Restoration expert in DFW area

As I mentioned in another post, https://www.antiquers.com/threads/todays-little-challenge.77656/, I have now laid hands upon a 1920's Transition style writing table that unfortunately got cut down to a coffee table height. This table is tied to a famous author, and is going to a museum once it is ready. I can add new legs with appropriate veneer to get the height back, but I think it will need someone with some skills to clean it up, get most of the old finish off, and restain it to look new again. Or at least as best it can.

That is way out of my league, and this is not the piece I'd want to do my first practice on. Does anyone know someone with skills in the DFW area who could handle something like this? Any ballpark ideas about costs? Thanks.

 

I don't know that I would do this. It was what it was, and it is what it is. So long as you have the history, which is its provenance, let it be. You'll never take it back to what it was originally. You will only move it farther from that state.

 

And that is certainly another way to handle it. But I think they want to put it on display, in its original spot, with an old typewriter on it. I had a first chat with the boss of the museum group, and she was pretty sold on a full restoration. But we will discuss this at length in a couple weeks when a large number of relevant folks were planning to get together anyway, and see what everyone thinks.
At the moment, I'm just trying to sort options, and potential expenses.

 

I'll second that.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it...

 

I think that if the museum wants to restore it, you should let them do it. They should have the expertise to cover whatever is there by way of tiny details.

 

You could try asking at local antique shops. They usually know the experts.

 

agree

 

If it is a small society maintaining/restoring a historic house, they may not be flush with resources.

The American Institute for Conservation provides a way to search for specialists here:
https://community.culturalheritage.org/expertsearch/local-search

 

You are correct, they are a small local group. The charitable group I work with will fund any restoration work. Along with some Hollywood folks that want in on the action.
I'll check out AIC, thanks! The local antique shops sounds like a great idea as well.