The “Did You Know?” Issue:
In which we look at some things you should know about Patina and its line of fine Italian hand painted furniture.
Did you know that Patina furniture is hand crafted in Italy?
Frankly, we thought everybody new that, but we were recently surprised to learn that may not be the case. Some people may have missed the fact that Patina’s furniture is made exclusively by a very talented group of Italian  artisans under the direction of Enrico Lenarduzzi at Patina’s factory and studio in Ronchi dei Legionari in the Province of Gorizia, Italy.
Years of apprenticeship and study have gone into preparing Patina artists and their skills are formidable.
Twenty years ago, Enrico scoured the country to find the original group of artist and craftspeople to make the first Patina pieces and many of those artists are still employed by Patina today.
 Patina uses high quality woods in the construction of all its furniture, assuring that the piece will stand the test of time without cracking and splitting. Our artists then apply a coat of gesso to the entire surface.
Patina still uses a gesso based on the traditional gesso used for centuries by Italian artists. By using this “old world” style of gesso, the pieces maintain a more traditional look than could be achieved with a modern acrylic based gesso.
 Then using a tempera based paint, essentially the same paint as 18th century artisans, the base color is applied completely by hand, without the use of any modern sprayers or similar techniques.
A great deal of care goes into the aging of each piece and no two pieces are aged in exactly the same way. It is not a cookie cutter process. The results are consistently stunning and each piece is a work of art unto itself.
So the next time you think about Patina remember that every single piece of furniture we create is hand made and painted by highly trained and skilled artists and craftspeople who live and work in Italy.
Did you know that every piece of Patina furniture comes with its own Care Kit?
 While Patina furniture is not fragile, it needs to be taken care of in the same manner as any other fine piece of furniture. Patina pieces do very well in most homes and are very “livable” but they are not intended to be used in high traffic, everyday situations such as a family breakfast table or a game table for the kids.
Patina pieces are finished with a thin lacquer, not polyurethane, and the finishes should not be subjected to water, spray polishes or strenuous rubbing with harsh materials or cloth.
 Each Patina piece that is sold comes with its own Care Kit. The Care Kit contains general instructions on caring for the furniture and a small bottle of aging solution similar to that used by the artists who created it.
In the course of everyday life, some nicks in the paint may show up due to moving accidents or careless vacuuming, etc. Because the painted surface is applied over a gesso, these nicks will show up as white marks against the decorative paint. That’s where the aging solution comes in handy.
The aging solution darkens the white gesso to a light brown giving the appearance that the new nick is actually a 200-year-old nick. This blends the nick into the surface and helps contribute to the overall aged look of the piece.
Because customer service and satisfaction is so important to Patina we are also happy to help over the phone explaining the proper care of the furniture and how to repair problems using the Care Kit. In extreme situations, Patina has even sent repair and finish experts into customers homes to make things right after a piece has been damaged.
For more information about the proper care of Patina furniture, contact your local sales representative.
| 
