Dealers accused of tricks that turn ordinary desks into £1m antiques

Example of objects created in the workshop of France's most-prized cabinetmakers, André-Charles Boulle, in the Wallace Collection in London. These are genuine and none have been ‘over-restored’ or upgraded. Photograph: Nathaniel Noir/Alamy

Dealers are over-restoring and upgrading furniture with modern additions disguised to make them look older and more valuable, a leading expert has warned.

Yannick Chastang, former furniture conservator of the Wallace Collection, which boasts one of the world’s finest furniture holdings, can no longer turn a blind eye to what some dealers and restorers are doing.