CARLSBAD -- Furniture and clothing that once belonged to 1930s movie star Leo Carrillo has been restored to near-original condition and returned recently to the Carlsbad ranch that bears his name.

A national restoration group called the Questers funded the project that repaired and refinished to exacting detail the Monterey-branded furniture that is now on display in the "Horseman's Bedroom," part of the original Carrillo hacienda built in the late 1930s.

Charles Balteria, a recreation specialist for the city of Carlsbad and a volunteer for the Questers, said Carrillo was allowed carte blanch in the decor of only the "Horseman's Bedroom" by his wife, Edith.

"Edith's taste in decorating was more from an East Coast point of view," said Balteria, adding that the rest of the ranch reflected more of what you might see in that part of the country.

"Leo was only allowed by Edith to decorate this room, and he chose to stick with his Western roots, that's why everything in this room speaks of cowboys and the Old West -- like the spurs used on the dresser for handles," Balteria added.

According to the group's Web site, the Questers are collectors of antiques, collectibles, and history and spend much of their time learning about their treasures from books, libraries, and friends.

The Questers, which boasts a membership of some 15,000 in North America, also help to preserve and restore antiquities, buildings, and historic sites.

The return March 14 of the final piece the bedroom set -- which was custom-built for Carrillo -- coincided with the national meetings of the Questers in San Diego. Dozens of Questers delegates stopped by the ranch to get a glimpse of their latest restoration effort.

"It all turned out beautiful, just beautiful," said Natalie Monet, a preservation representative for the Questers. "We're very pleased with the way the furniture turned out and with the cleaning and restoration of the some of the costumes that Leo Carrillo once wore -- they all look terrific."

Mike Roxy of Encinitas was commissioned to restore the Carrillo bedroom set, and said the furniture was in "pretty good shape considering its age," when he began the project late last year.

"All in all, it wasn't that bad," said Roxy, who minutes before had delivered the last restored piece of the set to the ranch.

"There was some work we had to do to keep the original lines intact, but there wasn't anything that was really difficult," Roxy said.

Carrillo Ranch archivist Gerry Streff disagreed with Roxy's assessment, and says the craftsman was just being modest.

"It was a lot worse than what he's trying to get people to believe -- a lot worse," said Streff as she pointed out the precise work done on a dresser to a group of visiting Questers.

"Just take a look at the work done on these leather-wrapped drawer handles," Streff observed. "It took him hours to safely remove them and prevent any more damage -- they were peeled in from the back, inside the drawer. He took his time to do it right, and the result is that we have a beautiful, well-done restoration of this Monterey furniture."

Monet said her group enjoyed their visit to the ranch and was especially happy with the results of the Monterey furniture restoration project.

"Every piece turned out so well, it's all so beautiful," said Monet. "This is exactly what the Questers want to see. We feel that if we spend a little on preserving the past, that we're making a huge investment in the future."