Cornwall Furniture Restoration
Furniture restoration and repair
French polishing antique and modern

Tel. Ian Marshall 01208 871444     Email  iantiques@btinternet.com
9A4 Restormel Industrial Estate Lostwithiel Cornwall PL22 0HG

Antique furniture restoration and repair

22nd Dec. 2012 FLOODS  LOSTWITHIEL      Lostwithiel has been hit by floods as the river is running very fast and high. For flood damaged furniture that needs restoring or repolishing please ring 01208 871444. I shall be around right up to christmas and after.                     

Furniture repairs undertaken.

Restorer and French polisher of old and new pieces, cabinet making veneering inlay French polishing, chair caning, upholstery and many other associated repair services. Also known as riverside restorations. Fire and flood restoration to antiques and insurance work regularly undertaken. Onsite  repairing and polishing service can be undertaken on those larger items such as large  antique bookcases, doors, staircases and balustrades, skirting and panelling. Collection and delivery service of your antique furniture can be arranged throughout the UK.  Based in Lostwithiel Cornwall which is in the south west of England and with 35years experience in furniture repairs and polishing. Restoration  regularly carried out in Fowey, St Austell, Truro, Bodmin, Liskeard and Wadebridge.

Insurance claims for damaged furniture.  

Many customers have accidental damage cover for  furniture and contents. Insurance assessments quotes and reports are regularly carried out.

Modern furniture restoration

2012 has continued the demand for 20th century furniture needing restoration particularly that which was made in the 50s through to the 70s, Nathan, Ducal G Plan and Strongbow. The requirement is more in the realm of re-polishing rather than repair. Ercol  is also featuring regularly in our enquiries.

Work in commercial premises.

Cornwall furniture restoration also known as Riverside Antiques and restorations is also able to carry out a furniture repairs and refurbishment service to hotels, retirement homes, offices and reception areas. For all your  restoration and polishing requirements please do not hesitate to contact us at the above addresses. Please contact us. You are invited to browse our site pages which can be accessed from the grey link buttons above. If you are an existing customer thank you for coming back or if you found us through Google thanks for dropping by.

We have had a busy month with various requests for furniture to be restored. Dining tables and general 20th century furniture is coming through the workshop with more regularity.

Advice on condition of antique furniture.

If you have items  that you are concerned about, I can make a visit and carry out repair inspections by appointment.

Burst pipes or flood damaged furniture

The first 4 weeks of 2011 have been extremely busy due to the damage caused to antique and modern furniture by burst    pipes  and flooding. Many pieces were written off by insurers, but a lot has been saved, bringing many items  back to  its former glory . If you have any flood or water damaged items in need of repair or restoration then please give me a call on  01208 871444, or email me at iantiques@btinternet.com

Restoration of a card table

mahogany display corner cabinet

This Victorian walnut writing slope has been completely restored including replacement leather

Has there been a better time to buy antique furniture?

18th November 2011. In my opinion no!  The cost of purchasing such items has come down drastically over the last 3 years and it is now a buyers market. Ten years ago the cost of a typical late eighteenth century furniture bow fronted chest of drawers in restored condition was around £750. That same piece  would cost around the same price, if not a little less. Similarly a good Georgian mahogany bureau in need of some restoration would cost about £1200 ten years ago in auction. That same antique bureau could probably be purchased for around £400-500 today

Repairs and polishing to an eighteenth century mahogany  bureau

Rightmove Lostwithiel A small friendly professional removal company with 20 years experience, providing quality removals locally ,nationwide and to France. All packing materials , packing service and secure storage are available and quotes are provided without obligation  ( removals into Cornwall from out of county gladly welcomed). Phone Steve on 01208 872441 and mobile 07974 180041 or visit his website at  Lostwithiel Removals

Restoration and polishing carried out on a good quality early nineteenth century mahogany Canterbury. There were two pieces of  beading missing, some loose casters and a few breaks and loose joints. One of the drawer knobs was also damaged and had to be re-turned. The Canterbury then had to be cleaned back, grain filled and French polished.

Repairs to a Victorian church pew.

This pitch pine pew had spent some time outdoors where it had dried out and bleached in the sun. After restoration of the timber, and repairing all the joints, the painted surface had to be stripped prior to wax polishing.

