Quality service since 1989 — 35 years of Auckland craftsmanship

09 636 6100 | Mon–Fri · Onehunga Workshop

Est. 1989 · Onehunga, Auckland Furniture · Upholstery · Leather

Furniture, restored
with the patience
of a craftsman.

For more than three decades the team at Dovetail Restorations has brought beloved furniture back to life — French polish, full re-upholstery, leather, marine, antique and insurance work — from a workshop on Selwyn Street, Onehunga. We treat every piece as if it were our own.

Request a Quote Explore our services Call 09 636 6100

35 years on the bench Approved insurance repairer Pick-up & delivery NZ-wide EU-compliant spray equipment

Dovetail Restorations workshop — furniture restoration in progress

A note from the workshop

“Workmanship and transparency — those are the two things we won't compromise on.”

Avi Koifman · Founder

35+

Years in trade

Named craftsmen

Disciplines

10yr

Low-waste workshop

— I. APPROACH

A workshop built on workmanship and transparency.

· Founded 1989, Onehunga.

· Approved for every major Auckland insurer.

· High-velocity low-pressure EU-standard spray equipment.

· Ten-year commitment to low-waste, recycled workshop practice.

· Pick-up and delivery across Auckland, both islands and overseas.

Furniture repairs have been our business since 1989. Since then, our Onehunga workshop has grown to house four specialist craftsmen, each given the time and space their trade requires — there are no shortcuts at the bench, and we'd rather quote honestly than promise quickly.

We offer one of the most extensive repair services in Auckland: stripping and re-polishing, full re-upholstery in residential and hospitality fabrics, marine and yacht interiors, every grade of leather, cane and riempie, antiques and specialty restoration, and insurance and transport-damage work. Our clients return for the same reasons each time — pieces look as they should, our communication is straight, and the workshop is genuinely accountable.

01 — Assess

A considered quote, in writing.

Bring the piece in, send photographs, or arrange a workshop pick-up. Avi and Adam Koifman handle every initial assessment personally.

02 — Restore

The right craftsman, the right method.

Each piece is matched to the trade it needs — polishing, upholstery, leather or specialty — and worked by hand on the Selwyn Street bench.

03 — Return

Delivered carefully home.

Pick-up and delivery is part of the service — across Auckland's suburbs, both islands, and internationally on request.

— II. SERVICES

Eight disciplines, one workshop.

From a French polished walnut sideboard to the saloon of a super-yacht, the same standard of work leaves our doors. Below — the full range of services on offer at Selwyn Street.

01 · POLISHING In-house

Furniture Polishing & Stripping

Stripping and re-polishing of timber furniture: French polish, veneer restoration, mid-century pieces, custom colour matching, white-haze removal, and full flood- and fire-damage restoration. We use high-velocity, low-pressure EU-compliant spray equipment and only partner with quality paint and varnish suppliers.

·Stripping and re-polishing
·French polish
·Veneer restoration
·Custom colour matching
·White-haze & ring removal
·Flood & fire damage
·Wall units & bookcases
·Mid-century restoration

02 · UPHOLSTERY In-house

Upholstery Services

Full re-upholstery and fabric services for residential, commercial and hospitality clients. Partnered with major fabric houses, custom squabs made to measure, and capacity to take on chaise longue and lounge-suite recoveries in premium fabrics such as House of Hackney.

·Re-upholstery
·Custom squabs
·Chair & lounge suite recovering
·Midcentury chair recovering
·Chaise longue re-upholstery
·Corporate upholstery
·Hospitality furniture
·Premium fabrics

03 · MARINE Specialist

Marine & Yacht Upholstery

Specialist upholstery for marine, yacht and super-yacht interiors, built to handle Auckland's coastal conditions. We work with marine-grade fabrics and foams and coordinate fit-outs around vessel schedules.

·Marine upholstery
·Yacht upholstery
·Super-yacht upholstery

04 · LEATHER All grades

Leather Repair & Restoration

Comprehensive leather services covering every leather type — pigmented, aniline, nubuck, suede and veg-tan — using industry-standard cleaning agents and colour-matched leather paints.

·Pigmented leather repair
·Aniline leather repair
·Nubuck leather repair
·Suede leather repair
·Veg-tan leather repair
·Aniline leather re-dye
·Cleaning & conditioning
·Leather reupholstery

05 · CANE & RIEMPIE Hand work

Rattan, Cane & Riempie

Hand recaning and restoration of rattan, wicker, cane and riempie pieces — from a single fireside chair to a footstool that's been in the family for generations.

·Cane chair recaning
·Wicker and rattan repair
·Riempie footstool restoration

06 · ANTIQUE Specialty

Antique & Specialty Restoration

Specialist restoration of antiques — keeping their value, lengthening their life and respecting the patina that gives them character. Adjacent specialty work in marble, gilding, glass, china and porcelain is also undertaken on request.

·Antique furniture restoration
·Marble repairs
·Veneer restoration
·Gilding work
·Art restoration
·Glass, ceramics, porcelain
·Bespoke jewellery boxes
·Split kava bowl repair

07 · INSURANCE Approved

Insurance & Transport Damage

We are an approved repairer for every major Auckland insurer and the city's leading relocation companies. Claims are handled directly from assessment through to delivery, with clear written communication at every stage.

·Insurance damage claims
·Relocation & transport damage
·Flood & fire damage

08 · OUTDOOR Exterior

Outdoor & Exterior Furniture

Repainting and restoration of outdoor deck furniture and exterior timber — sealed and finished to last through New Zealand's coastal summers.

