Kevin Cullen
My wife and I inherited a lovely 250 year old English grandfather clock - it had not been serviced in years and wasn't working properly. In addition, the case (especially the bonnet) was in poor condition. Both the finish and the structure needed a lot of attention. The fixtures supporting the finials were broken and a number of trim pieces had broken off. The clock maker recommended that we take the case to Arte Lepre in Kensington. I contacted the owner, Fabio, who was simply fabulous. He repaired the supports and trim, and painstakingly stripped and refinished the case, using shellac for the final coating. The result was a case with a beautiful warm glow, highlighting the beauty of the original wood. Fabio was a surprising and welcome find. He is a superb craftsman who is very engaging and communicated very well about all steps of the process. If you have any valuable antique furniture which needs attention, you are in very good hands at Arte Lepre.