A workshop is a room or building where craftsmen make, repair or restore objects by hand or with machinery. In the context of antiques, the term refers both to the historic workshops in which furniture, silver, clocks and other works of art were produced and to the restoration workshops that care for such pieces today.
Before industrialisation, most furniture was made in small workshops headed by a master craftsman with journeymen and apprentices, while larger London and provincial firms such as Gillows of Lancaster ran substantial operations employing specialist cabinetmakers, carvers, gilders and upholsterers. Many pieces cannot be attributed to an individual maker but can be linked to a particular workshop through construction details, carving style or recurring design features, which is why catalogues often use phrases such as workshop of or attributed to. In silver and clockmaking, a single name on a piece often represents the output of a whole workshop. Modern restoration workshops combine traditional hand skills such as veneering, polishing, carving and upholstery with conservation principles. A dealer's own workshop is often a mark of commitment to quality, allowing pieces to be assessed, stabilised and prepared properly before sale.
