Mike Shotwell is a rare breed of craftsman these days. He did a beautiful job of recaning a wooden chair I inherited. He can do almost anything with the skills he learned from his father. If you can bring it to his work shop in Sterling, give him a call. read more

I had an easy and successful experience with Restorations Unlimited. My furniture repair looks great and Mike was so professional to work with. Highly recommend this company! read more

I brought in a nightstand and it was repaired in two days he did a fantastic job anything else I have to fix I'll bring it back to them hands-down read more

This review is from Nancy Hughes & Jeff Mahmot. Restorations Unlimited repaired a rocking chair for us. Mike did a fantastic job. He was polite and provided great customer service. The chair was repaired in just a few days. I am already going back to have him repair more furniture. We highly recommend this business! read more

Restorations Unlimited repaired a chair that two other shops said they could not repair. The work is beautiful. I'll never go anywhere else for furniture repair! read more

I found Restorations Unlimited on Yelp! and decided to give them a try. What a hidden treasure! I took an old family chair in to have some structural damage repaired and the upholstery redone. Owner Bill Shotwell advised me on how much fabric would be needed, discussed what my repair options were when working with a mid-19th century chair, and gave me an estimate based on the best-case scenario. A week after I brought the chair in, it was back in my house and looks terrific. (Your time frame may differ. I was lucky enough to hit a slow time in the upholstery shop.) The craftsmanship involved in repairing and reupholstering my chair was impeccable. It's probably not a valuable antique, but Restorations Unlimited treated it as if it were. Unlike what often happens with other repair services, they found no "surprises" in the interior of the chair, and the final bill reflected the original estimate I was given. Restorations Unlimited has worked with some very high-profile clients, as you will see on the walls of the shop when you go in. And if you've got a piece that's seen better days, you really do want to go in. Bill and his crew will take good care of you, and (as an added bonus) you'll learn a lot about the fine art of furniture restoration. read more

Restorations Unlimited - Before - Antiques Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

See all

I waited a while to leave this review to make sure I was being fair. I called their business to ensure that they repair wicker (since I didn't see the point in driving twenty minutes with a shedding antique hamper in my backseat if they didn't--and many places don't). While I was asking this, the man began laughing at me, asked me where I was, then asked me to ask him where he was, all so he could set up his punchline of "I'm at my desk in Sterling. And I can't see through walls all the way over to where you are." All the while referring to me as "sweetheart." I'm sure he is frustrated with people demanding detailed estimates over the phone that he cannot provide, but this is not what I was asking and he could have spoken to me with the same level of respect I was giving him. Frankly, the whole interaction smacked of sexism. I rarely leave negative reviews (you can check my history) because I know most people are trying their best and misunderstandings happen, but this was honestly the most unwarranted rudeness I've ever experienced from a business. They might want to read the I Corinthians 14:40 they have posted on their website again... read more

Excellent work restoring a Hoosier cabinet and fixing a broken antique chair. Not for the cheap disposal furniture. The price is fair for the craftsmanship. They are highly skilled. read more

We recently brought in a flip top table & jewelry box for restoration. Both pieces were well used & showing their age. The table had a water stain & lots of nicks. The jewelry box had missing knobs, missing pieces of inlaid wood, missing mirror & a broken lock. They did a beautiful job restoring them. They also did a great job cleaning up a set of bedside stairs. They provided a quote & estimated time to complete up front which they met. We are repeat customers! They previously did an excellent job restoring a singer sewing machine that belonged to my Grandmother. Highly recommend Restoration Unlimited. read more

I recently needed a table tile repaired after it had been cracked in half. It went to the coffee table in my dining room. I contacted the store I originally bought the table from, but they discontinued making it years ago and had no replacement parts. I contacted a few local furniture repair places, but no one did the kind of repair I needed. I came across Restorations while doing some online searching. I emailed them and they responded back the same day letting me know they could make the repair. After only a few days the tile was returned to me in one piece. They did great work! I'm extremely happy because I've had the table for more than 12 years and really did not want to have to get rid of it. Certainly check this place out if you need good furniture repair work done. read more

See all

Bill Shotwell and his son Mike at Restorations Unlimited did a beautiful job repairing a cracked chair leg. We had an interesting discussion about the possible approaches, and it was clear they really know what they're doing. The work was done quickly, efficiently and professionally. I would definitely work them again on furniture repair. They have many other skills, too, and judging from what I saw in the shop, are very proficient in those as well. read more

