How the work goes
We begin by inspecting the piece to identify what has actually failed. A chair
that wobbles may have loose joints, a split rail, or a previous repair that was
never going to hold — and each needs a different answer.
There is no single method, because there is no single kind of furniture. The
materials, products and techniques change from piece to piece: upholstery work
calls for entirely different materials and skills than antique restoration, and
a mid-century veneer needs a different hand again. Matching the approach to the
piece is most of the job.
How long it takes depends on what the piece needs. Simple glue joints are ready
in 48 hours. A rebuild takes as long as the damage demands — the dresser
that fell off a moving truck took five weeks. Where the repair also calls for
the surface to be redone, the timings on
refinishing apply.
What it costs
Stabilising the joints on a chair starts at around $80. Where parts are actually
broken and need rebuilding, repairs start at around $125.
Beyond that, two things move the price: the extent of the damage, and the amount
of detail in the piece. Carving, mouldings, inlay and turned parts all take
longer to repair well, because each one has to be matched to what is already
there.
We would rather look at it before quoting. Send photographs through the
contact form and we can usually tell you whether it is
worth bringing in.
A job we remember
A dresser came to us in multiple pieces after falling off a moving truck. Even
the doors had broken at every joint, so each joint had to be repaired before the
doors could be assembled at all.
Five weeks later the dresser went back to its owner rebuilt — and rebuilt
from all its own wood. Nothing was replaced with new stock.
See more of what has come through the workshop.