“Rafael’s work was excellent: He is a consummate professional who shows meticulous attention to detail, wood, color and the integrity of the pieces themselves. In the case of Chinese arm chairs, for example, there was multiple loose joinery that needed to be strengthened and one chair had a cracked back that needed to be repaired. In addition, the finish on all the chairs needed to be cleaned and refreshed, and the color touched up in some cases. In the case of the highboy, one of the side panels was cracking and needed to be stabilized, the veneer was chipped and cabinet needed general cleaning and restoring. The piece that presented the most significant challenge was an antique Olivewood patterned veneered circular table, the finish of which had almost been destroyed by another well-known New York restorer who had returned the table with obvious cracks under veneer table top and apron (probably due to improper sealing). Haroch Studios needed to match missing veneer pieces and bubbled veneer, it then flattened, sanded and sealed the top and apron, and finished with a satin finish with a full-grain French polishing. Spending several weeks working on the table, Rafael was able to restore to its original grandeur. It was a pleasure working with Rafael, and I intend to use him again when I restore two antique Chinese cabinets.” –P.R.
