Rushall businessman’s mission to breathe new life into antique furniture

A furniture restoration expert has urged people to come witness him in action at his new Rushall business to grasp the potential for instilling new life into their antiques.

Richard Joselyn recently relocated his workshop, which specialises in restoring and conserving furniture decades or even centuries old, to the Half Moon Farm in The Street, after more than 15 years in the trade within the Aylesbury area of Buckinghamshire.

Mr Joselyn, who previously was a Royal Air Force serviceman, said his perfectionist mentality and his “honest pricing” business model has been the keys to his success in the field.

“It’s about the emotions attached to the furniture. Understanding the history and how it is put together is essential,” he told the Diss Express.

“The business has grown in a very organic way and I want to keep growing it by word of mouth.

“The first thing is, I won’t let a piece of furniture go back unless I am 100 per cent happy with it. The second thing is, I give a maximum price that the customer can budget around, and I like to pass savings on to the customers where I can.”

During his career, Mr Joselyn has been involved in a wide array of projects, such as restoring a 400-year-old chair once used by Oliver Cromwell, veneering and colouring a new dashboard for a vintage car and carrying out work for the historic Woburn Abbey.

He stated his business had at one point become so busy that in 2011, new clients had to wait eight months for a quote, yet they were willing to wait thanks to the reputation he had built up.

Mr Joselyn added he was now looking forward to bringing in new clients following his relocation, which was done so he could move closer to his family, and encouraged people to visit his shop any time during opening hours to see what his trade was all about.

“Some places only do open workshops every so often, but I don’t want to be hidden away in a back room,” he said.

“I am running an open workshop all the time, and I am happy for people to walk in and ask questions.

“My delight is watching the reactions of people when I have restored their furniture. I think once people see for themselves a piece of furniture being restored, they can understand the beauty of it.”

The business, which also offers select antique items for sale, is open 10am-4.30pm from Tuesday to Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays.

To learn more, please call 07879 624754.