Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Jim Kelley and his younger brother Steve were taught early on that well-made furniture was something to respect and adore. Growing up, their father worked in the furniture restoration business. Mr. Kelley was enthusiastic about his work and brought his young sons to the workshop often. The craftsmen took the brothers under their wings and taught them the tricks of the trade.

Furniture has been at the core of everything in Jim and Steve’s lives for twenty years. “Some of our best memories growing up came from experiments in our shop, working along with some of the best craftsmen in the furniture trade,” report the brothers.

Today, the Kelley family owns and runs a furniture restoration business, where they put their enthusiasm and respect for all kinds of furniture to work. Until recently, Jim and Steve worked in the family business and enjoyed every minute of it. Steve is presently opening his own commercial and residential restoration company “Kelley’s Antiques & Restoration.”

Jim Kelley

Jim has opened a few small companies of his own. He tried his hand at running an antique store in Ottawa and then decided to focus on the transportation of antiquities. With his eye for quality furniture, his passion for people and travel and his special talent at flawlessly touching up damaged furniture, this business has been a success and continues to run today.

Jim has a passion for snowboarding, dogs, music, cars and of course anything that involves furniture. His first project was restoring a guitar. Today, Jim tends to work on more elaborate projects like seventeenth century French dressers, but his passion still lies in doing things that are funky and different. Although he spends his days restoring antiques to their original lustre, Jim’s weekends are often spent hunting for his next ‘pet’ furniture-transformation project. His house is full of his own creations — a shrine to a talented craftsman.

Steve Kelley

Steve, the younger of the two brothers, is a more traditional man. He has a passion for antiques and loves the thrill of restoring an old piece of furniture to its former glory. “Hidden gems are everywhere – flea markets, garage sales, even the trash! I’m always amazed at what people throw away. I’ve learned from years of experience that another person’s junk is often a treasure, and that’s a hunt always worth going on.”

Steve spent his youth traveling through North America, Europe and Africa buying, selling and restoring furniture. He often gives workshops on furniture restoration and the art of finishing and staining. His first project was restoring an old cedar chest, which he successfully and happily sold for a few dollars when he was only 15 years old.

When it comes to working so closely as brothers, both Jim and Steve concede that it has its challenging moments. “At the end of the day, we respect our differences in style and our individual talents. The combination of two great craftsmen with different tastes — one contemporary the other old-world traditional — usually leads to some incredible creations that we are equally proud and amazed at. We do good work!”