Restoring Keeps the Original; Renovating Replaces It
To restore is to return something to its earlier condition. Conservation draws a careful line between restoring, renovating and conserving.
To restore is to bring something back to a former state. Heritage work distinguishes three approaches: *conservation* stabilises what survives, *restoration* returns it to a chosen earlier state, and *renovation* modernises. Restoration always involves a decision about which past to return to, and that decision is argued about endlessly.
- To return to a former condition. *Restore the painting.*
- To bring back. *Restore order.*
- To reinstate. *Restored to the post.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | restore | Restore the facade. |
| Past | restored | Fully restored. |
| Noun | restoration | A careful restoration. |
| Person | restorer | A furniture restorer. |
| Related | conservation | Conservation work. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The organ was restored in 2018.Heritage work.
- Power was restored after six hours.Brought back.
- The Restoration returned the monarchy in 1660.With a capital R, a period of English history.
Approaches to old things
- Conservation — stabilise and prevent further loss
- Restoration — return to a chosen earlier state
- Reconstruction — rebuild what is missing
- Renovation — update for modern use
- Preservation — keep exactly as found
From Latin *restaurare*, to renew or rebuild. The same word gives French *restaurant*, originally a restorative broth sold to revive the weary.
Are restaurant and restore related?
Yes. A restaurant was originally a restorative dish, and the shops selling it took the name in eighteenth-century Paris.
Restore or conserve?
Conservation stabilises what remains without adding. Restoration returns an object to a chosen earlier appearance, which involves judgement.