Dovetail Restorations
Call 09 636 6100 Request a quote

7 Selwyn St, Onehunga · Auckland

Issue No. 035 / Onehunga · Tāmaki Makaurau

The patient
art of bringing
furniture back
to life.

Since 1989, our Onehunga workshop has restored what others would replace — French-polished cabinets, re-upholstered chairs, leather suites, marine interiors and antiques — for Auckland homes, hospitality groups and major insurance partners.

Request a free assessment See restored work
A traditional hand plane resting in fresh wood shavings on a workbench at Dovetail Restorations

35

years restoring

A family workshop since 1989, still in Onehunga.

8

specialisations

French polish through to marine upholstery.

100%

approved

Major Auckland insurance & relocation companies.

10yr

low-waste programme

Sustainable disposal, maximised recycling.

French Polish✦ Re-upholstery✦ Leather Restoration✦ Marine & Yacht Interiors✦ Antique Conservation✦ Cane & Rattan Recaning✦ Insurance Damage✦ Mid-Century Restoration✦

— The Approach

We don't
replace
— we restore.

Furniture repairs have been our business since 1989. In the decades since, our Onehunga workshop has grown around two things only: workmanship and transparency. We offer the most extensive repair services in Auckland — and we treat every piece as if it were our own.

01 · Materials

EU-standard equipment

High-velocity low-pressure spray guns and quality paint and varnish partnerships — finishes that match the period without compromising the wood underneath.

02 · Sustainability

A decade of low-waste

Ten years of low-waste disposal and maximised recycling. The most sustainable furniture is the one you already own.

03 · Trust

Approved repairer

An approved repairer for all major Auckland insurance companies and relocation companies — chosen on the strength of the work, not the marketing.

04 · Reach

Pickup & delivery

Auckland-wide — North Shore, South Auckland, Eastern Suburbs, Pukekohe, Franklin, West Auckland, Rodney — plus North & South Island and international.

— Specialisations

Eight disciplines
under one roof.

From the everyday rimu dining table to the chaise longue in House of Hackney velvet — our craftsmen cover the full range, so the piece never leaves the workshop.

01 Timber & Finish

Furniture Polishing
& Stripping

Stripping and re-polishing of timber furniture using high-velocity low-pressure EU-standard spray equipment. French polish, veneer restoration, mid-century revivals, and exact colour matching — done in-house from start to finish.

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

Upholstery
Services

Full in-house re-upholstery for residential, commercial and hospitality interiors — partnered with every major fabric house in New Zealand. Custom squabs made to measure.

  • Re-upholstery
  • Custom squabs
  • Chair & lounge suite recovering
  • Mid-century chair recovering
  • Chaise longue (incl. House of Hackney)
  • Corporate upholstery
  • Hospitality & commercial
03 Marine

Marine & Yacht
Upholstery

Specialist upholstery for marine interiors — from the family launch through to super-yacht saloons. Fabrics, foams and finishes specified for life at sea.

  • Marine upholstery
  • Yacht upholstery
  • Super-yacht upholstery
04 Hide & Skin

Leather Repair
& Restoration

Every leather type — pigmented, aniline, nubuck, suede, veg-tan. Industry-standard cleaners and leather paints, plus full re-dye and reupholstery where the original hide is beyond rescue.

  • Pigmented leather
  • Aniline leather
  • Nubuck leather
  • Suede leather
  • Veg-tan leather
  • Aniline leather re-dye
  • Cleaning & conditioning
  • Leather reupholstery
05 Weave

Rattan, Cane
& Riempie

Hand recaning, wicker and rattan repair, and riempie footstool restoration — the kind of work that's vanishing in Auckland.

  • Cane chair recaning
  • Wicker & rattan repair
  • Riempie footstool restoration
06 Heritage

Antique & Specialty
Restoration

Conservation work for antiques and the unusual — marble, gilding, glass, ceramics, porcelain, art — restoration that preserves value rather than erases it.

