I took a large , heavy blanket to them for framing. Mark took a particular interest in this project…read moreand did a terrific job. He was creative, resourceful and saw the job to completion. I highly recommend him and Phoenix for their professionalism. They go the extra mile!

I have done business with Phoenix Art Restoration in Issaquah for many years and had been pleased…read morewith their work. On 1-31-2023 I brought in 3 silk screens and 2 paintings to be deordorized and appraised which I had acquired It was from a smoker and the art work needed to have the tobacco smell mitigated. They had done this in the past for a silk screen with the same issues. It was done in a matter of weeks and at a reasonable price. Not so with this lot. After not hearing from Phoenix for several weeks I called and was told "someone would let me know" when they would complete the process. I was asked to pay $200 which was not an issue. I called every month and was told it takes a long time to get smoke out of silk. During the summer I called and was told again that my art work was not done. This is 6+ months and "still not done". I wanted my property back- no one knew exactly where it was but would look for it. By this point I felt that my art was being held hostage. They "found" it and set it back to Issaquah on August 5, 2023. I was told I had a balance of $460. Phoenix said that the work was not done because I requested items before deodorizing was complete. During this period of time (June 25) I brought in a Purple Heart awarded to a close relative severely wounded in combat. I wanted it to be placed in a shadow box. Last week (September 29) I walked by Phoenix while shopping at Gilman Village. Imagine my surprise when I saw a sign on the store window that Phoenix Art and Restoration was closed! Luckily someone was inside and gave me back my Purple Heart- It had not even been started on! What a disappointment and a scam. I would have liked to give negative stars to this dipicable business, but apparently that isn't an option. Do not trust any of your valuables to this business.

We had these guys refinish a dining table that has been handed down through our family. It…read moreoriginally belonged to my husband's great grandmother, so it is very old. They did a terrific job.

Did such a great job! Brought in my grandfathers chair that was in very rough shape. They walked me…read morethrough the process and all my options and I love th finished product. So glad I was able to save this heirloom and have it displayed in my home.

This past two weekends, a friend and I took Ars Obscura's Basic Bookbinding Class. M.H.R taught the…read moreclass and I must say, this was the most amazing experience I've ever had in a teaching environment. From the very start, we were welcomed into the bindery by M.H.R and Joel. We knew we would be spending the day here, so we brought our own snacks and drinks. The bindery studio is small, organized and compact. It has a wonderful vibe - you know good work is being done here. We were immediately at ease. M.H.R was ready for us - all of our materials were on the table. Joel left for the afternoon to run errands, leaving us to our devices and that's when the learning began. Before getting started, we were walked through a review of different types of bindings. M.H.R wanted to ensure that our expectations were level and we both understood what we would be creating in this experience - a great way to start. M.H.R is incredibly wise and detailed in their craft. No question is unanswered, no curiosity left unexplained. As an amateur bookbinder, I thought I had the "basics" down, but I was wrong! I quickly understood that I had room to improve on even the smallest techniques. Within the first hour, I knew that this class was worth every hour and penny spent. Over the next two weekends (2 days, 14 hours), we created the most beautiful case bound books. The first day is all about the text block - folding, sewing, gluing, etc. The second day was the case - cutting boards, measuring spine, adhering the bookcloth and then applying gold tooling using the Quickprint machine. M.H.R's instruction is hands-on. We're first shown the technique and then asked to perform it on our own books. Throughout, M.H.R was with us checking on the progress, answering questions and challenging us to try again in order to improve on our technique. When the whole project came to an end, I was sad to learn that my book would need to stay in the press overnight. Fear not - M.H.R packaged the book wonderfully and mailed it to me the very next day (I live a fair distance from Seattle) along with a note via email thanking us for spending time in their bindery. This was a fascinating opportunity that I would do a thousand times over. I hope M.H.R decides to teach more advanced bindings at some point - I'll be the first return customer! Some notes: Joel was there later in the afternoons, but was quietly working on projects while listening to some pretty smooth tunes on the radio. He was very kind and I got a 60s/70s vibe from him. The studio has various animal skins (goat, calf, python, to name a few) hanging here and there. We found it added to the character and didn't bother us at all, but I'm sure some folks might take offense so I figured I'd tell you. There are plenty of places nearby to have a snack break or eat dinner. The bindery is focused on binding, not eating, so don't expect to find a vending machine ;) The phone would ring after 5pm while we were there and it would go to voicemail as this was after hours. They were very polite the one time I heard them answer the phone. I encourage you to check this place out, it's a unique, rare gem with a timeless feel in an age where everything is manufactured.

