Antique Reproduction Furniture Melbourne

Antique Reproduction & Replica Furniture Melbourne

Mahogany By Hand is Australia’s leading antique replica furniture wholesaler and retailer. For the past 45 years, we have crafted the finest quality handmade furniture and antique reproduction furniture that antique reproduction furniture Melbourne and antique reproduction furniture Sydney clients love to have in their homes. We produce quality English, Georgian, Victorian and French reproduction furniture that not only has an aesthetically pleasing appearance but also meets the highest standards for durability, functionality, and comfort.

Many of the items we produce are exact copies of original antique furniture. Made as identical antique replicas. But many others are our own in-house designs that were never made in prior centuries. These items are made for modern day living but replicated in the same designs as in the past two centuries. Things like, coffee tables, television cabinets, bedside tables, bedside drawers & mahogany replica dining chairs.

We make over 2,000 different products including, classic furniture, traditional furniture, vintage furniture and all designer Furniture.

All of these items can be classified as custom furniture because we fully custom finish furniture to our customers’ requirements. We are a one stop antique reproduction shop when it comes to custom antique reproduction furniture.

In this modern age the traditional art of hand-made product has faded dramatically. Most of what is available today, especially in Australia, is fully imported pre-finished product that has been machine made utilising the cheapest possible material and methods. That is not what we at Mahogany by Hand are about. Our mission and passion is to make the best quality product possible. We make every piece of reproduction furniture totally by hand. Every item is solid mahogany inside and out. If you are looking for quality, quality that will last a lifetime we are the antique reproduction shop you should not look past!

What is Antique Replica Furniture?

As the name suggests, antique replica furniture is just as it implies, an “exact” copy (replica) of something that has already been made before. It is made identically in design, using the same materials & the same methods of construction. It is a precise copy. When it comes to replica furniture, all these factors are true and it has been copied precisely from original antique furniture from past centuries. It should be difficult to tell the difference between the old and the new antique replica furniture piece, except for age and wear and tear of course.

So what is Antique Reproduction Furniture in that case?

Reproduction furniture unlike replica furniture is a reproduction of something previously made, but not necessarily an exact copy. A reproduction piece is sympathetic to the original design and made in the same style. But literally, a reproduction has been “made in the style of” not copied. It may be different materials, different methods, different construction, etcetera. But it is made in the same or similar style. For example, a reproduction coffee table was never a piece made in previous centuries. Nor were bedside cabinets. These are modern day conveniences but are made now in the same antique reproduction furniture style to blend with original antique style furniture.

Best Possible Quality Guaranteed!

We take great pride in the antique reproduction furniture we produce. Obviously it is totally handmade, but it is also made passion and commitment. We make a promise to our clients across Australia that finer quality antique reproduction furniture will not be found anywhere! We strive to ensure the quality of our product are superior to any other reproduction furniture that is currently available from competitors.

This is a big claim, but it is a claim that we stand by and we back it with a full lifetime guarantee. That guarantee stand testament to the faith we have in our workmanship and the resulting products.

It is not simply about one aspect of the production. It starts with the quality of timber used. You can read about that in the next section below. It is also about the construction methods. The skill of the tradesmen in producing fine quality jointing, hand carving and final assembly. These are all process that require years of experience and practice. Our skilled tradesmen range in years of tenure with our company of between 30 plus years for longer serving members to 12 years minimum for the “newer” members of our staff. These craftsmen have decades of experience in producing the finest quality solid timber furniture available.

The final process, the process that imparts aesthetic beauty to the product is the finishing. We create and offer many different types of finishes, such as, stained timber finishes of all colours, colour matching to your existing furniture as well. We offer painted finishes of all kinds, distressed painted finishes, antiqued painted finishes also. It does not stop there. We can offer parcel gilt or gilded highlights to any of these finishes, in either silver leaf or gold leaf. Of course, there is also fully gilded finishes in gold leaf or silver leaf. Either of these later two finishes can be done in either oil gilding or traditional water gilding.

There is also so much more you can take advantage of with our services. Custom making furniture for you, traditional upholstery with coil spring, feather and foam seats and much more. Our desktop leather inlays and other restoration services.

So, if you want the best quality work at every stage of the process, Mahogany by Hand is your one stop antique reproduction shop. We guarantee it! And, we back our offer to you with 45 years of experience in producing the finest quality antique reproduction furniture available.

Why do we use Mahogany?

