About Us

Master Furniture Inc has been serving Oakville, Burlington, Toronto, and the surrounding areas since its creation in 1947. It is presently owned and operated by Ian Daines, who purchased the company in 1981. Master Furniture Inc services the Muskoka area, including Bracebridge, Huntsville, Gravenhurst, and Port Carling.

Although for many years, the company’s primary function was furniture refinishing and repair, including on-site touch-ups and refurbishing, Master Furniture has evolved, and now also provides a large variety of additional services as well, including French polishing, custom building (including harvest tables), interior and exterior woodwork restoration, and unique artistic creations like wooden bowls, wine caddies, and jewelry.

Master Furniture Inc has an outstanding reputation for quality workmanship at competitive prices. The staff is extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We offer free pick-up and delivery. In unfortunate circumstances, we can also work with your insurance company to ensure any flood, fire, or other damage is repaired to your satisfaction.

clients' reviews

Dining Room Table

We had a beautiful but badly beaten up hand made dining room table which had gone through the rigors of raising Children and had come out looking like it was ready to retire. The choice; spend another large sum of money on a new table or refinish this one. When we met the nice team… Read more “Dining Room Table”

Desmond Kane

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Furniture Refinishing

Stripping and Finishing:

All of Master Furniture’s stripping and finishing is done by hand to ensure that the original workmanship is in no way compromised. The method or approach to the restoration of a project is determined by the period of the article, whether stripping the original finish will hurt the integrity or patina of the piece, and the finish that should be reapplied (shellac, varnish, lacquer, etc.). Another popular approach today is to lightly prepare a piece, then apply an appropriate finish overtop of the original, which will enhance the colour and hide a multitude of sins. This is a very effective way to refurbish a piece at a fraction of the cost of full stripping and refinishing.

A Note from Ian

When the restoration of a piece of antique furniture is contemplated, it is important that both the owner of the piece and the restorer come to agreement regarding exactly what is to be done. Now, it may be argued that any competent craftsman will know what to do, this may be true; however, even well-informed and experienced collectors will vary greatly in their instructions. For this reason, we at Master Furniture encourage our customers to be a part of the restoration of their heirlooms.

Interior and Exterior Woodwork Restoration

Master Furniture has restored the original lustre of the woodwork of many fine homes and heritage buildings in both the Oakville and Muskoka areas, including the balconies, pews, and all interior woodwork of the Appleby College Chapel, Streetsville United Church, and the Chisholm Estate (now a museum in Oakville). Although most of this type of restoration involves interior work, Master Furniture also restores exterior work, including the fabricating of missing or damaged exterior architecture to be blended in with the original.

Master Furniture can also install new woodwork with an antique feel. We have an excellent knack for creating woodwork with a feel of richness and history, even though it is brand new.

Custom Building

Master Furniture has created many items under the specifications of our customers, from custom cabinetry and built-in units to antique items changed into unique,functional pieces with alternate purposes. Some of Ian’s custom work includes: some lovely wine tables, a redesigned model of an early cherry occasional table, a coffee table created out of an old sleigh, a high-end horse jump, and unique muskoka chairs created from rough-hewn logs.

Harvest Tables and Chairs

Master Furniture makes stunning and unique harvest tables. The 2 inch thick tops for the harvest tables consist of 2 boards cut from one original, so the knotting patterns are symmetric. Ian has built many interesting and unusual bases for harvest tables, including trestle, Lexington county, Waterloo County, timberframe, and Ian’s unique design: the Flying Dutchman. Finally, Master Furniture’s harvest tables are given a unique Ian Daines finish, which varies from today’s most popular colours to more traditional tones, can include Ian’s signature ‘distressed’ finish, and always includes Ian’s artistic shading to give depth and richness.

Master Furniture also makes a variety of dining chairs, including combbacks. Chairs are also given Ian’s shading and an impressive finish.

Hand-Crafted Wooden Bowls

Ian Daines began his training as a bowl turner in 1981. He is one of the few remaining underhand wood-turners left today. Ian turns bowls from both locally harvested and exotic woods. The process of turning a bowl can take from one to several years, since the wood needs to be given a chance to dry periodically throughout the turning process. Once a bowl is turned, Ian creates a unique finish to enhance the natural patina of the wood. Whether strictly for decorative purposes, or also functional as a salad bowl, each of Ian’s bowls is a unique work of art.

Each of Ian’s unique, hand-crafted wooden bowls comes with a certificate of authenticity, indicating the species of wood and the date completed, including a brief history, branded crest, and Ian’s signature