, and additional timber is added to compensate for shrinkage.

Drawer components: The drawer bottoms in the foreground are having cedar glued onto them to make up considerable shrinkage.

Wardrobe door: showing the difference between the existing, one (uncleaned) and one after cleaning treatments.

The cleaning process: Decades of grime were removed through a laborious cleaning process, gradually revealing beautifully figured Blackbean. 

Completed wardrobe in Newstead House, fully restored and conserved.

The completed wardrobe ready to be returned to the house. Over the last 2 to 3 years, Newstead House has undergone extensive restoration work. This piece will be placed in the main bedroom and will continue to be a talking point due to its unusual design.

Outcome

Although the furniture in Newstead House is not original to the building, this Victorian-style wardrobe works nicely within the space. It features an eclectic mix of styles, Queensland timbers, and Australian flora and fauna.

"As the custodians of Newstead house we engaged the high quality restoration and conservation services of Frank van Brunschot Fine Furniture. He did a very professional job, is highly skilled and continues to be involved with us."

Kim

Newstead House

If you would like to discuss commissioning a furniture repair, contact Frank by making an inquiry...
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