Witney News - Maite Alegre opens new workshop near Witney

Maite Alegre opens new workshop near Witney

The painter Maite Alegre has opened a new workshop and showroom between Long Hanborough and Witney, where she produces and sells her exclusive range of hand-painted vintage furniture.


Spanish-born Maite has supplied her distinctive work to shops in the Cotswolds for some years, and also works with interior designers and on private commissions. The new venture represents an opportunity for her to work more closely with the general public.


Maite and her husband Carlos specialise in giving a new lease of life to furniture, which could otherwise be considered past its best. Each vintage piece is carefully restored by Carlos, and then lovingly hand-painted by Maite, using environmentally friendly chalk-based paints, for a classic French rustic look or elegant Swedish country style.


The couple regularly import furniture from Europe to work on, and also source pieces from the Cotswolds area. The showroom is full of charming items, from large armoires (perfect as linen cupboards or even to discreetly house a wide-screen TV), dining tables and chests to lamps, mirrors and candlesticks. Whether you’re looking for a statement piece to make a dramatic impact in a room, or want to complement an existing scheme, Maite Alegre will have something to suit.


“Every item I work on is unique, not just in terms of the finish I apply, but also because it’s a one-off to start with,” said Maite. “Carlos and I love to start with something that’s looking a little sad or maybe just no longer in fashion, and then envision what it can be - and use our energy to make that vision into reality and to bring out the ‘soul’ of that particular piece.”


“We are both passionate about recycling and are strongly opposed to waste. Wood is precious, and it’s exciting to recycle something in a creative way that gives it a whole new purpose and future, and to make it into something which people want in their homes. We also love sharing what we do with people in the showroom and workshop - and often find ourselves pouring a glass of wine for customers and having a long chat!”


As well as offering a wide range of products in her shop, Maite Alegre takes commissions from interior designers, developers and private customers. Recent projects have included painting a paneled bathroom for a house in London, a mural for a customer in Tackley, Oxon, and painting a suite of bedroom furniture owned by a couple in Buckinghamshire . Customers are welcome to bring their own furniture to her workshop for her to custom-paint, or, for larger pieces, she will travel to them.


Maite Alegre’s showroom and workshop are at Osney Hill Farm, on the A4095 at Witney. Tel: 01865 842769.