Restoration and Complex Arm Reconstruction of a Victorian Grandfather Chair, Circa 1850

Our customer from Carlingford never thought that her late-Victorian Grandfather chair could be saved after sections of one arm had broken off and gone missing many years ago. She simply couldn't bring herself to throw it away, as it had belonged to her great-great-grandparents. After contacting us, I assured her we had the knowledge and craftsmanship to rebuild the missing arm and fully restore the chair to its former glory.

The project was only worthwhile if the arm could be reconstructed so that the repair was virtually undetectable. Years of experience were required to recreate the missing sections, carefully joint them into place, and blend the repair seamlessly into the original timber. The finishing touch was matching the colour, grain and patina across the repaired area so the restoration became almost impossible to detect.

The remainder of the chair was then traditionally reupholstered and recovered in leather, which, by comparison, was the easy part.