Business Details
14 Years
experience
Your Premier Source for Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Established as Melbourne's premier destination for authentic Mid-Century Modern furniture, we specialise in sourcing and restoring exceptional pieces from Scandinavia, Italy, and Germany. Our Collingwood showroom and workshop showcase a curated collection of vintage and contemporary designs, meticulously restored to ensure lasting quality and aesthetic value. With decades of combined expertise in furniture history and restoration techniques, our team caters to discerning clients seeking statement pieces for residential and commercial spaces across Australia.We prioritise transparency in our sourcing and restoration processes, offering detailed provenance for each item. Our commitment to preserving design heritage while meeting modern standards has earned us a reputation as trusted specialists in the mid-century furniture market.
Services
Furniture Restoration
Vintage Sourcing
Interior Consultation
Custom Upholstery
Design Heritage Research
Details
- Year established: 2012
Highlights and features
- Specialists in authentic Mid-Century Modern furniture restoration since 2012
- Curated collection sourced directly from Scandinavian, Italian, and German originals
- Transparent provenance documentation for all vintage pieces
- Expert team with combined 40+ years in furniture conservation and design history
- Customised solutions for residential and commercial interior projects
What people say
Meticulous restoration work
Unique Scandinavian pieces
Expert knowledge
Timeless design
Excellent provenance
Services
Furniture Restoration
Our expert team restores Mid-Century Modern furniture to original specifications using period-appropriate techniques and materials. We specialise in structural repairs, upholstery renewal, and surface finishing while maintaining historical integrity. Each piece undergoes rigorous quality checks to ensure durability and aesthetic authenticity for contemporary use.
Vintage Sourcing
We source rare mid-century pieces directly from European estates and specialist dealers. Our selection focuses on authentic Scandinavian, Italian, and German designs from renowned makers. Every item comes with documented provenance and historical context to verify its design heritage and market value.
Interior Consultation
Our design consultants help clients integrate vintage pieces into modern interiors. We offer space planning services, material matching, and customisation options while preserving original design elements. This service caters to both residential projects and commercial spaces seeking authentic mid-century aesthetics.
People
Rex Doesburg
Owner & Founder
Rex Doesburg established THE HISTORY in 2012 after 15 years studying European furniture design. His expertise in mid-century craftsmanship and global sourcing networks ensures access to rare pieces. Rex oversees all restoration projects and client consultations.
Questions
What regions do you source furniture from?
We specialise in pieces from Scandinavia, Italy, and Germany, focusing on authentic Mid-Century Modern designs from 1945-1975.
Do you offer international shipping?
While our showroom is in Melbourne, we provide Australia-wide shipping and can arrange international delivery upon request.
How do you verify furniture authenticity?
Each piece comes with documented provenance, including maker marks, historical records, and expert verification by our team.
Can you restore custom pieces?
Our restoration team works on bespoke projects, maintaining original design integrity while adapting pieces for modern use.
Reviews (6)
Shirley Saunders
Nov 11, 2021
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Thank you Rex for delivering our armchair and foot rest (which was wonderfully dyed to match) , a very comfy one we might add. Rex was very helpful in store, a very enjoyable experience all round. We will be back!
Dianne Smith
Jun 28, 2020
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I found the perfect sofa here and the service and advice was excellent. Not only was I impressed that Rex and Thomas were working on a 48 degree day when most stores had taken the day off (before a public holiday), when they personally delivered it a couple of days later, they helped me move around other furniture to best suit the new piece. I am still telling all my friends and family about their assistance, and am pleased to rate 5 stars on Google as well. :)
Rohan Jago
Dec 14, 2019
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A big thanks to Rex and Mary for finding me a great Mogensen piece. We found the whole experience to be very easy and Rex was more than accommodating. Thanks for having such a great range of European and Scandinavian MCM furniture.
Nicholas Waters
Nov 04, 2019
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Very happy customer of The History. It is a beautiful shop! Rex generously loaned us a piece and then sourced us a companion piece which we are also very happy with. We really appreciated the quality of our chairs (we ended up getting three!) and found The History significantly better quality and more reasonably priced than other Mid-Century shops Northside. If you appreciate genuine pieces in great condition, go here!
Natasha Luscri
Sep 02, 2019
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Amazing and beautiful furniture, perfect restoration job. Over the years, my partner and I have bought several chairs and a sofa from Rex and his lovely partner Mary. The furniture was beautiful, very good condition for it's age and we found Rex and Mary both to be lovely and helpful. We are a young couple and felt really comfortable during the whole experience (they aren't at all intimidating or snobby even though they sell beautiful things!). We brought in one of our chairs yesterday as we had ripped it when we were moving house. Rex did a beautiful job restoring the leather and gave it a lovely
Michael Kambo
Jun 07, 2019
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I love 70s furniture thanks to the history for bringing these amazing pieces back to life. I've brought 7 items so far and they all look great.a big thank you to Rex and Mary for helping me redesign my lounge and living areas.