Because Mahogany is perhaps one of the most valuable and prized timbers for antique reproduction furniture. It is a premium hard wood with a wide variety of grain patterns, with a fine to medium texture, easily air or kiln dried with excellent dimensional stability. Mahogany has quite a durable in resistance to fungi and it is moderately resistant to termite infestation. The principal uses for mahogany are fine quality furniture and cabinetry, it is used for both interior and exterior woodwork, boat building, fancy figured veneers, musical string instruments, wood paneling, wood carving and wood turning.

Mahogany is also sought after for many other uses that call for an dense, tight grain timber with attractive figure and colour. It is a dimensionally stable timber in varied climatic conditions. It is especially sought after for antique reproduction furniture and replica furniture because mahogany is the “exact” timber that was used throughout the 18th and 19th centuries for antique furniture throughout England and Europe. At Mahogany by Hand we not only use the exact timber to produce our reproduction furniture, we us the exact construction methods of past years so it is exact replica furniture. Many of the great, past makers & designers all used mahogany as a first choice. Well known names like Thomas Chippendale, Robert Adam, Thomas Sheraton, George Hepplewhite and great French makers such as Nicholas Heurtaut, Jean-Ettienne Saint Georges all produced mahogany furniture.

Although many tropical hardwoods are described as mahogany, ‘true’ mahogany is generally considered to be the wood from trees of the botanical genus Swietenia in the Meliaceae family all natives to Latin America. These timber typically came from Honduras and Cuba. Cuban mahogany was always the most prized as it was extremely dense and heavy. It was much darker in colour than Honduras mahogany. It was alway very rare though and impossible to buy today. Even in past centuries it was difficult to source and extremely expensive due to it’s rarity.

The 4 most common species of Mahogany are
1) Swietenia macrophylla usually known as Brazilian mahogany, but is also known as American mahogany (read South American) or Big Leaf mahogany. Brazilian mahogany occurs naturally in a broad band across the northern flank of the Amazon rainforests, stretching from north-eastern Bolivia and the Brazilian states.
2) Swietenia humilis is known as Honduran mahogany. This specie is found around the Pacific coastal regions of Central America. This is the specie that was mostly used for antique furniture in England and Europe. This is the variety that we at Mahogany by Hand still use today. It is re-forested timber.
3) Swietenia mahogani usually known as Cuban mahogany is native to the Caribbean region. This specie is no longer available commercially.
4) Khaya invorensis and K. anthotheca also known as African mahogany from west and central Africa. This is not true mahogany at all. It is “Khaya” specie not “Swietenia” specie. It is similar in ways and some times used by cabinet makers as a cheaper alternative.

The last 2 species Swietenia humilis and Swietenia mahogani are listed under the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species known as CITES which means that countries trading in this species need to verify that sources are legal and sustainable. That is, “re-forested”, not cut from natural growth forests. We at Mahogany by hand take this verification very seriously and demand government certified certificates of proof.

Although there is a British Standard for the timber name (BS 881:1974) (5), the use of the name ‘mahogany’ for timbers which are quite unrelated to the true mahogany of Latin America and Africa is widespread.

Indonesian re-forested mahogany was first brought into Indonesia by the Dutch colonial government in the 1870s. Mahogany along with teak was then grown extensively in plantations managed by the colonial government department of forestry. After independence, a young Indonesian republic took over the management of these plantations under state owned enterprise. This organisation is responsible for Indonesia’s forestry planning, timber exploitation and forestry management.

Indonesia’s mahogany and teak re-forestry, production and processing activities are well organised and extensive (there are more than a million hectares of plantation timber in Java). Under the government provides local farmers and land owners with the young seedling trees and the necessary fertilisers. They also provide specific advice to assist the locals with the establishment and management of these re-forestry plantations. In return, the government is granted the rights to the harvest from these managed plantations. Given that the full growth cycle for a mature mahogany tree is fifty plus years, this is a long term investment.

This is Mahogany by Hand’s source of timber. It is fully kiln dried in state of the art Italian kilns to a moisture content of 8%. This collapses the interior capillaries of the timber, reducing the air content in the timber by 92%. This moisture content gradually stabilises to around 11-12% upon removal from the kilns.

It is air in these capillaries (due to expansion & contraction during seasonal changes or in heated or cooled environments) & moisture in the timber (due to drying) that cause “movement” & “shrinkage” in the timber. It is a misconception that “timber moves”. It is actually the air inside the timber expanding or contracting on hot or cold days that causes cracking and warping.

Thus, kiln drying eliminates both of these issues, creating a very stable product known as “the King of cabinet timbers”.

