Best Antique Restoration in Blenheim: Top Furniture Restorers

Finding the best antique restoration in Blenheim usually comes down to matching the right specialist to the piece, whether that is a rimu dresser, a button-back chair or a veneered chest. The Marlborough workshops below cover stripping and refinishing, structural and frame repair, sprayed finishes on old timber and full reupholstery, and each shows its own completed work so you can judge the standard before you call. Marlborough Classic & Custom Restorations and Lloyd Bush Upholstery lead the list, with Surface Painters handling fine finishes on well-made old furniture.

1Lloyd Bush Upholstery

Lloyd Bush Upholstery is an artisan upholstery workshop run by Lloyd Bush from his own premises in Springlands, Blenheim. The focus is on repurposing much-loved furniture rather than replacing it, and the gallery runs from wingbacks, nursing chairs and chaise lounges through to antique stools and mid-century Don chairs. It suits owners of older upholstered pieces who want the original frame kept and the covering, webbing and padding redone properly.

Services

• Recovering lounge suites and chaise lounges
• Dining and occasional chairs, including repairs to loose or broken webbing and replacement of old foam
• Ottoman recovering, plus custom-built ottomans
• Tailor-made headboards, cushions, beanbags and window nook squabs
• Fabric sourcing and selection advice, including bespoke fabric for a special piece

Highlights

• One-person artisan workshop, so the same upholsterer handles your piece from start to finish
• Repairs the structure underneath, replacing webbing and foam rather than simply recovering
• Portfolio includes antique stools, deep-buttoned chairs and mid-century Don chairs
• Can arrange bespoke fabric, or work with fabric you already have

Location & Contact

Name: Lloyd Bush Upholstery
Address: 6 Nicoll Street, Springlands, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 578 7397
Website: lloydbushupholstery.co.nz

2Surface Painters Ltd

Surface Painters Ltd is a specialist spray painting workshop on Middle Renwick Road, owned and operated by James Spence and Andree Kelman. The business applies two-pack and other high quality coatings to furniture, doors and joinery, and describes itself as a strong advocate of restoration and waste reduction, taking something old of quality construction and reviving it for future generations. It suits owners of solid older timber furniture who want a sprayed factory-grade finish rather than a brushed one.

Services

• Furniture refurbishing in a dedicated spray workshop
• Bedroom suite restoring
• Dining suite rejuvenating
• Door revamping
• Kitchen and bathroom joinery resurfacing

Highlights

• Locally owned and operated by James Spence and Andree Kelman, who started out as Picton Painting Services in 2008
• Trading under the Surface Painters name since 2012, after buying an established local spray painting business
• Supplies seven major Marlborough joinery firms alongside private restoration work
• Workshop closes to the public while spraying is in progress, so visits are by arrangement and finishes stay clean

Location & Contact

Name: Surface Painters Ltd
Address: 96 Middle Renwick Road, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 579 2392
Website: surfacepainters.nz

3Riverside Refinishers

Riverside Refinishers is a Park Terrace workshop owned and operated by Tracy and Craig Noble, who took over the former Steve Beaumont Spray Painting business and rebranded it. The team resprays cabinets, tables and furniture to a hard-wearing factory-grade finish, alongside automotive and marine work. It suits a substantial piece of furniture that needs a durable sprayed finish rather than a hand-applied one.

Services

• Furniture and cabinet respraying
• Boat and marine refinishing, including fibreglassing and composite work

Highlights

• Owner Craig Noble brings more than 30 years of industry experience and acquired the business in 2006
• Former owner Steve still works on the team, with over 50 years in spray painting
• Spray painter Chris has more than 45 years of experience, including work overseas
• Dedicated plastic repair specialist on staff for trim and component repairs
• Written quotes provided from photos and a description of the job

Location & Contact

Name: Riverside Refinishers
Address: 40 Park Terrace, Blenheim Central, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 577 5166
Website: riversiderefinishers.co.nz

4The Lounge Suite Company

The Lounge Suite Company manufactures custom lounge furniture from its High Street showroom and offers a full reupholstery service to return much-loved old furniture to its former glory. Stuart and Sally work through design, fabric and colour with each customer, with samples from Warwick, James Dunlop, Mokum, Charles Parsons, Textilia and Clarke & Clarke held in store. It suits owners of tired lounge suites and armchairs who want the piece rebuilt and recovered instead of replaced.

Services

• Full reupholstery of existing lounge furniture
• Custom made lounge suites and chairs
• Ottomans and foot stools
• Headboards and bedroom furniture

Highlights

• Written quote usually emailed back within 24 hours of receiving photos of your furniture
• Fabric samples in store from six named suppliers, including Warwick, Mokum and Clarke & Clarke
• New Zealand made furniture carrying a 10 year structural warranty

Location & Contact

Name: The Lounge Suite Company
Address: 120/122 High Street, Blenheim
Phone: 03 578 6392
Website: loungesuitecompany.co.nz

Antique Restoration in Blenheim at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Antique Restoration Specialist in Blenheim

• Match the trade to the piece, because upholstery, timber refinishing and French polishing are three different skill sets and few workshops do all three well.
• Ask to see completed work on something similar in age and material to your item, not just the workshop’s best-known project.
• Check whether the finish is sprayed, hand-applied or traditional, and whether it can be reversed later if the piece is valuable.
• Get the quote in writing, with the preparation stages itemised, since stripping and repair usually cost more than the final coat.
• Confirm storage, insurance and turnaround before you hand the piece over, especially for long restorations where the item sits on site for months.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blenheim Antique Restoration

What does an antique restoration specialist actually do?

How much does restoration cost in Marlborough?

None of the workshops here publish fixed rates, because cost depends almost entirely on the condition of the piece and how much preparation it needs. Small jobs such as recovering a dining chair are usually quoted as a fixed price, while a full restoration is charged as the work progresses with costs approved along the way. Send photographs and a description to get a written quote before committing.

Is it worth restoring a piece rather than replacing it?

Older furniture is often built from solid timber with joinery that can be repaired, which is why restoration workshops promote it as the lower-waste option. The usual test is whether the frame or body is structurally sound. If it is, restoration is generally worthwhile. If the underlying structure has gone, the cost of repair can exceed the value of the finished piece.

Will restoring an antique reduce its value?

It can, particularly on collectable items where original surfaces, patina and hardware carry much of the value. Sympathetic repair and cleaning is usually safer than a full refinish. If you think a piece may be genuinely collectable, get it valued before any work starts, and tell the restorer that originality matters to you so they can advise on the least invasive option.

What are my rights if the work is not up to standard?

Services bought for personal use must be carried out with reasonable care and skill and be fit for purpose under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. If a restoration is done badly, you can ask the trader to put it right. Keeping the written quote, the agreed scope and photographs of the item before it went in makes any later discussion much simpler.

How long does a restoration take?

Upholstery on a single chair is typically a matter of weeks once fabric is on hand. Sprayed furniture finishes depend on workshop scheduling and drying times between coats. A full strip, repair and refinish on a large piece runs longer, often several months, because each stage has to cure before the next begins. Ask for an indicative timeline in writing and check how you will be kept updated.

Can I supply my own fabric or materials?

Several of the upholsterers listed here will work with fabric you already own, and will also source it for you from their sample ranges if you would rather they did. If you are supplying your own, check the required metreage and whether the fabric is suitable for upholstery before you buy it, since dress-weight fabric will not last on a seat.