// About Our Company

A family-run restoration atelier across three generations.

ThePastCentury
How the love for antiques began

I’m Joerg, founder of ThePastCentury, and I still vividly remember sitting at my father’s desk as a teenager while he tried to teach me the binomial formulas. Whether I actually learned them back then, I honestly can’t say today. But something else stayed with me: his Kaiser Idell desk lamp, which, decades later, is still in daily use.
From an early age, I was surrounded by antiques and historical objects. My father had a deep appreciation for rare books and antique prints. In our living room stood—and still stands today—a rare solid oak fireproof cabinet alongside French candelabras that fascinated me even as a child.
Years later, I found my own Kaiser Idell lamp with a flexible arm at a flea market, never imagining that it would become the beginning of a true passion for antiques and design. That lamp still accompanies me today and continues to faithfully serve its purpose—like here, while repairing an old Rancilio espresso machine.
What started with restoring and repairing machines and lamps gradually evolved over the years into working with tables, chairs, serving carts, and sofas, and eventually expanded into fine craftsmanship, paintings, and unique objects from past centuries.
Over many decades, this passion grew into an ever-expanding collection ranging from Baroque pieces to Mid-Century design, industrial objects, lighting, and furniture classics. Many of these pieces were collected with patience, experience, and a genuine love for detail.
When my son—the third generation—eventually purchased his own Kaiser Idell President lamp, the idea for ThePastCentury finally came together.
By 2022, the collection had grown to such a scale that we made the decision to part with selected pieces and create ThePastCentury. Since then, we’ve wanted to share our passion and experience with people who appreciate original design, honest materials, and objects with true character and history.
That is also how the idea came about to incorporate the one element connecting all three generations—the Kaiser Idell President lamp—into our logo.
Our philosophy when it comes to restoration is simple:
“Don’t overdo it.”
Patina and signs of age tell the story of the furniture, lamps, and objects that have lived through decades—sometimes centuries—of history. That is why we restore with restraint and deep respect for the original piece. Only genuinely missing or damaged parts are carefully replaced, preferably using old materials and reclaimed woods. Whenever possible, we continue to work with traditional restoration techniques and classic materials such as hide glue and shellac.

Three generations. One passion for past centuries.