Handmade Antique Furniture Melbourne

We use this magnificent timber to make mahogany reproduction furniture for private homes, display homes, hotels, retirement villages, upholsterers, antique dealers, and thousands of individual domestic clients’ homes, continually expanding our reputation and clientele. We offer many varieties and styles of antique reproduction furniture, such as antique french reproduction furniture, Victorian reproduction furniture, antique bedroom furnitures and more! We take great pride in our handmade furniture & clients can rest assured about our quality. It is for a lifetime! Our success has come about through simply producing items of the highest quality. Melbourne has been a great success story but with our antique reproduction furniture Sydney clients have also recognised the value of what we offer.

From our workshop, we supply antique reproduction furniture wholesale for businesses, as well as offering our domestic customers the same competitive wholesale prices on all of our mahogany furniture items without any compromise on quality. Our “Lifetime Guarantee” stands testimony to our commitment to producing furniture of the highest quality.

We Are Recognised In Our Field for antique reproduction furniture

If you are looking for the best antique reproduction furniture Mahogany By Hand is the ideal place to find what you need. The quality of our furniture is recognised by interior decorators, architects, and large commercial developers who regularly source furniture from our company or specifically order customised items.

We handcraft all mortice, tenon, and dovetail joints to create solid and strong pieces. We built our business originally on producing antique replica furniture Melbourne clients love and we have seen our clientele grow over the years. With this handcrafting expertise and knowledge of intricate carving techniques, we lead the way in creating Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, and French reproduction furniture. We are producing elegant antique reproduction furniture Brisbane clients are now regularly ordering from our workshop.

Custom Made Antique Replica Furniture Melbourne

It does not matter if it is a chest of drawers, a partners desk, French provincial bedroom items, or any of our other reproduction furniture, we reproduce exact copies from original specifications. We look to expand our styles and items continually and with our antique reproduction furniture Sydney clients have been impressed with the extensive choice of designs and finishes. Our Queensland clients understand that we use the finest quality solid mahogany and for reproduction furniture Brisbane is one of our growing markets.

We craft each item from the finest quality ‘Swietenia’ (Cuban) mahogany as described earlier in this article. The timber is the most prized for quality cabinet making and how beautifully and crisply it carves. It has been fully kiln dried to prevent movement of any kind, which is important with our reproduction furniture Perth clients are considering as a result of the hot and dry climate in the West.

If you are seeking antique reproduction furniture, you are in the right hands. Take advantage of our quality antique replica furniture clients Australia wide have been selecting to add a new level of style to their properties.

Reproduction Furniture Melbourne

Even though our factory and showrooms are in Melbourne, we supply many clients in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and many rural areas across Australia. A great proportion of our business comes from interstate clients who wish to purchase unique custom antique reproduction furniture. We have weekly deliveries to all states. So, if you are looking to buy exceptional quality mahogany reproduction furniture, Mahogany by hand is you one stop shop!

Contact Us Today for your custom reproduction furniture

If you are looking to buy the best quality antique reproduction furniture Melbourne has to offer, then we are you one stop antique reproduction shop. Mahogany by Hand has the biggest range of antique reproduction furniture Sydney has available. Contact our friendly and knowledgeable staff today by calling (03) 9555 1210. They will be able to provide you with any information you require about our antique reproduction furniture and how we craft it. We are committed to providing you with beautiful furniture that will stand the test of time.

Our staff really love their job and are more than happy to spend time with clients to explain the processes. Combined, they are a goldmine of information and you are welcome to take advantage of that. Call 03 9555 1210 or visit today and we are happy to answer all your questions about antique reproduction furniture.

Fashions and trends may come and go but the appeal for real quality endures and this is especially true when it comes to furniture where classic designs from centuries ago are still in great demand. Of course, genuine antique furniture from the 18th century becomes ever increasingly rare, almost impossible to buy and exponentially more expensive, so there is a great demand for replica furniture from the era.

Replica furniture, unlike reproduction furniture, aims to produce an exact likeness of an original piece, rather than one that simply mimics the style, and at Mahogany by Hand we have decades of experience in skilfully creating replica furniture true to the works of some of the most renowned furniture makers from England and France.

With an impeccable eye for detail, our craftsmen can recreate chairs, tables, bureaus and other such items that will be exact replicas in every way. From the main component, mahogany, chosen for its aesthetic qualities combined with its stability and durability, utilising hand carving techniques and joints, to fabrics and accessories, every aspect of the item of furniture will be lovingly and painstakingly replicated.

Amongst the 2,000 products that we have within our catalogue, many are replicas, but we also have the facility to produce reproduction furniture, so if you re looking for an old style piece of furniture but with a contemporary use, such as a TV cabinet, we can meet your needs.

For simply unbeatable quality replica and reproduction furniture, look no further than Mahogany by Hand.