Alastair S. Thomas | Antique & Modern Furniture Restoration | Flood Damage Restoration

Antique & Modern Furniture Restoration
~ specialist in the repair of flood damaged furniture ~

Before & After Gallery | Traditional Handmade Furniture | News & Articles | Testimonials

"The skilled restorer must be a man of many crafts and much knowledge - from cabinet -maker to expert in antiques."

No 3 Sandy Hole | Merriott | Somerset | TA16 5QR
Tel: 01460 77936 | Mob: 07989935080 | Email: alastair@thomasfurniturerestoration.co.uk

Alastair Thomas is a professional furniture restorer and furniture maker who has been working in the local area since 1995 and been self employed since the summer of 1999. He has restored and made well over a thousand pieces of furniture for very satisfied customers within a 25 mile radius of Merriott in South Somerset, and others as far a field as America, Germany and even Albania (see Testimonials).

Alastair specialises in many areas of the furniture restoration trade including:

• French Polishing
• Veneer
• Marquetry
• Moulding repairs
• Joint restoration
• Re-making of all furniture
• Fitting of new leather skivers to writing desks, bureaus etc.
• Replacement brassware (which can be cast at a foundry to match an original if so wished).

Alastair offers a free no obligation estimate service , and collection and delivery service. He prides himself on doing a very professional job at a fair price and his finished restorations look, as they should do, like well cared for pieces of furniture and NOT over-restored or new-looking.

Before & After Gallery

Hand making of a missing Barley Twist Stretcher that had been broken and then lost many years ago.

Victorian Rosewood Veneered Sewing Table
Extensive restoration required, including missing turned moldings and knobs. Broken and missing sections of veneer.
And restoration of all polished surfaces.

Victorian Nursing Chair
Dismantle and repair all joints. Turn front rail to replace incorrect one.
Turn and fit missing rosette caps. Re-cane seat and back.

Work done on the Pembroke Table c.1830
• Restore and replace missing veneers and marquetry panels and inlaid line.
• Remake missing components to drawer.
• Repairs to broken sections of drop flaps.
• Restore colour and french polished surface of complete table.

Windsor Style Country Carver Chair c.1850
This chair was found in a barn by the new owners locally. It was missing a leg and its front crinoline stretcher. A new leg was turned on the lathe using reclaimed beech and a front crinoline stretcher made out of ash. Finally colour matching to original. The whole chair was then cleaned, revived and wax polished.

Edwardian Writing Table c.1910
This table had been painted with white gloss paint sometime in the 1970's, probably to blend in with home at the time. The customer had run out of patience trying to remove all the paint. Every speck had to be removed with a safe stripper, then stained and traditionally french polished. Handles were cast from an imprint that could be found in the original surface of the drawers.

Regency Corner Wash Stand
The drawer components and ure stand were missing in the base of this item. New components were made, again using reclaimed timbers. All surfaces were restored and french polished.

Traditional Handmade Furniture

Rosewood Veneered Sofa Table
(Based on a design by Thomas Sheraton 1751 - 1806)
Hand made using traditional methods. This piece won second prize in the 'Cabinet Making and Furniture Making' competition at Axminster Power Tools Show.

Ladie's Sewing / Work Table
(Again based on a Thomas Sheraton 1751 -1806 design).
Made from solid Satinwood and English Oak. Note the rear rising fire screen at the rear. This was to prevent the ladie's faces from getting too hot near open fires!

Traditional Oak Jointed Stool
This was made using a customer's original stool as a template. Traditionally water-stained using Vandyke Crystals and Ammonia, then bees-waxed.

"Just a note to say we were absolutely delighted with the restoration of our stool, it was just as we had hoped.

The workmanship is excellent, I am sure our father would have fully approved. We are also thankful for all your efforts in terms of time, investigation and postage extended in finding a similar leather, we managed it in the end! Again many thanks for a very professional restoration and advice."

"Thanks for your call Alastair. We're thrilled with the table."
Captain and Mrs Hugh May (Coffee Table designed and made)
Bewley Dow, Axminster
April 2008

"Dear Alastair,
Many thanks for the wonderful work that you have done for us."
Mrs E Madge
Nayland, Suffolk