What is the best way to clean rosewood?

Dust the cabinet lightly with a soft, dry cloth. You should avoid commercial aerosol sprays which leave a cloudy residue on the old French polish. Once or twice a year, apply a sparing amount of good quality beeswax. Buff it along the direction of the grain until the surface feels hard and dry.

My grandmother left me a large cabinet with brass grilles on the doors and fabric behind them, but the fabric is torn. Can I replace it?

Pleated silk behind brass grilles was a standard feature on Regency pieces. The fabric protected books from dust while allowing air to circulate inside the case. Replacing torn material is a straightforward job. Take the door off its hinges and remove the wooden retaining slips on the back to access the old fabric. Choose a plain silk or cotton in a muted green or deep red. Tack it firmly to the frame before tapping the slips back into place.

Why do some drawers stick?

Antique carcase wood shifts as seasonal humidity changes. The drawer runners swell slightly in damp weather. Rubbing a simple wax candle along the bottom edges of the runners provides enough lubrication to get things moving.

The marble top on the cabinet I bought has a dull patch where someone spilled a drink a long time ago, how do I fix that?

Marble is highly porous and reacts badly to acidic spills like wine or lemon juice. The acid etches the surface and removes the polished finish. Minor dull spots can sometimes be improved with a specialist marble polishing powder and a damp cloth. Work the powder over the stain in a circular motion. If the etching is deep, a professional stone restorer will need to re-hone and polish the entire slab. It is messy work and rarely something to tackle yourself.

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Victorian Rosewood Cabinets

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Often serving as drawing room display or storage pieces, antique rosewood cabinets are freestanding case furniture defined by rich, heavily grained timber set beneath solid tops or marble slabs.