History of BAFRA

The British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association was founded in 1979 by a group of graduates of West Dean College, Sussex, England, having all completed the BADA Diploma course in Antique Furniture Restoration and Conservation. This was a period of spiralling antique furniture prices and the proliferation of unqualified and unskilled “Antique Furniture Restorers”. BAFRA’s founders felt strongly that the public and antique trade needed some form of protection for their furniture as did the established craftsmen.

Development of the Conservation Profession

The 1980s saw the start of the development of the Conservation Profession of which furniture forms a large part and BAFRA soon became one of the main representatives in this specialist area. BAFRA is now a recognised authority on furniture conservation and restoration in Britain. From the start BAFRA demanded high achievement in terms of craft skills and knowledge of furniture, development and design and this is reflected in our assessment. Representing the some of the best artist-craftsmen in the field of furniture conservation and restoration right across Britain, BAFRA also has overseas members in Canada, Malta and Switzerland.

Although not all the best are members, BAFRA continually seeks to achieve an even stronger representation than at present.

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