Preserving history one piece of furniture at a time

Bryan Booth has been restoring antique furniture for over twenty-five years. He apprenticed to Thomas McCaffrey  in Brookfield Connecticut. Thomas had done his apprenticeship at The Mill House, importers of English and European antiques,  in Woodbury Connecticut under  their principal restorer.  Upon completion of his training Bryan and Thomas became partners and formed McCaffrey and Booth Antiques on route 7 in Brookfield. The pair did restoration and French Polishing for clients and offered items in their retail location.

After five years Bryan entered the antique show circuit appearing in shows from Maine to Washington D. C. and Nantucket to Ohio.

In 1995 Bryan and his wife Kathy relocated to the Big Island of Hawai`i and built a house in the Puna district. After construction Bryan became a stay at home father to their son Daniel while Kathy managed the food service program for HCEOC at Saint Joseph’s School producing meals for the school and the Meals on Wheels program in Hilo.

Upon his return to restoration Bryan began work at the historic Chock Inn Store in Waimea, home of Daniel Thiebaut Restaurant, preserving the original furnishings and many  antiques that would add to their local ambience and character. While there, he developed a deep appreciation and love for the plantation style of furniture and the functional approach to form that was embodied in the work of carpenters and craftsmen who produced these items. There were many lessons in the choice of materials, often shipping materials, and the conservative form, rectilinear with little decoration, for someone steeped in the European and American tradition that in the later years bordered on excessive.

In the years since this experience Bryan Booth has dedicated himself to the preservation and restoration of the rich history of Hawai`i as represented by the furniture produced in the Islands as well as that brought by the many waves of immigration. The mixing of cultures in this melting pot is clearly reflected in the way we dress our most intimate space, our homes. As we move forward let us honor our predecessors as well as the things they held dear. Through Bryan Booth’s commitment our collective heritage will be held in trust.

Stores in Honoka`a then Waimea were followed by Bryan moving his retail location to Hilo in the fall of 2007. He soon outgrew his two store spaces at 112 and 118 Ponahawai Street. On July first of 2010 the showrooms were combined into the 1800 foot ground floor of 94 Ponahawai street.

Bryan Booth continues to restore and French Polish furniture and antiques in his Puna workshop and offers antique and fine furniture, collectables, art and decorative items in his Hilo retail outlet.

The store is open from 10:00 until 4:00 Tuesday and Saturday and from 10:00 until 5:00 Wednesday Thursday and Friday or by appointment. Appointments can be arranged by calling 808 933-2500 or 808 982-7244.