A professional and premiere service! I've book looking for…read morea quality bindery in Seattle for some time now who actually does above average work and Ars Obscura seems to be exactly what I've been looking for! All of my interactions with Mia have been incredibly positive as she is a very friendly and professional women to deal with. Its not so easy trusting someone with your beloved books but this wasn't an issue for me after feeling well assured that my antiques were in the hands of someome who was genuinely interested and devoted to the work that they do. The quality of the work itself has exceeded my expectations which is why I felt compelled to write this review along with the fact of how wonderful my overall experiences have been in general. I highly recommend this service for those looking for a craftsmen who is an expert at what they do and who wouldn't settle for anything less.

Zapffe's is more than a business. It represents generations of family who treasure the history of…read moreprecious metals like silver. I want to pass on to my family the value and story of my inherited pieces. David took so much time to research rare pieces from 1790, explaining their rare markings. His appraisals are worth the money, very detailed and will give you confidence that your loved ones will know their personal, historical, and market value.

They do AMAZING work! They replated three old silly spoons I had from my childhood including the…read moreCampbell Soup twins, and my Woody Woodpecker spoon. The spoons are gorgeous! They also redid the top to an a porcelain muffineer I picked up at one of my favorite stores that is now stunning. THANK YOU!

I reached out to Debra after finding her info here on Yelp. I had broken the lid of a cookie jar…read morethat has been in my family since I was a tiny human and was devastated. I wrote to her, fully expecting to pay an arm, leg, and possibly have to leave my firstborn as collateral. Her quote was drastically less expensive than another place and I already knew that we would get along well personality-wise based on our initial communications. She was very sweet to my son, who came with me when I dropped the piece off. I already know that her work is going to be wonderful and can't wait to update this review to tell everyone that Tigger (that's the cookie jar lol) has been restored to his previous adorableness!

Debra is amazing! I had a Jade sculpture that was knocked over by my pup into many large & tiny…read morepieces. I was very distraught as it is incredibly sentimental to me. She made it look like it had never been broken. I could not recommend her highly enough!

Superb fine art framer. If you know fine art, you know Richard. He has decades of experience.read more

I have a family portrait of French origin dating from the early 1800's. Unfortunately one of the…read morecorners of the antique frame was damaged in a move. Because the frame is so old and there was no one locally that could restore this frame I searched on the internet and found Mr. Boerth. I sent him pictures and discussed having him repair it. Since he trained in France I had faith that he would do a good job - and I wasn't disappointed in the least. Mr. Boerth was able to restore the piece so well that no one would ever suspect it had been damaged. He accomplished this task in the timeframe he estimated and his charges were reasonable considering the knowledge and expertise that he has. While I have never been to his shop I look forward to visiting next time I am in the Seattle area. I wholeheartly recommend him if you need a repair or restoration of an antique frame or if you want to buy an antique frame he is definitely the man to go to.

I've had two different pictures framed here. One was a 1851 John James Audubon, hand-painted…read morelithograph of an threatened species I study in Washington. Biology-geek alert! They took great care with this delicate picture and spent ~30 minutes as we tried different frame colors and frame styles. I left there quite happy. I was told my two pictures would take about a week to finish...4 days later I had the two pictures and the price was reasonable.

Jose was such a pleasure to work with. I am an interior designer and had a client with an old…read morefamily rocking chair (over 100 years old). I had to call a few upholsters in the area to see who we wanted to work with. I knew I wanted to work with Jose as soon as we talked over the phone because of his professionalism and knowledge. He was so helpful and patient answering all my questions. I sent him photos of the chair and fabric specs and then he was able to provide me with a quote. He had a quick turnaround and was able to start work on the chair a week after it was dropped off. It took him just 3.5 days to complete the reupholstery and he took pictures of the whole process then shared them with me. It was so fun seeing the process and how he uncovered more of the history of this family heirloom.

Just received my newly reupholstered couch and can't stop smiling. Jose's work is artistry. I…read morechose a fussy floral fabric. He matched the flowers on seams, he ran the pattern from the front of the cushion to the top, he centered the flowers that popped out so they are symmetrical. His attention to detail is spectacular. And he is fun to work with! I couldn't give a higher recommendation.