Historic Interior Restoration
The Heart of a Building
If the façade is the face, the interior is the soul. Inside Chicago’s historic buildings — from
Prairie School residences to Gilded Age townhouses and Art Deco landmarks — interiors
carry the hand of the architect, the vision of the designer, and the craftsmanship of artisans
long gone.
Plaster ceilings adorned with ornate moldings, wood-paneled libraries glowing with patina,
marble floors polished by generations — these are not mere finishes. They are cultural
artifacts, embodiments of beauty, symbols of prestige.
But time, neglect, and careless renovations threaten them. Plaster cracks and detaches,
wallpapers peel, wood dries and warps, metals corrode, and above all, shortcuts by
unqualified contractors leave scars. Once these details are lost, they are irreplaceable.
At Guernica Restoration, we treat interiors as sacred. Our mission is to conserve, not
replace — to reveal the original artistry, not cover it with drywall and latex paint. Owners
who choose us are not just maintaining a home or building. They are safeguarding the living
history of Chicago.
Interior Plaster & Wall Coverings
The Canvas of Design
From Venetian plaster walls to decorative crown moldings, plaster was the medium that
architects and artisans used to shape light and shadow. In Prairie homes, it created calm
surfaces; in Victorian mansions, it became elaborate ornament.
The Problems:
• Cracks from structural shifts.
• Water infiltration leading to delamination.
• Past “repairs” with gypsum board or cement patching that erase details.
• Loss of historic wall coverings, stenciled designs, and painted murals.
Our Solutions:
• Reattachment and consolidation of original plaster with conservation adhesives.
• Hand restoration of ornamental details, recarved and recast in traditional methods.
• Cleaning, stabilization, and reintegration of historic wallpapers and decorative
painting.
• Use of lime plasters where historically appropriate — flexible, breathable, authentic.
We don’t patch plaster. We revive it.
Interior Decorative Woodwork
The Warmth of Craftsmanship
Wood interiors are the crown jewels of Chicago’s houses and civic buildings: oak staircases
designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, mahogany libraries glowing in golden light, walnut doors
carved with artistry. These interiors once signified wealth and refinement, and today they
remain irreplaceable.
The Problems:
• Drying, splitting, and warping of panels.
• Rot from unchecked water infiltration.
• Loss of original finishes, replaced with polyurethane glosses.
• Replacement of carved details with cheap, machine-cut replicas.
Our Solutions:
• Careful consolidation and repair of historic panels and staircases.
• Dutchman repairs in matching wood species — oak, walnut, cherry, mahogany.
• Hand-carving and turning to replicate missing or damaged details.
• Historic finishes restored with shellac, oils, and hand-rubbed varnishes.
Every handrail, every panel, every carved rosette is treated as a museum object —
because in truth, that is what it is.
Historic Metals
Strength and Ornament in Iron and Bronze
Cast iron grilles, bronze doors, ornamental railings — metals in Chicago architecture were
as expressive as stone and wood. From Louis Sullivan’s flowing ironwork to the Art Deco
bronzes of office lobbies, metals gave buildings both strength and grace.
The Problems:
• Corrosion from decades of exposure.
• Paint layers suffocating details.
• Structural weakness from neglected anchors and fastenings.
• Loss of original patinas, replaced by shiny, inappropriate coatings.
Our Solutions:
• Careful cleaning and stabilization to arrest corrosion without damaging surfaces.
• Patina replication to restore historic color and sheen.
• Structural reinforcement of anchors, connections, and railings.
• Protective coatings designed for breathability and longevity.
Where others see “rusty iron,” we see wrought art — and we bring it back to life.
Chicago’s Historic Interiors:
A Legacy Worth Saving
Think of the architects: Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Adler & Sullivan, Holabird &
Root, Howard Van Doren Shaw. Think of the interiors they designed — places where wood,
plaster, and metal merged into works of art.
Too many of these treasures have been stripped, gutted, or lost to shortcuts. But for those
who still have them, they are not just decoration. They are legacy, status, and pride.
The Exclusive Treatment
Choosing Guernica Restoration means recognizing that your building is special — as rare
and beautiful as the architecture of Chicago itself. You do not hire “contractors.” You hire
conservators, artisans, and preservationists who bring history back to life.
Your building deserves care at the highest level. You deserve to be its guardian. We are
here to make that possible.