082 888 0801 - nida@tiscali.co.za
Two Service Areas: One Standard of Work!
All work – regardless of scope or service type – is planned, managed, and executed from our Northcliff workshop. Projects are handled directly by an experienced team with over thirty-five years of combined practice across both restoration and contemporary woodworking.
Heritage & Historical Restoration
We work on historically significant and character properties where the original material, method, and finish need to be respected. This includes parquet and suspended floors, period staircases, traditional windows and doors, panelling, and institutional or cultural buildings. The approach is methodical: assess what is there, understand what it needs, and restore it with appropriate technique and materials.
Floors
Parquet and suspended floors in older properties require a specific understanding of how original materials were laid, how they move, and how they should be treated. Our floor restoration work covers:
- Extensive and simple structural repairs
- Sub-floor construction and repairs
- Relaying of original parquet blocks
- Laying new floors and extending existing floors
- Sanding and sealing
- Staining, polishing, and specialist finishes
Staircases & Panelling
Period staircases and wood panelling are often the defining feature of a heritage property. Restoring them properly requires matching original profiles, sourcing appropriate materials, and applying finishes that are both durable and period-sensitive.
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Structural repairs
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Stripping and refinishing
- New installations where original material cannot be saved
Traditional Restoration
Windows, doors and other wooden originals are worth preserving. They are typically better quality than modern replacements and, when properly restored, outlast them. Our work in this area covers:
- Frame and joint repairs
- Stripping and surface preparation
- Staining, polishing, and period-appropriate finishing – including colour matching to existing elements or staining to a specified colour
Institutional & Cultural Projects
We work with universities, schools, churches, and heritage-listed buildings on restoration and maintenance projects that require sensitivity to the building’s history and context. These projects are assessed individually – scope, materials, and methodology are agreed with the client before any work begins.
Specialist Woodworking Services
Our woodworking services cover the full range of residential and commercial needs – from new floor installations and furniture work to exterior maintenance and painting. All work is carried out by the same team, to the same standard, from the same workshop.
Flooring Installation & Refinishing
New installations, extensions, and refinishing work for residential and commercial properties. Whether starting from scratch or bringing an existing floor back to condition:
New wood floor installation
Extensions to existing floors
Sanding and sealing
Staining and specialist finishes
Painting to a specified colour
Furniture Restoration
The Atelier Desjardins workshop handles both antique and contemporary furniture – repairs, refinishing, and full restoration. Work is carried out in the workshop under direct supervision, ensuring quality control at every stage.
Structural repairs
Stripping and surface preparation
Staining, polishing
Painting and colour matching
Exterior Wood Maintenance
South Africa’s climate places significant demands on exterior woodwork. Alternating periods of heat, UV exposure, moisture, and dryness accelerate deterioration if surfaces are not properly maintained. We offer both once-off and ongoing maintenance for:
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Wooden decks
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Pergolas
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Wooden windows and doors
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Wooden garage doors
Interior & Exterior Painting
Protective and decorative painting for residential and commercial properties – interior rooms, exterior facades, and wood surfaces requiring a durable finish.
- Interior painting
- Exterior painting
- Protective wood coatings
Colour Specialisation
Colour and finish run through everything we do – heritage restoration and everyday woodworking alike. Getting a stain wrong on a restored parquet floor is as much a problem as getting a joint wrong. Getting the paint colour right on a piece of furniture matters as much as the preparation beneath it. Nida Desjardins has been doing this work for over twenty years, and colour specification is offered as a standard part of our service across both divisions – not an afterthought.