Just.be.retro

Just Be Retro is a business specialising in the restoration and sale of Mid-Century and Vintage furniture. With a passion for British and Scandinavian design and over thirty years of expertise, we offer a wide range of furniture that is carefully restored to its former glory. Our Birmingham workshop is the heart of our operations, where we bring retro classics back to life from well-known manufacturers such as G-Plan, Ercol, and McIntosh, as well as forgotten companies such as Elliots of Newberry, Jentique, and Alfred Cox.

Our expertise extends beyond restoration, as we also offer tailoring services to suit clients' requirements. With a well-equipped workshop, we can restore or tailor any piece of furniture to fit a client's needs. At Just Be Retro, we believe that furniture does not improve with age but can be given a new lease on life with careful restoration. We honour the designers that came before us by restoring our furniture down to the finest details.

Our Philosophy

We believe that vintage furniture can last a lifetime with careful restoration. We don't just say that worn-out furniture is commensurate with age; instead, we give it a new lease on life by carefully restoring it. We are committed to preserving the intricate details of the furniture we restore and bring back to life.

About John

John, the founder of Just Be Retro, is a designer and restoration expert with over thirty years of experience. After completing his BA in design in 1984, he set up his first workshop in Shropshire, developing uses for fresh-cut Green Timber and producing one-off pieces of furniture on commission. He then began working with local dealers to restore their furniture, predominantly Victorian and Georgian pieces, and developed a love for the art and craft of furniture restoration. John continued making furniture for both the commercial and domestic market and, after moving his workshop to Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, he returned to furniture restoration, focusing on Mid-Century design. Every day, John gets to do a job he loves and is thrilled to be able to share his passion and expertise with others, selling throughout the UK and Europe.

The Environmental Benefits of Being Retro

Buying or restoring vintage furniture helps the environment. While a new piece of furniture uses raw materials to produce, recycling the treasures from our past not only saves landfill space but trees too. Much of the finest old growth hardwood was used to make furniture decades ago. Salvaging these irreplaceable pieces of furniture is a sustainable, eco-friendly means of owning high-quality, unique, and fully functioning furniture.

At Just Be Retro, we take pride in our work, and we are committed to providing high-quality, carefully restored vintage furniture that will last a lifetime. We offer a range of services, from restoration to tailoring, and we are dedicated to preserving the intricate details of the furniture we work on. Whether you're looking for a retro classic from a well-known manufacturer or a forgotten gem from a smaller company, we have the skills and expertise to bring it back to life.