General Info

The ancient London traditions of fine carving and gilding are still carried on by W. Thomas Restorations Ltd, world famous specialists in the restoration and conservation of 18th and 19th century English and French carved giltwood furniture, mirrors and works of art. The company is not only involved with restoration work for private customers and antique dealers, but also for some of the most prestigious private collections and important museum objects. Founded in the 1920s by William Thomas Oatway, the company's reputation is based upon the skills he learned as an apprentice with the 19th Century firm of Elsons. After a short period as a sub-contractor he set up his own business, William Thomas, in Lisson Grove, Marylebone in the late 1920s. In 1989 Ray Dudman became manager of the company, having joined as an apprentice in 1974, and was appointed a director in 1984. William Thomas remained a consultant until his death in 1992. In 2003, W Thomas Restorations Ltd were granted the ultimate honour of the Royal Warrant from Her Majesty the Queen. The expansion of business in the 1930s resulted in a move to larger workshops in Goldney Road, Paddington, however, Second World War bomb damage resulted in re-location to a listed Victorian school house in Little Venice, Maida Vale. This year, the company has moved to a more practical building in Battersea, London SW8. The carving, gilding and subsidiary departments comprise a team of widely respected craftsmen and women capable of handling a wide variety of projects, both large and small.