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C ROBINSON, ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORER Nr WINCHESTER HAMPSHIRE
I have been restoring furniture at my workshop at Bugle Farm, Highbridge near Colden Common for the last twenty-four years. (Please note, I am a separate business from Brambridge Antiques and Restoration also located at Bugle Farm.) During the boom years of the antiques trade I was kept very busy restoring a wide range of antique furniture for a number of dealers. As the antiques trade has declined I have since done more and more work for private customers, many of whom have returned to me time and time again over several years.
Most of my work involves Georgian and early Victorian furniture but I have also had plenty of experience working with furniture of earlier and later periods such as the vulnerable patina of a piece of 17th century walnut, requiring some judicious attention, or a modern dining table that might need completely re-polishing, (modern furniture will look better than it has ever done if it is French polished)
I make sound well matched repairs using the appropriate timbers where possible, (although this can depend on availability and cost), and use tried and tested traditional polishing methods that give long lasting results.
SERVICES
Wood Repairs
I have stocks of various furniture woods, much of it salvaged from old furniture, this includes difficult to find species such as Cuban mahogany, which is often needed to repair Georgian furniture.
Old furniture often has multiple defects and weaknesses making it fragile and its repair problematic. Sometimes expense is no object but for much furniture some kind of cost effective compromise is required. In these cases, I do my best to find some solution to put the piece back in service in a robust and attractive state. .
Veneering and veneer repairs
I have stocks of old salvaged veneers for patching old surfaces, including quite well faded rosewood and burr walnut. I can also veneer whole surfaces although doing this well takes quite a lot of time and care which is reflected in the cost of such work.
Preserving old patina
Very often people require some attention to be given to unsightly stains, scratches and wear while preserving the aged character of their furniture. Such blemishes can usually be, either removed, or greatly improved upon, without completely refinishing the surface, and at quite reasonable cost.
Antique furniture can also look sad and dull looking and this can usually be remedied by some method of cleaning and reviving, again while preserving its character and avoiding more expensive stripping and re-polishing.
French polishing
Although there is much talk of the value of old patina, there are instances when the ravages of time produce something that is simply unattractive. If old furniture is to survive, it has to be worthy of space in the home; once it is put out in the shed its condition is likely to get worse. Stripping and re-polishing may be the answer. Through studying the older more traditional version of French polishing I have been able to produce a finer finish than is usually the case with work carried out by contemporary methods.
Depending on the timber being polished, (Georgian mahogany for instance is polished more easily than coarser Edwardian mahogany) and on the degree of finish required, French polishing varies in price between £6 and £15 per square foot for flat surfaces and more for more complex surfaces. Dining chairs are typically between £30 and £70 each.
Oil polishing
This is a very old finish that can be used on rustic furniture where it produces more authentic and natural looking results.
CONTACT
Workshop 01962 715056 Home 01962 711024
C Robinson Restoration, Bugle Farm, Highbridge Rd, Highbridge, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 6HS
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