Antique Furniture Restoration

We specialise in all types of cabinet repair work including:

  • Repair Patching
  • Veneering
  • Fret work
  • Inlay work
  • Marquetry and Parquetry
  • Carving
  • Moulding
  • Wood Turning
  • Leather Skiver Lining

Most types of traditional wood finishing including:

  • Wax finishes
  • French polishing
  • Oil finishes and varnishes
  • Metalwork repairs to locks, hinges, cabinet fittings, castors, latches and bolts etc
  • Missing parts made to order

Patch Repair

This is a sympathetic restoration process of repairing damage, a small chip or replacing a piece of missing wood veneer. The chip or void is filled with a precisely fitted piece of closely matching timber specially chosen to blend into the surrounding material as near as possible. The fillet piece is sometimes shaped to distract the eyes attention away from a sharp line, or fettled to follow the line of the grain to blend in the repair.

Veneering

A process first used in the second half of the 17th Century originating from the Dutch cabinet makers, who would cut thin sheets of decorative timber, e.g. walnut and glue them down onto a base, or carcase, made of lesser quality timber such as oak or pine. The main advantage of this being that different cuts of well figured veneer could be economically used to give a striking effect when decoratively laid.

Fretwork

A skill used by fine cabinet makers for several centuries, particularly on furniture made by Thomas Chippendale. Fretwork is a process done with a very fine blade and comprises cutting away or piercing away the surrounding waste wood to reveal, often highly detailed, decorative designs on panelled work. Fret is either pierced with no background material or blind, usually a piece of pierced thick section veneer glued onto a solid background.

Inlay Work

This is a process of letting in a piece of contrasting wood into a solid or veneered background material, fitted closely and flush with the surface. Long, thin uniform strips of inlay are called stringing, whilst wider sections are referred to as banding, or cross banding.

Marquetry and Parquetry

This is a much more intricate and detailed process of inlaying contrasting woods, metals or bone veneers, cut into complex decorative designs, into a solid or veneered surface. Often seen on fine period furniture, table tops and caddies etc. from the late 17th century to the early 20th century. Marquetry is generally pictorial or floral in formation, whilst Parquetry, although similar, is usually of geometric formation.

Carving

The process of cutting away or chiselling away material from a solid block of timber to reveal fine sculptured detail and intricate three dimensional designs. Found on fine furniture and cabinet work throughout the ages.

Moulding

The term used to cut away material from solid lengths of timber, usually with special planes, or more recently, spindle moulders and router machines. The blades cut away the waste material to reveal profiles of consistant uniformity at lengths required.

Wood Turning

An age old process of creating cylindrical and concentric designs on a lathe such as columns, bowls and vase shaped objects.

Leather Skiver Lining

Skiver is a thin sheet of  rolled leather, often embossed/gilded around the borders  - usually sheep hide and sometimes thicker cow hide. The skiver is inlaid into desk tops and writing surfaces on bureaux and secretaries and writing slopes etc.