Anthony's Furniture Company, Inc. — Local services in Waltham

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read): excellent work, and the before and after photos speak for themselves. Here is the full review: Late 1700s to early 1800s family heirloom trunk that has been in the family since it was created. Trunk traveled around Europe and eventually left Germany in 1999 and has been through several more Army moves since 2007. Never been restored, so figured before our next adventure (upcoming move) it was time. Have driven by Anthony's Furniture Repair in Waltham hundreds of times. Never paid much attention and really only noticed the small sign on the exterior of the building while I was stuck in traffic recently right next to the shop. Turned around, went in and met Mr. Robert (Bob) Oteri. Exceptionally pleasant gentleman to speak with, showed him some photos online of a similar item to determine if they could help, and brought the trunk next day for free assessment. After discussing the planned level of restoration (wanted to protect wood, repair damage, and keep overall level of patina), we agreed on approximately one-month turnaround time (no rush needed on my end). Bob asked how I wanted the trunk restored, while also recommending not to complete a 100% restoration. Doing so would lose the unique, aged look and I wholeheartedly agree. I deferred to Bob's expertise on planned work, while simultaneously providing input on what I wanted done. One wooden plank was broken on bottom and one piece was missing. Lid had small piece missing and inside of lid had piece broken. Metal band on bottom that is part of structural support with hand-forged nails was broken, missing a piece, and starting to rust. The wood was very dry and general appearance was essentially as if trunk would fall apart if picked up and moved a few more times. Key was lost at least 100 years ago, and crafting a replacement was not a top priority at this time. This piece will be lightly used, maybe storing blankets for the living room sofa on cold nights. The quality of work and attention to detail that went into this restoration is readily apparent. I mentioned the photos above, but they don't begin to do justice to how great the trunk looks. A custom varnish was used to restore luster and "refresh" the trunk's look. Difficult to describe, but the appearance is as if traveling back in time about 300 years and this is what we picture the trunk may have looked like - used, but in good shape. The broken pieces I supplied were reintegrated into the trunk, and the stock they used to replace missing pieces blends perfectly. Bob went the "extra mile" and enlisted the help of a local blacksmith to craft a metal band to insert where the original was broken, and the blacksmith went the extra step himself and created hand-forged nails that match the style originally used on this piece. All of the attention to detail give the appearance that these repairs were made 100s of years ago, not in 2019. The interior was lightly coated in wax instead of varnish for additional protection. Wax instead of varnish to not change the aged color of the wood. The felt glides on the bottom are not permanent and affixed with non-residue glue. This is to protect our hardwood floors. The metal band would likely scratch/scuff hardwood or tile floors. The felt "feet" keep the bottom of the trunk a fraction of an inch off the floor and are unnoticeable. They are on the bottom, after all. The price I paid was far less than anticipated. I was provided a quote before work started on this project, agreed to the amount and gave a right side dollar limit, but was prepared to pay more if more work hours ended up being needed. Interior designers and real estate agents spend many hundreds, often thousands of dollars for similar pieces and even replicas in order to "tie the room together" or "create that look" with a centerpiece, or to stage a home for photographs and to prepare for open house and sale. I have an original piece, now restored to last several hundred more years, and paid far less. Bob and the team at Anthony's Furniture Repair are top notch. Thank you,...

I sent an email, with photo, of the problem leg in the pedestal base of our large table, and Bob called back to discuss and give an estimate of the repair cost. We brought the pedestal in to the shop and cost of the repair immediately went up, even though I had sent a photo and we had discussed the piece in detail. When we came back to pick up the base, the top of the pedestal had been severely marred, scratched and gouged. It looked like tools had been thrown on it while it was in the shop. What kind of furniture repair shop treats a customer's piece so carelessly? The repair to the base was sloppily done, with the underlying metal support strips bent and uneven. Hopefully the...

I have been hanging onto my childhood bureau, from the 60's. Needless to say,it has traveled and moved with me for over 50 years. My dream was to , one day, have it restored to the beauty it once was. Anthony's made that dream come true. I never expected , the bureau to look this amazing. I applaud Anthony, his gift, and the care that was given to this piece of furniture. I love it. I highly recomend Anthonys...