First shop circa 1970 in the basement of a rental double house. There are a couple of chairs on the floor and another on the workbench - all with work in progress.
Hello!
My name is Rich Drury and I am the owner of Antique Restoration Service. Aside from providing you with the most up-to-date information regarding my business, this website will also serve as my blog. Every so often - about every other week - I'll post pictures of my progress as I begin to renovate the ARS storefront and workshop. I'll also share some pictures from years ago, when I first began this business in 1975. If you are unfamiliar with the methodology of antique furniture restoration, there is much to discover and I invite you to check up on my blog in the near future.
Much has changed since I started my business in 1975. Although the timeless trades of woodworking and restoration are much the same, it is my personal experience that has grown over the last 30 years. As a full-time profession, I was a staff architect at Eastman Kodak and Rochester Institute of Technology. Somehow, after all the hours spent at my day job, I managed to find the time to return to the woodshop in my basement where I restored picture frames and household furniture. Since retiring in 2009, I have committed myself to dusting off all of my old tools, moving out to the countryside, and returning my focus to my old passion - appreciation of antique furniture through restoration, reconstruction and repair.
The picture of me above was taken in my first workshop about forty years ago. Nostalgia is important to me as I realize how far I have come with my trade. Back then, the resources available to me were limited and the budget was tight - as it was then it is today. It will take a measurable amount of dedication and dexterity to set sail. At this moment, however, I am looking forward to the challenge just as I had looked forward to spending time in my workshop over the last forty years.
In the next few weeks, I will post some photos of my first storefront circa 1976 as well as some memorable pieces I restored long ago. Cheers!
