Upholstery · Research
Antiques, period pieces and tired leather brought back in a workshop a few minutes up the road.
Last updated: August 2026
Get a free quoteCall 0425 832 619What we do
Period and antique work makes up a good share of what we take on. That means re-tying coil springs by hand, replacing perished hessian and hair, repairing loose joints and split rails, and French polishing timber back to a proper depth of shine rather than a plastic looking coat. Leather gets fed, recoloured or panel-replaced depending on how far gone it is. Where a piece still has its original detail, the buttoning pattern, the stud line, the shaped arm, we keep it and work around it.
Local
By the end of a Research winter, a room that has run a wood heater since April is dry in a way the rest of Melbourne is not. Timber that has sat stable for fifty years starts to move, the old animal glue in the joints lets go, and a chair that felt solid in March has a rock in it by September. Hide ages on the same clock, and always worst on the arm nearest the fire. Two habits save you a lot of work later. Shift the good chair a further metre back from the heater, and feed the leather before the cold sets in rather than after it has cracked.
Good to know
Yes, regularly. Research shares the 3095 postcode with our Eltham North workshop, so it is one of the closest suburbs to us. We collect from the Main Road strip near the primary school and out along the Research to Warrandyte Road properties. The name is said to come from the old prospecting days, though the furniture we see is generally younger than that.
Usually. The first job is stripping back whatever has been put on top, because modern lacquers and hardware store varnishes sit on the surface and never blend with the original. Once we are back to clean timber we can fill, colour match and build the polish up in coats. Send a close-up photo of the worst patch and we will tell you honestly whether the piece is worth the hours.
Photos. The whole piece, the worst of the damage, and anything stamped or written underneath. The enquiry form here takes them, or text them to 0425 832 619 if that suits you better. You get a written quote back within twenty four hours along with a plain opinion on whether the hours are worth it. The quote costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Nearby
Eltham North · Diamond Creek · Eltham · Warrandyte · Templestowe · Ivanhoe · Kew · Designer brand repairs · Reupholstery · Furniture repairs
Work in Research is run out of the same Eltham North workshop as the rest of our furniture reupholstery work across Melbourne. For the full range of what we take on, start at the Dylberry Design upholstery workshop.
Send a photo or the dimensions of your booths, banquettes or venue seating and we'll come back with a rough price and turnaround.
Send us the drawings or details and we'll come back with a straight quote, no clout needed, just a great job.
Enquire about a job Call 0425 832 619