Committed to a tradition of excellence in the old-world art of furniture upholstery, restoration and refinishing
Our Story
Antiques Plus has been upholstering and revitalizing fine furniture in the tradition of the masters for more than 30 years, yet its roots go back three generations.
Owner John Riccio credits his great-grandfather, Giuseppe, a master piano casemaker and finisher who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, with his craftsman gene. Technique he learned from his grandfather, Johnny, a master furniture maker who instilled in his young apprentice a respect for classic workmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Working with his mother, Catherine, at Grandma’s Attic, the antiques shop she started nearly 50 years ago, John had a master class in both period styles and personalized service. So that by the time he opened Antiques Plus, his workshop for fine furniture restoration in 1987, it wasn’t so much a business as a calling. Soon after, John added handcrafted upholstery services. He hired a team of highly skilled artisans schooled in age-old techniques of upholstering, whose combined experience totals more than 150 years of expertise.
Today, Antiques Plus is a full-service workroom, combining the best traditions of craftsmanship with modern methods and eco-friendly materials. We offer on-site measuring, design consultation and pick up and delivery services, and we work with retail and corporate clients directly or through the area’s top interior designers and architects.
Our Services
Upholstery
We are particularly passionate about our upholstering services. Whether restoring an antique sofa or a more pedestrian piece from the family room that has seen better days, the centuries-old techniques are much the same. It begins with taking the piece down to the frame, then inspecting it for any necessary repairs. Before building the piece up again, we reglue each joint, adding support blocks. With great skill, patience and attention to detail, our artisans add new webbing, hand-tie springs and apply layers of inner materials, which make all the difference in comfort and durability. When the piece is finished in muslin, it’s ready for the new fabric. Hand stitching is an integral part of traditional upholstery, and our artisans are all highly experienced in stitching every kind of fabric, including leather. We also excel in such elaborate finishing details as tufting, cording, double welting and nailhead trim. Additional upholstery services we offer:
Reupholstery
Upholstery repair
Upholstery cleaning
Outdoor cushions cleaning, maintenance, storage
Cushion restuffing (indoor and outdoor)
Cushion and throw pillow fabrication
Fabric Consultation
We are happy to assist customers with fabric selection and sourcing. Also, we can work with your already sourced fabric. We offer in-home measuring and consultation, including suggestions for fabrics and colors to consider. Certain types of fabric work best for high-traffic rooms or outdoors; others, for when children or pets are part of the equation. Fabric swatches will be sent upon request. Here are links to some of our favorite fabric houses:
Schumacher, a heritage brand with many offerings
Kravet, industry leader, also featuring Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils
Sunbrella, which lists local and online retailers
United Fabrics, an industry leader in service and value
Greenhouse Fabrics, unique-quality fabrics
Restoration
Our experienced craftsmen excel at furniture restoration, using time-honored techniques to bring fine and heirloom pieces back to a mirror-image of their original beauty. Our emphasis on quality workmanship underlies everything we do. All restoration is done by hand in our workshop and covers full structural repair, from basic frame regluing to fabricating furniture parts. We are known for our ornamentation work (turnings and carvings a specialty) and repairing intricate veneers, marquetry and inlays. With years of mixing our own stains from pigments, we can replicate a piece’s original finish or create a custom stain.
Refinishing
Known for our restoration expertise, we bring an equally exacting mastery to furniture refinishing. Whether to vanquish stains, scratches or other signs of superficial wear and tear, we are committed to recovering each piece’s stature of authenticity. We also specialize in a range of custom finishes, including hand-rubbed oils, paint, French polish and clear and colored lacquers, which are professionally sprayed. Clear lacquer, a staple of Mid-Century Modern furniture, comes in finishes from matte and satin to semi- and high-gloss. Colored lacquer is offered almost exclusively in an ultra high-gloss finish.
Made to Order
For customers in the market for a signature piece or custom design, our team of talented craftsmen can fabricate a wealth of furniture styles in a variety of materials. Consider sofas, sectionals, settees, ottomans, chairs (upholstered and non), case goods and headboards, as well as reproductions and period prototypes. In other words, our custom work is limited only by your rich imagination.
