Service

Furniture restoration in Christchurch

Antique and modern furniture brought back to use. Structural repairs, veneer and marquetry, borer and water damage, polishing and upholstery.

We have been doing this on Ferry Road since 1980.

Restored Victorian burr walnut Davenport desk with carved supports and green leather writing surface — Burr walnut Davenport desk

Restored chinoiserie bureau bookcase in black lacquer and gilt with arched mirrored doors — Chinoiserie bureau bookcase

What we repair

Loose and broken joints, re-glued and cramped up properly rather than screwed together
Veneer lifting, bubbling, chipping and losses, patched with matching grain
Marquetry and inlay, including missing stringing and banding
Borer damage, consolidation and replacement of affected timber
Water rings, heat marks, bloom and sun damage to old finishes
Missing turnings, mouldings, feet and carved elements, made to match
Drawers that stick, doors that will not close, runners worn through
Re-upholstery, using the frame you already own

Antiques and period furniture

Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco and mid century. Each period has its own construction methods, timbers and finishes, and the right repair is the one that respects how the piece was originally made. Where a piece has been badly repaired before, part of the job is undoing that first.

We are the New Zealand agents for Liberon, so the waxes, oils and spirit dyes we finish with are the same materials specialist restorers use worldwide.

Insurance and EQC work

We quote and carry out insurance and EQC repairs. If you need a written assessment of damage and a repair cost for a claim, we can provide one.

Is it worth restoring?

Sometimes the honest answer is no, and we will tell you. But it is worth asking, because the answer surprises people more often than not. A piece that looks beyond hope is frequently just a frame that needs re-gluing and a finish that needs stripping back.

The quickest way to find out is to send photos through the quote form. Show us the whole piece and then close ups of the damage, and we will come back to you.

A lounge chair that had given up

The fabric had gone entirely, wadding hanging out of the seat, the frame grey and dry. Reupholstered in wool tweed with the bentwood arms polished back

Bentwood lounge chair before restoration with torn fabric and exposed wadding on the workshop bench — Before

The same bentwood lounge chair after restoration, reupholstered in oatmeal wool tweed with polished arms — After

A full lounge suite

Chair and sofa from the same suite, gold velvet worn through to the backing. Frames repaired and repolished, then reupholstered in a red diamond weave

Armchair before restoration with worn gold velvet upholstery in the workshop — Before

The armchair after restoration, reupholstered in red diamond weave fabric with a polished frame — After

Matching sofa before restoration with buttoned gold velvet upholstery stripped back in the workshop — Before

The matching sofa after restoration, buttoned red upholstery with a polished timber frame — After

Send us photos

Show us the piece and the damage and we will come back to you with a price.

Request a quote 03 389 8288