BS&R Group can create beautiful furniture for your home and restore your antiques to their former glory.
The family firm prides itself on quality workmanship, examples of which are on display at this weekend’s Home Show.
BS&R Group began in the 1970s as a stripping shop, Bermuda Strippers, specializing in shutters and doors. Tony Madeiros bought the business in 1976.
Expansion
Back then, a tank for submersion stripping would dissolve the paint using a heated water-based caustic soda solution. Today all wood stripping is done by hand, using solvent-based strippers washed into a catch tank and disposed of.
Mr Madeiros gradually expanded his business into spray finishing for doors and windows, furniture repair and antique restoration.
In the early 1980s he bought the carpentry shop adjacent to his business, in the old Devonshire Mill.
His brother John Madeiros said: “The big thing then was making wooden shutters. That was a booming business throughout the eighties and nineties.
“We were really well known for making shutters, and then the business evolved into custom-made carpentry.”
Even with the advent of metal and PVC shutters, they still need maintenance over the years, and need to be stripped and refinished.
Mr Madeiros said: “The business has evolved with a natural progression but our emphasis has always been on quality.”
The family firm now has three divisions — Bermuda Stripping & Refinishing, Bermuda Antique Restorations and T-Made Custom Carpentry.
Bermuda Stripping & Refinishing deals with all kinds of wood and metalwork, and can apply any type of finish, whether it’s a spraying gun, hand finishing or hand polishing.
Craftsmen can rejuvenate pieces of furniture for the home, office or boardroom, removing water stains and scratches and reapplying durable finishes.
For wood stripping they use the highest quality commercial grade chemicals, stripping away old finishes to bring furniture and millwork back to life.
“It’s a manual process guaranteed to restore the wood’s natural beauty without damaging it in any way,” the company states.
After stripping craftsmen use an extensive range of quality stains, sealers, varnish, urethanes, conversion varnishes, two-part lacquers or paints to restore your piece to its original lustre.
If a metal object is looking worn, craftsmen can remove those years of paint and rust build-up, placing the item in a controlled dip tank to strip off the old paint.
Then they use the highest quality catalyzed urethane paints, to ensure its durability, creating the finish you want, to ensure your furniture retains its beauty.
Bermuda Antique Restorations specializes in restoration and reproductions. Expert craftsmen will bring your antiques back to life while preserving their individual character.
They employ labour-intensive hand techniques and the use of all-natural oils, waxes, stains and polishes.
The company also accepts private commissions for reproductions or exclusive ‘one-off’ designs, with meticulous attention to detail and authenticity.
You can see some examples of the craftsmanship at the showroom in Devonshire.
It can also create classic Adirondack furniture, offering handcrafted teak outdoor furniture to withstand any weather.
This includes chairs, rockers, leg rests, love seats, couches, tables, benches and fern stands.
Mr Madeiros said: “We really have an appreciation for antiques, and it is especially nice to see Bermuda antiques.”
His son, Anthony Madeiros, marketing manager and foreman, said: “Restoration is an art. You can’t just go to the local carpentry shop. From our point of view, if you want to preserve the value of something you should have it restored.
“It’s all hand work we do for antiques, there are no machines.”
Service
T-Made Custom Carpentry provides carpentry to fit any size and design, whether it’s shutters, mantles, frames, doors, windows or staircases. Craftsmen use the lumber of your choice to achieve a price point and style.
Mr Madeiros Jr said: “Anything is possible. We have one of the largest workshops on the island.”
Mr Madeiros said: “Quality and service is what sets us apart. You can’t compromise on quality, especially on a small island like Bermuda.
“We are exhibiting at the show to educate people on what quality is and to make them aware of the quality of our workmanship.
“You have to pay a little bit more for quality but it is not cut short. We don’t compete on price. We probably have the best quality to price ratio island-wide.
“It is also important to note that price is temporary, whereas quality is permanent.”
Mr Madeiros Jr said: “Our windows and doors are probably the best on the island.
“Our windows are completely weather sealed and have jointed box frames, with full dimension sashes.”
He added the doors are also weather sealed on the top and bottom, and use glazing tape on the glass.
John Madeiros added: “There’s no limit to the design, whether it is a traditional or modern door you want.
“We guarantee our workmanship and the same quality will be there regardless.
“We also provide a full service. We will paint the windows and doors, and install them. So the homeowner only has to come to one place for everything.”
BS&R Group is situated at 99 Middle Road, Devonshire. Call 236-2886 or go to www.bermudastripping.com.