Services
Richard McPhee Cabinet Maker
Welcome to Richard J. McPhee Cabinet Maker
✓ Restoring antique furniture for over 40 years
✓ Make the most out of your much-loved items
✓Your local quality furniture repair workshop
✓ Bring your furniture in for inspection
✓Your furniture - in safe hands
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What I Offer
There are numerous services I offer for people with private pieces, insurance companies, loss adjusters or removal firms. An item may be damaged in a minor or major way. It could have been affected by fire, water, or any of the other elements, or just wear and tear.
I can therefore help you in a number of ways, using traditional methods to improve your furniture for you.
Restoring
When restoring furniture, it is important to make sure that you strike the right balance between restoration and conservation.
You want to retain its original character, but it also still has to be used for its original purpose.
There are lots of different skills I can use to restore your furniture, so if you have a piece of furniture that needs some restoration, give me a call or book an appointment now.
French polishing
Several types of polish when restoring items and you may need a piece re French polishing if you have a large partner’s desk, a special chest of drawers, a bureau or a treasured family heirloom.
I do my work by hand and carry out restoration on large or small items.
Waxing
This is another type of finish often used on earlier pieces. It is ideal for furniture that has perhaps lost a little lustre over the years because of use. Fear not, because I can wax furniture to a great finish so that it will glow again whichever room you put it in.
Veneering
Done in the traditional way by hand, we can carry out a small repair or completely re-veneer with veneers carefully selected from my stock. This can involve work on table tops, sides, and the tops of chests of drawers.
We also source any unusual veneers from specialist suppliers.
Turning
Whether it is a drawer handle, table column or chair leg, turning can be included in any restoration to make sure that they are the same as your original patterns.
Moulding
Mouldings used primarily on Queen Anne, William and Mary walnut pieces are usually applied to drawer fronts, edges of tops, etc.
These can be either long grain or cross grain and if any of these are missing, they can be easily restored so that they look like the original.
Inlay Work
I can cut individual pieces of inlay to your specific requirements or I can provide new panels if the inlay is completely missing.
We fully restore pieces, polish them and match them out.
Carving
Carvings can be repaired or new ones created to replace those damaged on chair legs, table legs, carved back rails and arms to table columns.
I use my old stock of timber to choose from to match the grain and colour of your original piece.
Fretwork
Fretwork is delicate work and can be damaged or pieces lost.
We can restore the original panels and cut to match or manufacture new pieces.
Locks & Keys
I can dismantle, clean, reassemble and lubricate locks and cut new keys for drawers, doors or cupboards. Specially ordered copies of Georgian steel keys can be obtained.
I can also make brass escutcheon inserts or plates to replace those missing on drawer fronts, while copies can also be made from originals.
Brass Work & Period Fittings
We can copy original handles, front plates, fixing posts and nuts by a lost wax process for you, this usually results in the handle usually being 3-4% smaller than the original but is not noticeable.
If you post the handle to me, I can get cost for you.
Gilding
Furniture can be regilded in gold or silver leaf using traditional oil or water gilding methods, whether they are tables, chairs or settees.
Gilded mouldings can break away or become brittle over time, particularly on mirror or picture frames, these can also be carefully restored.
Upholstery
Framework repairs on chairs, settees, chesterfields, drop end settees or wing chairs can also be carried out.
The pieces are reupholstered using traditional skills and you can either supply your own materials or choose from one of our catalogues.
Canework
Canework can become brittle with age and splits or tears away from the seat frame, back or side panels.
The new cane can be carefully threaded through small holes drilled in the seat or side rails and it turns a lovely golden brown colour with age.