WOODWORKING TOOLS SECTION . Please visit this page to see some of  my  favourite woodworking  tools used  in antique furniture  restoration.  Please click on  the  link  at the top of page

Antique furniture restoration and repair

I have been involved in repairs and polishing of antique furniture in Cornwall for the past 35 years and have restored items from the early 17th century through to the 21st century. The restoration involves hard, physical work. Job satisfaction in my opinion only comes at the end of a project when the restorer casts his eye over the antique item and is satisfied that all the necessary  repairs and French polishing undertaken have brought the item of antique furniture up to a level that is both practically and visually pleasing.

I will fully discuss all aspects of repair and restoration with you and special care will be taken with collection and delivery of the item. Collection and delivery of the item can be arranged not only in Cornwall but throughout the UK if required.

Workshop or onsite

Normally it is better and easier for antique furniture restoration to be carried out at  our workshop in Cornwall. There are many reasons for this and include accessibility to all the restorers tools and clamps etc, all his polishes an tints and the use of a sturdy bench and vice. Also drying times for certain glues can be up to 48 hours. French Polishing  normally results in many coats being applied to the item over a period of many days. Quite often it is necessary to repair onsite in Cornwall with larger or fixed items. Whenever Cornwall furniture restoration are asked to work onsite we endeavor to keep the area as clean and tidy as possible and to cause as little disruption as is necessary.

This upright modern Broadwood piano had suffered severe damage along the front edge caused by the piano being moved through a doorway. The scratches and dents had to be sanded out and then each area was carefully stained and tinted in to match the surrounding area which was a little difficult because the piano was next to a very large window.

Antique repairs to the back of an ash country chair

This very pretty country chair was brought into me to have some major repairs done on the arm and back. It  has had some drastic repairs carried out some time ago. The furniture restoration was somewhat clumsily done, although the break was severe and drastic, measures had to be taken to strengthen the joint. To see the finished result please  scroll down the french polishing  page.

Restorers  diary

19th Dec  It has been a very busy year with much flood damaged furniture to restore. Restoration projects included a beautiful blonde walnut card table, a very large mahogany sideboard, construction of the base of a breakfront bookcase. We are also undertaking chair caning which is very time consuming but rewarding in terms of job satisfaction. At present I am working on a georgian mahogany bureau and a georgian kneehole desk.

2nd June Stripping and repolishing pair of mahogany occasaional tables. Restoration of victorian barometer and carriage clock case.

6th May 2012. Refinishing a very unusual windowseat and stripping and polishing a set of elm chairs

16th April 2012 It has been a very busy year this last 12 months .So much so that I suffered a bout of burnout during August and September 2011. I got involved in a large project near Falmouth that involved working 80 hour weeks. The summer came and went without me noticing it which peeved me a little. Was hoping to get on the beach. The winter brought its usual toll of damaged items from burst pipes. Feeling in need of a break. I love working on good furniture though. Ercol is coming through the doors more regularly now. Thanks for listening.

5th April 2011 Stripping and repolishing an oak trestle dining table and an oak sideboard

26th March 2011 Repairs to mahogany envelope table and 1950s desk

20th March 2011 Restoration of late regency rosewood cardtable and early nineteenth century bow front chest

6th March 2011  Carrying out work on an early victorian rosewood card table. The top has been badly bleached in sunlight

10th Feb 2011. Working on a mahogany china display cabinet that has been damaged in recent floods

Restoring a damaged church altar table

This table is quite large in size. It had the top covered with a sheet of plain glass which had allowed liquids to creep under the edges and stain the table top. Also the top had started to shrink and crack and black mould was residing in the crevices. The top had to be removed and dismantled so that the boards could be planed, glued and cramped. The top was then sanded down  prior to refinishing.

Collection and delivery service

Cornwall Furniture Restoration is based in the southwest of England and although we principally operate in the southwest we are able to collect and deliver anywhere in the UK if required.

Restoration of cabinets in the Rashleigh Gallery, Royal Cornwall Museum Truro.

These good quality mahogany cabinet have been completely restored allowing the drawers to be used for display purposes.

Repair and re-polishing of burr walnut partners desk

Cornwall Furniture Restoration  tel. 01208 871444

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This beautiful Victorian burr walnut veneered card table had sustained water damage along the front edges and sides. One of the legs was also loose. After restoration was carried out the base was repolished with shellac and the whole table was waxed.

5th Dec2012

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Chair caning in Cornwall

We are now able to undertake items of furniture for recaning in Cornwall. This unusual chair had to be restored prior to reseating