Mid-Century gets used to describe a look — clean lines, teak, tapered legs. But the label was never really about style. It named a set of assumptions about how to live: smaller rooms, informal hosting, furniture built to move with you rather than sit in a corner for show. This piece traces where that instinct came from, tests it against real objects that have passed through our workshop, and asks the question most "what is Mid-Century" guides skip — why it still holds up toda

For our workshop's daily driver we passed over a modern electric van and chose a 1970 Safari Yellow Volvo 145 — one family's pride for over 54 years. It embodies everything we believe in as restorers: honest Scandinavian design in the spirit of Jacobsen and Mogensen, "nuts and bolts" reliability with no disposable electronics, and the truth that the greenest car is one already built. This is how a mustard-yellow classic became our daily driver and a restoration in its own rig

Discover the hidden genius of Margaret Macdonald, the artist and mystical force who drove the Glasgow Style and defined Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s legacy.

Discover the hidden genius of Margaret Macdonald, the artist and mystical force who drove the Glasgow Style and defined Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s legacy.

This post provides useful and practical information for someone looking to furnish home by comparing new and restored furnishing items.

How carbon footprint creation can be obtained from choosing restored products.

Discover how Standen House's design principles offer lessons in sustainability for today's restoration.

This week in the workshop we had a number of customers repairs and started work on some new items. The letterbox and large outside door...

We travelled to Milan for the Salone del Mobile Milano exhibition and also to see exhibits from the Milan Design Week. It was exciting to...

We found this 15 slat bench last year and while it was no longer in a usable condition it found a temporary home in our garden as we...

We reclaimed these tiles over 2 years ago from a large period house in Tighnabruaich that was undergoing restoration. An existing...

We have started on this industrial lamp which has been painted with various colours over the years. As often when you start the cleaning...

We have been busy this week doing customer repairs which include this barometer which is sadly in need of a face lift. The broken...

This fireplace was removed in the 90s and lovingly stored until we recently obtained it. It's a lounge piece from 1930s Kelvin Court...

This old carved oak secretary bureau had its origin in Eton College with signatures and keys in the drawers. To remove the dark stain I...

Pye made this with a Gerrard turntable powered via a 6 valve amplifier with more than 50 other capacitors and resistors ; with most of...

Knoll Chair

This week I have a number of items in the workshop that all need some attention , firstly the 1960s Kilta Armchair which needs recovered...