Tim and Belinda Chavasse
Thakeham Furniture Ltd.
Golden Square Petworth West Sussex
UK GU28 0AP 01798 342 333
Welcome to our shop, Thakeham Furniture in Petworth, West Sussex, UK.
Established in 1989, a small family firm of antique dealers specialising in fine English antique furniture.
18th and 19th century antique furniture with an emphasis on originality, good colour and patina.
The technique of brass inlay was first made famous by a French cabinet maker, Andre Charles Boulle, in the 17th century. Very thin layers of brass and tortoiseshell, glued together, were cut with a fine saw into scroll and arabesque patterns which were then laid onto a carcase timber, to very decorative effect.
The technique of brass inlay was used occasionally by English and immigrant cabinet makers during the 18th century, but it was during the Regency period that the technique became popular, particularly in conjunction with the use of rosewood veneer. Geometric brass inlay and brass line or “stringing” were employed on high quality cabinet work.
Much skill was needed for laying of brass inlay; wood and metal expand and contract differently in certain climactic conditions. A skilled craftsman would angle the edges of his wood veneers to grip the brass stringing and stop it springing up. Supplements were added to the glue pot, too, to allow the glue to retain some elasticity: garlic was used, but also uric acid – many of the old cabinetmakers were known to pee in the glue pot to achieve the required effect!
Once the brass and veneers were laid, the careful cleaning down process started, using scrapers, fine sand papers and finally abrasive powders such as jewellers rouge.
Thakeham Furniture - Antique Dealer specialize in selling antique furniture, Victorian furniture, Georgian furniture and 18th Century antiques in Sussex.
We stock fine quality antique furniture from the 18th century & 19th century. We sell traditional Georgian furniture,
Regency furniture, Victorian furniture and Edwardian furniture. Browse our online antique furniture store or come and
visit our large friendly showrooms to view a fine collection of rare and important items along with practical and useful
pieces. We have a big range of furniture including pieces for formal settings to more country house antiques, through to
individual pieces to fit in with decorative interiors.
Thakeham Furniture was established by Tim and Belinda Chavasse in 1989, prior to which we were both trained and
worked as antique restorers. We still have our own antiques workshop on the premises at Petworth, and all pieces are
thoroughly checked over before being offered for sale in the showroom. Thakeham Furniture are members of LAPADA
[The London and Provincial Antique Dealers Association], so you can purchase with confidence, as we follow a strict
code of practise. Petworth has become, in recent years, the biggest antiques town in the South of England. It is a small,
pretty market town boasting over thirty antique shops, all within easy walking distance. Petworth is only one hour from
London.
We sell Dining room furniture, including antique dining tables and sets of antique dining chairs, for the living room, we
stock sofas and armchairs, many useful small antique lamp tables, also perhaps for the office or study we supply antique
desks and antique mahogany bookcases. For upstairs amongst our varied stock we have pairs of small washstands or
commodes perfect as antique bedside tables or cupboards, or larger items such as Georgian mahogany chest of drawers
of antique wardrobes. You will also find in our shop, antique clocks, mirrors and decorative items. In addition to mahogany
antique furniture we also have rosewood antique furniture, satinwood antique furniture, and people looking for
a range of antique country furniture will find antique oak furniture, walnut and fruitwood.
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