Antique & Mid 20th Century Furniture Restoration
Using traditional methods and recipes to make our own wax and shellac polishes we are able to repair and revive original surfaces or sensitively refinish.
Unsightly watermarks, ink staining, scratches and other surface damage can be reduced and blended. Shellac, or ‘French Polish’ is used when appropriate, and although this particular finish wasn’t actually used in England until the 19th Century, a great deal of earlier furniture was re-polished during the Victorian period. This traditional finish which enhances the beauty of wood better than most modern finishes, is actually very durable and hard wearing. It just doesn’t much like water and heat and it softens if you spill your gin & tonic on it; French polish can, however, be made even more durable by using a modified ‘heat resistant’ shellac as part of the polishing process. If a re-polish is necessary, using shellac and/or wax polishes, we are able to re-build what some would refer to as ‘patination’ to give the re-polished surfaces of antique furniture a more appropriate look for an old surface

Traditional Hand Finishing
Using a traditional materials like wax and shellac we are able to revive old surfaces, adjust the colour of bleached surfaces, remove water marks and if necessary re polish antique surfaces to bring furniture back to life.

Veneering
Veneers will often become loose or perhaps damaged due to over enthusiastic dusting! We are able to re lay and repair these thin layers of wood using our extensive stock of veneers to match the original.

Carving & Turning
Carved & turned parts are easily damaged and delicate turned finials are particularly vulnerable. These parts can all be successfully repaired and/or replaced and are often the little touches that really set off a mirror or long-case clock.

Marquetry & Inlay Work
Due to the nature of antique marquetry and inlay, repairs still need to be carried out predominantly by hand.
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