Clive Payne

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Antique Furniture Restoration & Conservation

Antique Furniture Restoration in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire

Clive Payne – Antique Furniture Restorer in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire

Clive Payne provides various antique furniture restoration, repair, and conservation services in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, offering a full conservation and restoration service on all periods of furniture, specialising in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Unlock the secrets of bygone eras through the meticulous craft of antique furniture restoration. Clive Payne breathes life into historical treasures, employing a spectrum of specialised techniques to revive the essence of these timeless pieces. From structural reinforcement to preserving intricate details, he meticulously rejuvenates every element, ensuring the original integrity remains intact while enhancing both functionality and aesthetic allure. Clive Payne offers a seamless fusion of tradition and innovation, employing age-old techniques alongside modern expertise to revive cherished pieces, breathing new life into every curve, joint, and intricate detail.

Set in the heart of the Cotswolds, Clive Payne and his small team of highly skilled craftsmen have worked with some of the country’s finest houses, museums, antique dealers, and collectors of period antiques, offering a full conservation and antique furniture restoration service. Over the years Clive has set out to achieve the very highest of standards in furniture restoration and conservation.

As an antique furniture restorer, Clive has an in-depth knowledge of antiques and can repair, refinish and conserve antique pieces of furniture. Clive started making Windsor chairs in 1986 using traditional methods and techniques and was soon being asked to restore other original chairs, especially those with missing or broken bows. He then realised that he needed to expand into furniture restoration. Clive Payne has established himself as a professional antique furniture restorer in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire, and continues to explore new avenues of the trade, so that the furniture he restores, has the very best level of care and attention, whether it be a clean and wax, or a full overhaul.

Member of the British Antique Furniture Restorers Association (BAFRA)

The British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association (BAFRA) is a nationwide organisation of skilled people engaged in furniture conservation, furniture repair and furniture restoration. Every BAFRA member is an expert in their field and is actively involved in Continual Professional Development to keep abreast of advances in knowledge, skills and technical developments.

Over the years Clive has developed the highest of standards in antique furniture restoration in Oxfordshire, antique furniture restoration in Gloucestershire, antique furniture repair and antique furniture conservation, joining the British Antique Furniture Restorers Association (BAFRA) in 1997 and now specialises in conserving and restoring oak and country furniture from the 15th to 18th centuries, together with all furniture from the early 18th to 19th centuries. Clive conserves and restores fine pieces of period furniture and works to commission to create bespoke furniture. Whether you need an extra chair to complete a set or an oversize dining table Clive brings years of experience to create the perfect item.

Antique Furniture Restoration Services

Our antique furniture restoration services meticulously revive historical treasures. From structural repairs to preserving intricate details, we honour the craftsmanship of eras past. Trust us to bring new life to your beloved pieces, preserving their authenticity and beauty for generations to come. The antique furniture restoration services that are offered include conservation work, restoration of period furniture, replacement period looking glass, lock and key restoration, and many other services related to period antique furniture all carried out to the highest standards. We use only the finest materials.

Traditional Hand Finishing

Antique Furniture Restoration Oxfordshire

When hand finishing antique furniture, Clive is able to repair and revive the original surfaces or sensitively refinish them. Watermarks, scratches and other surface damage can be removed to restore the original detailing of the piece.

Marquetry and Inlay Restoration

Antique Furniture Restoration Gloucestershire

The painstaking and delicate work of restoring marquetry and inlay demands that each piece is individually cut by hand. Colouring of individual pieces to blend with the original using traditional techniques such as sand shading.

Veneer Antique Furniture Restoration

Antique Furniture Restorer Oxfordshire

Veneer has been used in the production of furniture as long ago as 3000 BC, but did not readily appear in England until around the middle of the sixteenth century. We source as much reclaimed veneer as possible to conserve items of furniture that are missing areas of veneer lost over time.

Wood Carving Repair & Restoration

Antique Furniture Repair Oxfordshire

Items of furniture sometimes have missing or damaged sections of wood carvings. When restoring wood carving, we carefully take a tracing of the missing section together with its surrounding area, this is then infilled by copying another section on the item of furniture or following the design.

Antique Furniture Upholstery Restoration

Antique Furniture Conservation

Clive Payne can help bring your antique upholstery back to its former glory, ensuring that your antique furniture will continue to last for years into the future, increasing the value of the piece, and making a more attractive heirloom.

Rush & Cane Antique Furniture Restoration

Antique Furniture Repair

At Clive Payne, we are able to offer high-quality restoration of rush and cane furniture and seating with our antique furniture restoration service. This type of restoration is a skill that is still done by hand by experts.

Leather Writing Table Restoration

Antique Leather Furniture Restoration

For centuries, leather has provided a uniquely tolerant surface on which to write. At Clive Payne, the finest hand-coloured leather hide and skivers are used, enhanced by delicate gold leaf, using traditional tools and patterns.