·Outdoor deck furniture
·Exterior table painting

If it's timber, leather or fabric — we very likely repair it.

Tell us about your piece

— III. OUR WORK

A few pieces, returned to their proper state.

A small selection from the workshop — leather repair, aniline re-dye, a dressing table stripped back to bare timber, a pair of magazine tables re-polished. Each piece has its own quiet story behind it.

Leather repair before and after — Dovetail Restorations — Leather repair

Aniline leather re-dye restoration — Dovetail Restorations — Aniline re-dye

Dressing table stripped and re-polished — Dovetail Restorations — Dressing table

Magazine table set repolished — Dovetail Restorations — Magazine tables

“We use Dovetail Restorations, always reliable, always available, never a job too small or too big.”

Matteo · Restaurant Manager, The Jervois Steakhouse

Hospitality clients

Restaurants, hotels and hospitality groups across Auckland have relied on us for wood and upholstery repair for years — including a five-year working relationship with The Nourish Group.

— IV. CRAFTSMEN

The bench, by hand.

Behind every piece that leaves Selwyn Street stands a craftsman who is named, accountable and quietly very experienced. Together our four trades carry over a century of bench time.

Sahid Khan

Polisher & Restorer

20 years with Dovetail, 30+ years on the polishing bench. The hand behind much of our French polish and veneer restoration work.

Mark Mighorst

Polisher & Restorer

20+ years in the trade. Our specialist for custom colour-matching — the difficult joins between old timber and new.

Romeo Guzman

Master Upholsterer

30+ years of upholstery experience — from a single dining chair to lounge suites, chaise longues and hospitality contracts.

Avi and Adam Koifman, founders and management of Dovetail Restorations

Avi & Adam Koifman

Assessment & Management

Founder and workshop manager. The pair who give every job its first look, its written quote, and the running update along the way.

— V. VOICES

In the words of the people we've worked for.

A small selection — verbatim — from the homes, restaurants and hotels we've returned pieces to.

“

We use Dovetail Restorations, always reliable, always available, never a job too small or too big.

Matteo · Restaurant Manager, The Jervois Steakhouse

“

Dovetail Restorations have handled the wood restoration and furniture repairs across our hospitality business for 5 years.

Paula Sigley · The Nourish Group

“

This team restored my rimu dining suite that we have had for over 24 years. Their service wonderful, nothing was too much trouble and the workmanship was outstanding.

Audrey · Residential client

“

Thank you so much for the care and attention that you and your team gave to my toilette mirror. It is absolutely amazing and I cannot thank you enough.

Vivienne · Residential client

“

I have recently had my mahogany lounge suite and coffee table wood work revitalised by the Dovetail Restorations team and are very satisfied with the result.

Alister · Residential client

“

I was surprised at how well it came up considering the state it was in, and I like that some of the original dings are still there showing its age.

Carol · Residential client

“

We had our table and chairs stripped and restained after 16 years. The team did a beautiful job — they picked it up, communicated with us the whole time.

Raewyn · Residential client

“

Craftsmanship at its best! Prompt service, very helpful and obliging people to deal with. Highly recommended. Thank you Tom and Avi!

Kim · Residential client

— VI. QUESTIONS

The questions we're asked most.

Practical answers to the things that come up before a quote is requested. If yours isn't here, send a photograph and a sentence — we'll get back to you.

Do you offer pick-up and delivery? +

Yes — across Auckland (North Shore, South Auckland, Eastern Suburbs, Pukekohe, Franklin, West Auckland and Rodney), both islands, and internationally on request.

Do you handle insurance claims directly? +

We're an approved repairer for every major Auckland insurer and the leading relocation companies. We deal directly with assessors and adjusters from the first inspection through to delivery.

Can you restore a piece without removing its age? +

Often, yes. With antiques especially we work to preserve patina and original detail wherever it adds character or value — we'll agree the approach with you in writing before any work begins.

Do you take on small jobs? +

Single dining chairs, mirrors, jewellery boxes — none of it is too small. We work on commercial fit-outs and single residential pieces side by side.

What kind of finishes do you use? +

We apply finishes by hand and with high-velocity low-pressure EU-compliant spray equipment, partnered with quality paint, polish and varnish suppliers. French polish is available on request.

How is the workshop sustainable? +

Restoration is sustainable by definition — but for ten years we've also maintained a low-waste workshop, maximising recycling and using EU-standard low-pressure spray gear that reduces overspray and solvent loss.

Can you match a custom colour? +

Yes — colour matching is a specialty of the workshop, particularly where new timber needs to sit alongside an aged original. Mark Mighorst leads this work.

How do I get a quote? +

Send photographs and a short description to the workshop, or call us on 09 636 6100 to arrange a visit. Written quotes are returned within a couple of working days.

— VII. VISIT

Come down to the workshop.

The Selwyn Street workshop is open Monday to Friday. Bring the piece in, or send through a photograph and we'll come and assess it.

Onehunga Workshop

Dovetail Restorations Ltd

7 Selwyn St, Onehunga
Auckland 1061, New Zealand

Telephone: 09 636 6100
Email: enable JavaScript
Hours: Mon–Fri · By appointment
Coverage: Auckland, both islands
international on request

Call 09 636 6100 Email the workshop

Approved repairer for

All major Auckland insurance companies · Auckland's leading relocation companies · Hospitality and corporate clients across the city.

7 Selwyn St, Onehunga, Auckland 1061

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Furniture, restored with the patience of a craftsman.