Finding the best antique restoration in Hamilton starts with knowing whether your piece needs structural repair, a new finish, fresh upholstery or all three. Antique restoration in Hamilton and the surrounding Waikato covers French polishing, repolishing of dining tables, frame and joint repairs, respringing and reupholstering heirloom chairs, from workshops in Frankton, Cambridge and Ohaupo. Paul Gregory Upholstery and Paul Tunley Furniture both handle antique pieces alongside everyday furniture repairs.
1Paul Gregory Upholstery
Paul Gregory Upholstery is a Frankton workshop run by upholsterer Paul Gregory, who works on antique furniture restoration, woodwork restoration and repolishing as well as reupholstering domestic and commercial furniture. It suits Hamilton households with a family heirloom that needs both its timber and its fabric brought back, and Paul offers free in-home quotes across Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Raglan and the eastern Waikato.
Services
- Antique furniture restoration
- Woodwork restoration and repolishing
- Reupholstering and re-covering dining suites, couches and chairs
- Custom handcrafted furniture built to order
- Upholstery fabric supplies, including velvet, canvas and leather
Highlights
- Business started by Paul Gregory in 1984
- NZ Merit Award as an apprentice in 1982
- Further trained under a Swiss master craftsman, furniture designer and upholsterer
- Free local pick up and delivery
Location & Contact
Name: Paul Gregory Upholstery
Address: 39B Columbo Street, Frankton, Hamilton 3200
Phone: 07 849 9209
Website: paulgregoryupholstery.co.nz
2Paul Tunley Furniture
Paul Tunley Furniture is a furniture restoration and upholstery workshop in Cambridge, about 20 minutes from Hamilton, established in 1975 by Paul and Annette Tunley. Its antique restoration work covers French polishing, reupholstery and respringing, and frame repairs to strengthen and stabilise older pieces, and the team collects and delivers across Hamilton and the wider Waikato.
Services
- French polishing of antique furniture
- Reupholstery and respringing of antique seating
- Frame repairs to strengthen antique pieces
- Repolishing of dining tables and chairs
- Custom upholstered sofas, armchairs, ottomans and bedheads
Highlights
- Family business established in 1975
- Factory and showroom on Gillies Street, Cambridge
- Pickup and delivery across Cambridge, Hamilton, Morrinsville and Te Awamutu
- Fabrics and leathers sourced from New Zealand textile suppliers
- Also recovers café and commercial furniture
Location & Contact
Name: Paul Tunley Furniture
Address: 28 Gillies Street, Cambridge 3434
Phone: 07 827 3632
Website: tunleyfurniture.co.nz
3Mortise & Tenon Furniture
Mortise & Tenon Furniture is a small family furniture maker in Ohaupo, just south of Hamilton, run by Doug and Kylie Cochrane. Doug repairs and restores wooden furniture, from a single chair repair or scratch to a full restoration of desks, dressers, china cabinets and tallboys, and also takes on insurance repair work. It suits owners of solid timber pieces who want to deal with one craftsman from quote to delivery.
Services
- Full furniture restoration
- Chair repairs and broken part replacement
- Scratch and ding repairs with a range of finishes
- Insurance furniture repairs
Highlights
- Doug has been making furniture for over 24 years
- Handmade using traditional joinery, with dovetailed drawers and hardwood dowels
- Works in native and exotic timbers including rimu, kauri, tawa and black walnut
Location & Contact
Name: Mortise & Tenon Furniture
Address: 12 Selwyn Crescent, Ohaupo 3803
Phone: 027 448 8186
Website: mortiseandtenon.co.nz
4Jason Church Upholstery
Jason Church Upholstery is a Hamilton upholstery business run by Jason Church, who has over 30 years of experience in furniture upholstery and restoration. He specialises in recovering antiques and family heirlooms, including chaise lounges and deep diamond buttoning, as well as lounge suites and dining suites, so it suits owners of antique seating that needs new fabric and repairs.
Services
- Recovering antique chairs and heirlooms
- Furniture repairs
- Deep diamond buttoning
- Lounge suite and dining suite recovering
- Boat, caravan and window squabs
Highlights
- Over 30 years in furniture upholstery and restoration
- Free quotes
- Pickup and delivery within greater Hamilton
- Domestic and commercial work
Location & Contact
Name: Jason Church Upholstery
Address: Hamilton
Website: hamiltonupholstery.co.nz
Antique Restoration in Hamilton at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Paul Gregory Upholstery | Business started by Paul Gregory in 1984 |
| Paul Tunley Furniture | Family business established in 1975 |
| Mortise & Tenon Furniture | Doug has been making furniture for over 24 years |
| Jason Church Upholstery | Over 30 years in furniture upholstery and restoration |
How to Choose the Right Antique Restoration in Hamilton
- Match the restorer to the work: timber finishes and French polishing, structural joinery repairs and reupholstery are different skills, and some pieces need more than one.
- Ask whether they use traditional finishes such as shellac French polish where the piece originally had one, since modern coatings can reduce the value of an antique.
- Look at photos of restored pieces similar to yours, such as a rimu sideboard, a kauri table or a buttoned chaise lounge.
- Check whether pickup and delivery is offered, as many workshops sit in Cambridge, Ohaupo or on the edge of the city.
- Get a written quote that separates repairs, refinishing and fabric, so you can decide what is worth doing on a piece with sentimental rather than market value.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hamilton Antique Restoration
What does antique furniture restoration involve?
It usually starts with structural work, such as regluing loose joints, repairing frames and replacing broken parts. The finish is then cleaned, repaired or stripped and refinished, often with French polishing on older pieces, and upholstered items may be resprung and recovered.
What is French polishing?
French polishing is a traditional technique that builds up many thin coats of shellac by hand to give a deep, glossy finish. It is the original finish on a lot of antique furniture, which is why a furniture restorer will often use it when refinishing older tables, cabinets and chairs.
How much does antique restoration cost in Hamilton?
Pricing depends on the size of the piece, its condition and how much of the work is structural, refinishing or upholstery. Most restorers quote per job after seeing the item or photos of it, and several offer free quotes. Ask for the quote in writing before work starts.
Is my old furniture worth restoring?
Some pieces are worth restoring for their market value, while many are restored because they are family heirlooms that cannot be replaced. A restorer can tell you what the work involves so you can weigh the cost against what the piece means to you.
Can a restorer collect furniture from my home?
Many Waikato furniture restorers offer pickup and delivery, which helps with large items such as sideboards, dining tables and wardrobes. Check the service area before booking, particularly if you live outside central Hamilton.
Where can I find a furniture restorer near me in Hamilton?
Workshops serving the city include ones in Frankton, as well as in Cambridge to the south east and Ohaupo to the south, both an easy drive from Hamilton. Mobile quoting and collection mean you do not always need to visit the workshop in person.
What are my rights if restoration work is not done properly?
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill and completed within a reasonable time. Consumer Protection explains what you can ask for if a service falls short.
Can antique chairs be reupholstered without losing their character?
Yes. Upholsterers who work on antiques can repair the frame, replace springs and padding, and recover in a fabric that suits the period, including details such as deep diamond buttoning on chaise lounges and armchairs.
How We Chose the Best Antique Restoration in Hamilton
Every business in this guide was found by searching for antique restoration in Hamilton, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Hamilton, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.