When we received these two 100 year old lantern sconces from an interior designer whose client was intent on retaining them in the project, they were held together by spray foam and a prayer.
Spray foam, caulk, and vague putty products, for all those in doubt, are not structural materials, and they are not restoration materials. Spray foaming something ‘works’ in the loosest and most short term sense of the word. What it is really good at, though, is hiding what’s really going on. Often, that means rust. For these lanterns, that was certainly true as you can see in the images.
We had to scrape and media blast the bodies down and then were able to see what metal still remained, which was less than we were hoping for.
Then, we could start rebuilding. In the process, we found remains of gilding on the crown of each lantern, and it was exciting to be able to bring that detail back to the restored forms.
This project took a lot of time — a year in total — and we are excited to see them reinstalled. It is a testament to committed designers, patient clients, and a dogged determination to do right by these pieces, ensuring another 100 years.
