An antique is an object valued for its age, its craftsmanship, and its history. Collectors usually use the term once something is about 100 years old. Antique signs carry all three. They show how people once made, lettered, and decorated signs by hand, long before modern materials. At our shop in Edgewater, Maryland, we work with that tradition in two ways: we paint new signs with an old look, and we restore the real thing.
Faux Antique Signs
Faux antique signs look old, but they’re new. We paint them by hand, the way signs were lettered a century ago. For example, our Crabs & Beer sign starts with real driftwood. For Whole Foods Market in Rockville, we lettered wooden crate signs with a rustic, old-fashioned feel. We also painted wooden display signs for Padgett Swann Machinery in Florida. In addition, homeowners order them for kitchens, bars, and backyards, like these ice cream signs.
Restoring Antique Signs
We also restore antique signs, and we love the work. The goal is to return a piece to its first beauty while respecting the sign it started as. Whether it’s gilded, carved, or hand-lettered, we treat each piece with care, because an old sign can’t be replaced once it’s gone. For instance, Brendon Brandon used historical photos to recreate the original gold leaf on an antique fire coach. We also recreated antique painted glass for a music box from Hack’s Mechanical Music. Likewise, we helped restore the gold leaf on the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Learn more about our restoration work.
Preserving Antique Signs for the Future
Old signs are part of our shared history, so preserving them matters to us. In fact, we’ve donated some of our own collectible signs to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, which covers more than 100 years of American sign history. A restored antique can stay in daily use for years. It can also earn a place where many people can enjoy it.
See the Work
- Hand-painted Crabs & Beer driftwood sign
- Stenciled crate signs for Whole Foods
- Wooden display signs for Padgett Swann Machinery
- Hand-painted ice cream signs
- Gold leaf on an antique fire coach
- Painted glass for a music box
Browse the full faux antique gallery and our gold leaf repair category. Our What We Do page shows everything we build.
Contact Designs & Signs
Have an antique sign that needs new life, or want a new one that looks old? Send us a message through our contact form, or call (410) 798-5115.