Replica Castings for Antique Furniture

Replica Castings for Antique Furniture

You might find that metal fittings, such as handles and castors, are missing from a piece of antique furniture. If another remains, then identical copies known as replica castings can be made. Crafted with precision and attention to detail

Antique Lock Repair & Restoration

Antique Furniture Conservation

At Clive Payne, we are able to overhaul and repair old locking mechanisms to working order and hand-cut replacement iron keys. Keys are made to traditional patterns including the kidney bow and a variety of decorative brass bow keys.

Bespoke Furniture Making

Bespoke Furniture Making

Clive Payne uses traditional techniques to make fine pieces of bespoke furniture using only the very best materials and employing highly skilled craftsmen and craftswomen who continue using traditional hand skills.

17th-Century Furniture Restoration

17th-Century Furniture Restoration

Restoring 17th-century furniture is a delicate balance of art and science. The process requires a deep understanding of historical methods and materials to ensure that restorations maintain the piece’s authenticity and integrity.

18th-Century Furniture Restoration

18th-Century Furniture Restoration

Our expert restorers understand the unique characteristics of styles such as Queen Anne, Rococo, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton. Each piece undergoes a thorough assessment to identify its specific needs and historical context.

Antique Furniture Restoration FAQs

What is antique furniture restoration?
Antique furniture restoration is the meticulous art of reviving and preserving historical pieces. It involves expert craftsmanship to repair, refurbish, and enhance aged furniture, ensuring it retains its original charm and integrity. Through careful structural repairs, surface refinishing, and preservation of intricate details, restoration experts breathe new life into these cherished artefacts. The process honours the craftsmanship of eras past while extending the lifespan and beauty of each unique piece for future generations to appreciate.
Why should I consider antique furniture restoration for my period furniture?
Antique furniture brings a touch of versatility and beauty to the home, however, items of antique furniture can sometimes become worn or have missing pieces or damaged parts. Antique furniture restoration allows the repair and refinishing of these worn, missing or damaged period elements which can be replicated exactly as they were originally made, restoring a piece of antique furniture to its original state.
What type of damage is common with antique furniture?
Some of the most common forms of damage to antique furniture involve issues arising from the environment, age, or accidental damage. These include “wobbly” chairs and tables, scratched, dented, discoloured or faded surfaces including varnish, staining, lacquer, or wax, marquetry loss, loosening of inlay details, warped or cracked furniture and fire and flood damage.
What items of antique furniture are you able to restore?
As an antique furniture restorer Clive has an in-depth knowledge of antiques and can repair, refinish and restore many different types of antique furniture including the restoration of period furniture, lock and key restoration, replacement furniture castings, the replacement of period looking glass (mirrors), replacement mercury style mirror plates, paint finishes, water and oil gilding and many other services related to period furniture. All antique furniture restoration is carried out to the highest standards using only the finest materials.
Are you able to restore antique wood furniture?
Antique wood furniture can often be delicate to work with. As wood ages, it dries out and becomes brittle. Damage to antique wood from liquid, scratches, or chips can be difficult to restore. At Clive Payne, we are able to restore antique wood furniture including veneer and marquetry, maintaining historic integrity while providing quality antique furniture restoration.
What period of antique furniture are you able to restore?
Clive Payne and team have worked with some of the country’s finest museums, antique dealers, houses and collectors of period antiques, offering a full antique furniture restoration and conservation service on all periods of furniture, specialising in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
How long does the restoration process take?
The duration of antique furniture restoration hinges on various factors like the item’s condition and required interventions. Simple repairs might conclude within a few days, while intricate restorations spanning structural fixes, refinishing, and detail work could extend over several weeks or months. Each restoration’s timeline is tailored to the piece’s needs, ensuring a meticulous and thorough process to revive and preserve its historical significance and aesthetic appeal.
Does restoration diminish the value of antique furniture?
Restoration, when skillfully executed, typically enhances the value of antique furniture by revitalising its original allure and preserving authenticity. However, poorly done or excessive restoration can potentially devalue pieces. Professional restoration, maintaining historical integrity while improving functionality and aesthetics, is pivotal in maintaining or augmenting the value of antique furniture, ensuring its timeless significance and appeal remain intact for collectors and enthusiasts.
Does restoration affect the usability of the furniture?
Antique furniture restoration strives to retain both the historical charm and functional use of the piece. Professional restoration reinforces structural integrity while preserving the original design, allowing for continued usability. Careful repairs, refinishing, and upholstery work ensure that restored furniture maintains its functionality, enabling it to be displayed and used in daily life. The restoration process aims to strike a balance between honouring the item’s heritage and ensuring its practical usability for contemporary settings.
Why choose Clive Payne for antique furniture restoration?
Over the years Clive has developed the highest standards in antique furniture restoration and conservation and is a member of the British Antique Furniture Restorers Association (BAFRA). As a member of BAFRA, Clive Payne is fully accredited, works to the highest standards and ethics and has been rigorously assessed and vetted.

To discuss any aspect of an item of furniture that you might wish to conserve or restore, or to discuss antique furniture restoration in Oxfordshire or antique furniture restoration in Gloucestershire, please do not hesitate to contact me. All antique furniture restoration and conservation work is done entirely by hand using traditional techniques.

Call 01608 658856 or click the button below to make an enquiry.

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