SCT’s new furniture restoration project opened for business today at 118 Shoreditch High Street.

Restoration Station is selling vintage, designer and upcycled furniture restored by students at the New Hanbury Project (NHP). Swinging open their workshop doors to the trendy Shoreditch High Street crowd, the team aims to tempt passers by with a collection of hand finished, bespoke and designer items. 

Project leader Sheona Alexander said “We had a great response when we previewed our stock at the East London Design Show last week. We’re planning a full launch for next year and wanted to test the market, catching Christmas shoppers with an early opening. The guys have done a great job converting the workshop for selling in such a short time.”

The team – Bernard, Mark and Steve – bring a combination of design, arts and shop-fitting skills to the Restoration Station workshop. They studied furniture restoration at the New Hanbury Project with further specialist training from The School of Stuff in Dalston. Lead restorer Bernard explained how they operate on the new retail premises: “Selling from the workshop is just like an open studio. We can be working away at the bench, serve a customer and go straight back to the sanding or polishing. There’s no time wasted sitting in an empty shop or transporting stock.”

All revenue generated from the shop will support students at the New Hanbury Project through their recovery from addiction.

Restoration Station is open all this week, and on Monday afternoons and Fridays in 2014. Follow the team’s progress on Facebook or their website.