After coming back from an overseas with a wood carving that broke in transit, I was at a loss on how to fix it. So I Googled local furniture restorers and Restorations Unlimited popped up. Not really sure what to expect, I drove over there and immediately was greeted by multiple small dogs (who were excellent greeters for the small shop!) Bill, the father of the father-and-son team who run the place, immediately came out to greet me. He quickly took a look at my wood carving and gave me an estimate of time and cost. Easy enough! While he told me to give him a week before I checked back on the progress, within three business days he had called me and sent photos of the progression and completion of his work. It was too easy! Now I have a fully restored piece that I can enjoy for years to come to remember my trip! While I may not have too many wood pieces or furniture I'll need restored in the foreseeable future, I would highly recommend Restorations Unlimited's service both for their professionalism and their quality craftsmanship. read more

In 1987, I was willed some antique artifacts from my mother's uncle who passed away. His father was a British Sea Captain and traveled around the globe many times. one of the items was an old sea chest. inside were many more swords, a sextant, and more. Restorations Unlimited did a fantastic job of cleaning and repairing these heirlooms. they look absolutely amazing. I was shocked. I was also really impressed with other information that they provided regarding places we could have some of these appraised. if I had known how nice these pieces would look after restoration I would not have waited 30 years to get this done! We are extremely happy about our experience with these folks. read more

They restored a chifferobe. It needed stripping, painting, brass cleaned and polished. They did a fantastic job!!! Very professional.

I took in a 1939 Royal Air Force clock I bought at auction. Bill gave me a written quote to fill in a gouge in the wood, strip and refinish everything except the box, and polish the clock hands. He needed to get information from a vender in order to give me a quote on completely redoing the clock face like new. He clearly stated at this point that he wouldn't start work until he got the full quote. He even wrote it on the work order, "50% to start." I then went home and talked it over with my wife. We agreed that $925 + taxes and fees, not including whatever the clock face would cost, was just too much right now (we just found out we're having another baby and didn't need the extra expense). When he called to give me the rest of the quote, he told me his son had already started working on it and it looked great. I immediately freaked out because I was about to tell him we didn't want to go through with it. After I told him we didn't want to do it, he said I could come look at it on Saturday and take it home in pieces. When I got there, he refused to give me the clock unless I paid him $600 cash. The work order/receipt says they take credit or debit card, but he refused to take mine. He also said I could take him to small claims court. We considered that, but in the end we just wanted the clock back and wanted to avoid the hassle, so I paid him the $600. Bottom line, I believe they made the mistake to start working on a project that we didn't authorize, and they wouldn't admit to any wrongdoing. They may have 46 years of experience, but this time, in my opinion, they got it wrong. I'll go somewhere else for my next project. read more

Restorations Unlimited - Antiques Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

See all

I took two cherished family heirlooms to be restored to their original beauty and I am thrilled with the results! Look no further for your restoration needs!! Restorations Unlimited has been around since 1973, and I knew I could trust them with my most loved family pieces. Highly recommend you trust your beloved furniture to them!! read more

See all

I had a very large armoire painted and they did an amazing job. The father-son operation knows what they are doing. Couldn't be more pleased. read more

Bill and Mike did an incredible job repairing and refinishing an old family solid cedar chest. We were so thrilled with the results that we have now travelled 7 hours from our new home in NC to bring them an antique table damaged in our move. Definitely worth the trip to have our family treasures lovingly cared for by true artisans. read more

Brought in 2 chairs to have puppy chews on the bottom rungs fixed. Charged $300. I have one chair that has 3 colors on it (blue, bright green and original green) , the other has 2 different colors of green. These colors aren't on the bottom, but on the rest of the chair. When I came to get the chairs, they just argued with me; had a fight between the 2 brothers in front of me; and wouldn't even split the cost because they said they fixed the puppy chews. I told them they ruined the chairs. They complained about how hard the color was to match, there was a glaze on it and what exactly did I want them to do. The owner even said, "I'm just waiting for you to answer my question!" I told them I wanted my chairs to look like they did when I brought them in, minus the puppy chews. They wanted to rub the bright green paint off and give them back. It was an INCREDIBLY HORRIBLE experience!!! Since I paid in full (what a mistake) I took the chairs and left. DO NOT USE THESE PEOPLE!!! There is NO SATISFACTION guarantee! read more