  • Antique furniture restoration
  • Marble repairs
  • Veneer restoration
  • Gilding work
  • Art restoration
  • Glass, ceramics & porcelain
  • Bespoke jewellery box finishing
  • Split kava bowl repair
07 Claims

Insurance & Transport
Damage

Approved repairer for all major Auckland insurance companies and relocation companies — we work directly with assessors and movers, so you don't have to.

  • Insurance damage claims
  • Relocation & transport damage
  • Flood and fire damage
08 Outdoor

Outdoor & Exterior
Furniture

Repainting and refinishing of outdoor deck furniture and exterior timber — built for the Auckland salt-air and sun.

  • Outdoor deck furniture repainting
  • Outdoor table exterior painting

— Selected Work

Pieces brought
back from the brink.

A small selection from the workshop floor. Every piece is photographed before and after — so you can see exactly what 35 years of practice looks like.

Antique dressing table — before and after restoration

Antique dressing table

Stripping · Re-polishing

Decades of wear lifted; original lines preserved. Re-stained and re-finished without losing the piece's age.

Leather club chair — before and after

English leather club chair

Leather repair

Cracked, faded hide restored to a deep, even patina.

Aniline leather tub chair re-dye — before and after

Aniline tub chair

Aniline re-dye

Full re-dye to a saturated black-teal — fabric grain intact.

Repolished magazine tables before and after — mid-century

Mid-century magazine tables

Mid-century · Polish

A pair re-polished to a deep walnut tone — restoring the mid-century grain figure and bringing both back to a matched finish.

— The Workshop

Four craftsmen.
A century of practice
between them.

Every job is done by someone whose name you'll know. No outsourced sub-contractors, no production-line shortcuts. Just the people on this page, in the workshop on Selwyn Street.

Sahid Khan, Polisher & Restorer

Sahid Khan

Polisher & Restorer

20 years with Dovetail. 30+ years of furniture polishing and restoration experience.

Mark Mighorst, Polisher & Restorer

Mark Mighorst

Polisher & Restorer

20+ years' experience. Specialist in custom colour matching — the finishes that look effortlessly right.

Romeo Guzman, Master Upholsterer

Romeo Guzman

Master Upholsterer

30+ years in upholstery — chairs, lounge suites, hospitality and marine.

Avi & Adam Koifman, founders & management

Avi & Adam Koifman

Assessment & Management

Founder (Avi) and workshop manager (Adam). They quote every job and oversee the floor.

A craftsman at work in the Dovetail Restorations Onehunga workshop

— On Selwyn Street

A workshop, not a showroom.

Drop in any weekday and you'll find pieces in every stage of repair — stripped frames waiting for fabric, hide test panels, tables drying between coats. We work the way a workshop should: hands on, in person, in front of the client.

Bring the piece in for an assessment, or arrange a pickup. Most quotes come back the same week.

— In Their Own Words

What clients say,
unedited.

From hospitality groups we've kept in good order for years, to single chairs that have been in the family for generations.

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 Rimu dining suite

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 Toilette mirror

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 Mahogany lounge suite

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 Heritage piece

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 Dining set · Stripped & restained

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

Kim Repeat client

— The Process

From inquiry
to delivery.

01Email a few photos or bring the piece in Day 1
02A written quote, usually within a week Days 1–7
03Pickup or workshop drop-off — Auckland-wide Scheduled
04The work — kept updated through every stage Workshop
05Delivery back to your home or premises Final
No assessment fee
Pickup & delivery available
Insurance work managed

— Visit the Workshop

7 Selwyn St,
Onehunga.

Address

7 Selwyn Street
Onehunga, Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Phone

09 636 6100

Hours

Mon – Fri · 7:30 am – 4:30 pm

Coverage

Auckland-wide pickup & delivery — North Shore, South Auckland, Eastern Suburbs, Pukekohe, Franklin, West Auckland, Rodney — plus North & South Island and international work.

Off the Onehunga Mall Easy parking Loading bay access

Have a piece worth
keeping?

Send a few photos. We'll come back with an honest assessment, an indicative price, and an idea of how long the work will take.

Start a quote 09 636 6100
Call Quote