Furniture Restoration in Mountainside, NJ — Five Generations of Craft Since the Late 1800s
Maxwell's Furniture Restoration has been at the corner of New Providence Road and Mountain Ave in Mountainside, NJ, for generations. Established in the late 1800s and now in its fifth generation of family ownership, Maxwell's is one of the oldest furniture restoration shops in New Jersey — and one of the few where the same name has been on the door that long.
When a piece matters to you — whether it's a Victorian settee handed down through your family or an antique desk that survived a move — we treat it the same way we always have: carefully, honestly, and with the full weight of more than a hundred years of hands-on experience behind every decision we make.
What Brings Customers to Maxwell's Furniture Restoration
People come to us for a lot of reasons. Some have a family heirloom that needs structural repair before it falls apart. Some have a beautiful antique piece with a finish that's been damaged by water, sun, or time. Others have upholstery that's worn through, or chairs that wobble, or a dining table that's lost its surface. What they share is this: they care about what they're bringing in. And so do we.
Our craftsmen and craftswomen go through years of apprenticeship before working independently on customer pieces. That's not a formality — it reflects what antique furniture restoration actually demands. The joinery techniques, finishing methods, and material choices that preserve an antique are different from what you'd use on new furniture, and getting them wrong causes permanent damage. We don't cut corners. We've built this shop's reputation by not cutting corners.
Our work can be seen in historic sites, private estates, corporate offices, and museums throughout the New Jersey metropolitan area. That range — from a single dining chair to an entire estate inventory — reflects the breadth of what we do here at 885 Mountain Ave.
Antique Furniture Restoration NJ — Repair, Refinishing & Upholstery
Maxwell's offers a full range of furniture restoration services from our Mountainside, NJ workshop. Each discipline is handled by specialists, not generalists.
Furniture Repair
Structural problems — loose joints, broken legs, damaged carvings, failed caning — are where restoration begins. We repair antiques, vintage pieces, and modern furniture alike, from a simple chair tightening to the re-fabrication of intricate Victorian woodwork.
→ See our full repair services
Furniture Refinishing
We strip, prepare, and refinish wood surfaces to match original intent — not to make old pieces look factory-new, but to return them to the condition they deserve. We work with a wide range of finishes, stains, and period-appropriate techniques.
→ Explore refinishing services
Custom Upholstery
Our upholstery department works with customers to personalize each piece — fabric selection, structural rebuilding, and finish work handled together. We carry fabric samples in the shop and work from common slip seats to the most elaborate sofas.
Corporate, Estate & Commercial Services
Maxwell's works with estates, corporations, historic properties, museums, and commercial spaces throughout Union County and the surrounding NJ metro area. We offer on-site touch-up and speedy refinishing for facilities that can't go offline.
→ Corporate and estate services
Antiques Bought and Sold
Beyond restoration, Maxwell's buys and sells antiques. If you have a piece to sell or you're looking for something specific, we're worth a visit.
Why Five Generations Matters in Furniture Restoration
The furniture restoration trade is learned slowly. There is no fast route to understanding how a period piece was originally built, how its finish will respond to chemical stripping, or how to re-cane a seat the way it was done when the chair was new. That knowledge is passed down through apprenticeship and practice — not a weekend course.
Maxwell's original sign from the New York warehouse on 53rd Street and Broadway still hangs on the wall of our Mountainside shop. It's a reminder of where this business started and how long it's been earning the trust of the people who bring their furniture to us.
Donald J. Maxwell runs the shop today. He bought the business and the property — the same building and barn at the corner of Mountain Ave in Mountainside — from his father, and he's been refining his craft here for more than 40 years. The employees who work alongside him include craftspeople who have been at Maxwell's for over 30 years.
When you bring a piece to Maxwell's, you're not handing it off to a franchise or a general handyman. You're handing it to a family that has been doing this, and only this, for five generations in one New Jersey town.
Serving Mountainside, NJ and Surrounding Communities
Maxwell's Furniture Restoration serves customers from across Union County and beyond, including Berkeley Heights, Chatham, Cranford, Fanwood, Garwood, Madison, New Providence, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, Short Hills, Springfield, Summit, Union, Watchung, Warren, Westfield, and Maplewood. We accept antiques, heirlooms, vintage pieces, and contemporary furniture for in-shop restoration. For commercial and corporate clients, we also offer on-site services.
Our workshop is located at 885 Mountain Ave, Mountainside, NJ 07092, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Ready to Restore a Piece You Care About?
Bring your furniture — antique, vintage, or modern — to Maxwell's Furniture Restoration at 885 Mountain Ave, Mountainside, NJ. Call us at (908) 232-0226 to discuss your project, or visit us Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Free estimates available.
(908) 232-0226 | info@donmaxwellrestoration.com | Mon–Fri 8 am – 5 pm
