Furniture restoration & repair
Damaged tables, chairs, cabinets and inherited furniture. Structural repairs, loose joints and careful renovation to keep good pieces in use.
Cheltenham · Gloucestershire
Traditional care for antique furniture.
Antique furniture restoration, traditional French polishing and repairs. Done properly, by someone who's spent his working life doing it.
I'm David. I've worked with antique furniture for over 30 years, including 26 years at Gateway Antiques in Burford.
Talk to me about a piece →
What I do
Old furniture.
Proper repairs.
No fuss.
Perhaps you've inherited a chest of drawers, your dining table has a watermark, or an old chair needs putting back together.
I'll have a look and tell you what I think can be done. I work mainly with traditional furniture, particularly oak, walnut and mahogany, using the methods I've learned over a lifetime in the trade.
Some jobs can be done in your home. Others are better taken back to my workshop in Cheltenham.
How I can help
Restoration services
From everyday wear to more involved restoration, the aim is always to do what's right for the piece.
French polishing & finishing
Traditional French polishing, tired finishes, scratches, watermarks, heat marks and surface damage. A considered approach to bringing back the finish.
Antique furniture conservation
Sympathetic work on period furniture, with attention to the original materials, surface, patina and character.
A few examples
The furniture
Real examples of repairs, refinishing and traditional restoration. Before and after photographs are shown together wherever available.
A chest of drawers
Period chest of drawers
The original finish was considered too red, so David carefully lightened it to achieve a more natural tone that better complements the timber.
Garden gate repair
More of the work
About David
A lifetime working with furniture.
David Valentine has spent over 30 years restoring antique furniture, developing his skills through a lifetime of hands-on experience.
After leaving school, David began working and training alongside an established furniture restorer in North Leigh, Oxfordshire. He subsequently attended a six-month course in antique furniture restoration before joining Gateway Antiques in Burford.
At Gateway Antiques, David initially worked as part of a team of five restorers, gradually progressing to become the firm’s head restorer. He spent 26 years with the business, restoring and repairing antique furniture for sale through its showroom.
David particularly enjoys working with traditional furniture, especially eighteenth-century and earlier pieces made from oak, walnut and mahogany. His approach draws on the traditional techniques and practical knowledge developed throughout his career.
Now working independently from his workshop in Cheltenham, David offers antique furniture restoration, repairs and French polishing to private customers, collectors and antique dealers.
He can undertake work at his workshop or, where practical, at customers’ homes, with free quotations available locally.
Get in touch
Got a piece that needs attention?
Send me a photograph and a few words about the problem. Whether it's an old family favourite or a valuable antique, I'm happy to have a look.
Based in Cheltenham. Workshop and on-site work by arrangement. Free quotations locally.
Email David →Free quotations for customers in the Cheltenham area.