This large vintage haberdashery cabinet came to us in a tired and incomplete condition. Although its distinctive bank of glazed drawers had survived, one of the side panels was missing entirely, as were the original doors from the lower cupboard.
Rather than replace these elements with something new in character, we set about reconstructing the missing parts in a way that remained sympathetic to the original cabinet.
A completely new framed and panelled side was made, carefully proportioned to match the surviving side of the cabinet. For the lower cupboard, we constructed a pair of new sliding panelled doors, again taking their design and detailing from the existing piece. Considerable care went into the joinery and finishing of the new components so that, once complete, they felt like a natural part of the cabinet rather than later additions.
The cabinet itself was repaired where necessary before being carefully sanded and refinished throughout. The restoration brought together the newly made elements with the original timber, while retaining the age, variation and character that give a piece like this its appeal.
Once completed, the cabinet retained everything that made the original so distinctive — its tall proportions, glazed drawers and wonderfully practical storage — while restoring the elements that had been lost during its previous life.
The finished cabinet was subsequently delivered to Jamie Oliver’s headquarters in London, giving this former haberdashery piece an interesting new chapter in its history.