Kirstead Hall Antique Furniture Restoration

Dermot was trained by Spink and Sons and works for Antique dealers, country houses, large and small  nationwide.  He advises on items  worth restoring and conserving and to what extent. Wonderful furniture, vernacular  and ordinary items.

Helped by his wife Judy, and Chris Dawson former head restorer of Arthur Brett.

Our approach,

Missing components such as mouldings are replaced and blended to match the originals without disturbing surrounding surfaces and patina.   Old surface veneers are used, then and laid flush into areas where missing.

We conserve and preserve furniture, ensure everything is natural looking, durable and most importantly stands THE TEST OF TIME.    Bright glossy finishes are removed and furniture restored to how it should look.  Refinishing if needed is  specifically tailored to each individual piece.

Traditional materials are used but with methods unique to ourselves to achieve  a natural look.   We do not use revivers for fading or stains etc  because they contain oils which dry out and the surfaces fade again, instead a special concoction  which will remove bloom, stains and rejuvenate tired looking surfaces. We hand dye our leather for desk tops, upholstery and specialise in a “Moroccan”  type of leather.

Dermot meets  restorers of other disciplines i.e carvers  gilders, picture conservators, silver and metal workers etc. We have  an extensive library for research together with stocks of old handles, brasswork, and timber.