As A Team We Pay Attention To The Detail
We are a passionate team and we are really care about the detail.
Survivors
We love vintage because these amazing pieces have survived, of course the environmental benefits are obvious but the fact that they have survived and can have a second life is what drives us. We celebrate the provenance and history of vintage and we want to keep every piece as original as possible whilst giving it the necessary love to make it a practical purchase.
We do not restore, we clean, rejuvenate and refurbish. Our workshop team inspect every product and carry out any needed repairs to ensure that everything leaves us serviced and maintained ready for many more years of life. All of our vintage products show the rich beauty and history of their life with the knocks and bumps of many years of use and we try to minimise restoration to keep every piece as original as possible
Chairs – Attention to detail
First and foremost a chair must be practical and not wobbly. We tighten up any joints, and make good any loose connections. Most vintage chairs will have a bit of ‘give’ but they must be practical. We make sure all the legs are even so that our chairs sit level and flat, and we inspect all the feet replacing and repairing as needed. Every chair then gets a thorough clean with water based solutions that we have developed before a wax and a buff up by hand, a painstaking process.
Cabinets – Attention to detail
With every cabinet piece we remove all the drawers, clean and service the structural carcass. We check for woodworm and treat as required and most importantly make sure all internal components are structurally sound before repairing and replacing drawer runners as needed. Drawers themselves are inspected for wear and made good, we make sure all drawers run smoothly and close in neatly. The outside surfaces are cleaned and hand waxed as required.
Tables – Attention to detail
We clean and service all tables, but every table requires a full assessment and a unique treatment in the workshop to ensure we preserve and enhance the character it has.
Most importantly we check and reinforce all leg joints so tables are wobble free before a full clean and wax as required. A faded scrubbed top will never be waxed but will be gently scrubbed to make sure it is clean.
Lighting – Attention to detail
We are specialists in vintage lighting. The lighting team first inspect and dismantle every lamp down to the individual components. All original wiring and electrical components are removed, they are unsafe to use and bulb holders are often old imperial sizes for which modern bulbs are no longer available. From here the team assess each lamp and decide the right components and methods to rewire the lamp. In many cases we have to make special component parts to engineer the new lamp safely.
The lamp components are then deep cleaned using specialist water based solutions. Rusted and metal components are hand cleaned to remove surface deterioration but allowing a measured degree of age and character to be retained. Cleaned raw metal components are sealed with water based lacquers to protect the finish. Each lamp is then carefully reassembled by hand, all wiring, lamp holders and electrical fittings are replaced with new components. Each lamp is then bulb tested and PAT tested for safety. All components are European CE standard components to BS EN 60598. Each lamp is individually tested and labelled to BS EN 60598.
Occasionally for very unique and early lamps to preserve the authenticity and integrity of the original design we will retain the original electrical components. Each lamp is still bulb tested and PAT tested, and we make this specification clear in our product description.
Workshop techniques
We have an amazing workshop with a highly skilled team not just able to fix anything but most importantly they have the sensitivity to bring a piece back to life without ‘restoring’ it. Over the years we have salvaged and retained thousands of furniture and lighting components which is an invaluable resource when we need a spare part.
Our secret wax
We couldn’t find a commercially available wax that did the job right, most had high levels of solvents, or second grade materials that meant the wax dried out and achieved very little. Over the years we developed our own wax products and manufacture batches in house. The wax is a blend of natural beeswax and linseed oil. The blended oil helps bring out the colour and rehydrate moisture starved timber, the wax seals it and helps with the process. We have also developed a similar blend for sealing metal components, allowing the character to shine through yet be protected.
Customer orders
We have a dedicated team that prepares all customer orders for dispatch, every piece of vintage receives a final quality check before being carefully wrapped and packed before transport is booked. We use biodegradable packing materials throughout and take great care to minimise our use of materials but also make sure your order arrives safely.
