Skilled restoration can bring old pieces back to life and make them cool again!
MARIE-HÉLÈNE and PIETER VAN HOUTEN first started collecting colonial antiques that intrigued them during their posting to India in 2002. A move to Singapore in 2007 saw them turn this passion into a thriving antiques business, The Past Perfect Collection, with a range of antique colonial furniture from the British, Dutch and Portuguese eras in India.
Their skill is knowing what is authentic and what has value, and part of the joy of their job is the search for exclusive pieces. But how do they take items from looking like throwaways to becoming signature pieces that haven’t just been restored to their former glory but, in most cases, look even better?
Pieter talks us through the process used to turn the pieces they unearth into the sleek furniture you see in The Past Perfect Collection showroom.
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