The Wooden Mouse

On Rochester High Street, The Wooden Mouse offers something slightly unexpected behind its shopfront. Step inside and the space opens into a working workshop where traditional furniture restoration and craft skills are taught and practised. Restored and re-upholstered pieces are displayed throughout the shop, many of them available for sale.

Co-founded by French polisher Stuart, the studio combines professional restoration work with hands-on learning. Stuart previously worked as the head French polisher at Claridge’s in London, bringing years of experience in traditional finishing techniques to the workshop. Today he shares those same skills with visitors through small workshops held in the Rochester studio.

French polishing is a specialist craft used to restore and protect wooden furniture. Applied by hand, the process gradually builds layers of shellac to create the deep finishes often seen on antique tables, cabinets and decorative woodwork.

Alongside restoration work, The Wooden Mouse runs a range of workshops and classes. Upholstery sessions introduce the techniques used to restore chairs and soft furnishings, while French polishing classes offer an introduction to repairing and reviving wooden surfaces.

The workshop itself stretches further back than first expected. Natural light filters through the space and different work areas reveal tools, materials and furniture in progress. It is both a working studio and a classroom where traditional craft skills are shared with those interested in learning them.

Occasional events are also held in the courtyard behind the workshop, creating a small gathering space just off the High Street.

For visitors interested in traditional crafts or learning practical restoration skills, The Wooden Mouse offers a rare opportunity to step inside a working studio and experience the craft first hand.

Read more about the workshop in our conversation with Stuart at The Wooden Mouse.