Vintage Set 12 Hepplewhite Shield Back Dining Chairs by William Tillman 1980s

Specializing in Regency-style furniture reproduction, cabinetmaker William Tillman was one of the finest woodworkers in England, both in the restoration and recreation of heritage pieces. By the late 1950s, he had a team of 25 employed in his antique furniture restoration business. He later expanded his work into reproducing some of these pieces alongside his sales of antique furniture. In the 1970s, he opened a gallery for this work in central London’s prestigious St. James’s neighborhood. 

Tillman became known for his expertly crafted reproductions of 18th- and early 19th-century English furniture styles such as Regency, Sheraton, Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Georgian, particularly pieces for the dining room and boardroom. Considered some of the highest quality reproductions, Tillman’s exceptional dining room sets and other mahogany furniture won three consecutive Showpiece of the Year awards, presented by the British Furniture Manufacturers. They remain collectors’ items prized among savvy furniture collectors.

After Tillman retired from the furniture business in the late 1990s, a major 1998 sale at Sotheby’s featured his collection and elegantly made reproductions. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage William Tillman dining room tables, seating and storage case pieces.