About us
our story
About us
The business was founded in 1895 by Albert Dunn. After Albert finished school at the age of 12, he was able to get an apprenticeship with a French marquetry film in London. After completing his 7 year apprenticeship, he was gifted a ‘marquetry cutters donkey’ and set out on his own. Albert’s son Robert joined the family business in 1934. Closing the doors when the Second World War broke out. Upon returning, it was during this time that Albert and Robert took on restoration work on pieces of furniture that had been damaged during the blitz. From here, Albert and Robert begun working from their workshop just off Oxford Street in London. The business continued by Robert after his father’s death.
The business moved from northwest London to the workshop in Chelmsford, Essex in 1978. Currently we are still working from the same workshop and where it has been successful for many years .
Robert’s son, Bob is the third generation and he joined the family business at a young age. When Bob got married and started a family of his own, his wife, Vivien whilst on maternity leave with her first pregnancy first came to the workshop to help out. Today Viv is still a key member of the workshop, working closely with her youngest daughter Cheryl.
After Robert (second generation) sadly passed away in 1987, his son Bob took over the reins in leading the family business.
In 2002 at the age of 19, Cheryl, Bob’s daughter and the 4th generation, finished college and begun working at the family business. She has became an invaluable member of the team. Sadly Bob passed away in 2006 and Cheryl continues to successfully drive the business forward today.
Hear from our clients
ONE OF THE MOST immediately striking features of Belmond British Pullman is the marquetry panelling. Such ornate woodwork is a rarity in the modern world, and for this, we owe a great debt to the Dunn family. Fortunately for us, A Dunn & Son remains a family-run operation. Today, it’s under the stewardship of Albert’s great-granddaughter Cheryl. Their machines are over 125 years old and the firm employs traditional methods dating back to the 1700s. We could not have restored our panelling so faithfully without their enduring commitment to artistry.
More to our story
Please visit our Commissions page or view our Gallery to see more information on our work. Details on our Marquetry, Restoration and other Services are available, please do not hesitate to Contact us if you would like to know more.