There’s a quiet satisfaction in watching someone restore a rusted heirloom to its former glory. Dominic Chinea, the metalwork expert on BBC One’s The Repair Shop, has made that his profession.
Profession: Metalwork expert, set designer, vehicle restorer ·
Known for: BBC’s The Repair Shop ·
Residence: Cornwall, United Kingdom
Quick snapshot
- Dominic Chinea is a metalwork expert on The Repair Shop (Dominic Chinea official website)
- He runs a restoration business in Cornwall (BBC Media Centre)
- He is married with children (OK! Magazine)
- Exact age or date of birth
- Wife’s full name and profession
- Number of children
- Exact net worth
- Early career: graphic design (BBC Media Centre)
- Mid-2000s: set design for TV and film (Hello! Magazine)
- 2017: joined The Repair Shop as metalwork expert (BBC Media Centre)
- 2024: new series I Made It at Market and workshop deadline in Cornwall (Penguin Random House; Cornwall Live)
- New series of Make It at Market in 2024 (Penguin Random House)
- Relocation of his workshop in Cornwall to meet a deadline (Penguin Random House)
Six key facts about the craftsman, at a glance:
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dominic Chinea |
| Profession | Metalwork expert, set designer, vehicle restorer |
| Known for | BBC’s The Repair Shop |
| Residence | Cornwall, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Marital Status | Married |
Is Dom of The Repair Shop married?
Yes, Dominic Chinea is married. According to a report from OK! Magazine (celebrity lifestyle outlet), he married Maria Domican in October 2017. The same source describes Maria as a TV producer. Hello! Magazine (UK lifestyle publication) also reported the 2017 wedding and noted that the couple lives in Kent.
Who is Dominic Chinea’s wife?
- Her name is Maria Domican, identified as a TV producer by Express (British news outlet).
- The couple’s relationship is kept largely private; few public details about Maria’s career or family background are available.
What does Dominic Chinea’s wife do?
Maria Domican works in television production, according to the same Express report. However, no specific credits or employer details have been confirmed by Dominic or his representatives.
Bottom line: Dominic Chinea is married to TV producer Maria Domican since 2017. Readers seeking a fuller picture of his family life will find little beyond the marriage year and her profession — the couple deliberately keeps their private life off-camera.
Does Dominic Chinea have children?
Dominic Chinea has children, but the details remain private. An OK! Magazine article that mentions the family living in Kent also references a dog named Wendy, but does not disclose the number or ages of any children. Neither Dominic nor his wife share photos or information about their children on public platforms.
How many children does Dominic Chinea have?
The exact number of children is not publicly known. Based on the available information, it is unclear whether he has one child or more. This is consistent with his general approach to guarding family privacy.
Bottom line: Dominic Chinea is a father, but the number and details of his children have not been made public. Fans who hope for a glimpse into his family life will find no confirmation — and that appears to be intentional.
What is Dominic Chinea’s background?
Dominic Chinea’s career path is a masterclass in reinvention. He began in graphic design, then moved into set design and prop making for TV and film, before finally establishing himself as a specialist in vehicle restoration and metalwork. Here is the breakdown.
What is Dominic Chinea’s nationality?
He is British, with no indication of dual nationality in any of the sources.
How old is Dominic Chinea?
His exact age and date of birth have not been published. A profile from Hello! Magazine (UK lifestyle publication) notes that he studied at South East Essex College after working as a graphic designer, but no birth year is given.
What is Dominic Chinea’s career background?
- Graphic design — his first job after college, as reported by BBC Media Centre (public broadcaster’s press office).
- Set design and prop making — he worked with Rankin Studios as a production designer, building props and backdrops for editorial shoots and large events (Hello! Magazine).
- Vehicle restoration — he turned his hand to classic cars and metalwork, eventually founding his own restoration business.
- TV expert — joined The Repair Shop in 2017 as the resident metalwork specialist (BBC Media Centre).
Chinea’s versatility is both his strength and his challenge. By mastering multiple trades — graphic design, set building, vehicle restoration — he can draw on a wide skill set for each repair. But the breadth also means he competes in several niches, which may limit his ability to dominate one.
The implication: his career reinvention mirrors that of other TV personalities who transitioned from one craft to another, such as John Torode or Adam Kay, each of whom built a public profile on a foundation of expertise that shifted over time.
What happened to Dom from The Repair Shop?
In 2023, Dominic Chinea presented a new BBC show called Make It at Market (later retitled I Made It at Market), which helps craft entrepreneurs turn their hobbies into businesses. A second series was confirmed for 2024, according to Penguin Random House (publisher of his forthcoming book).
At the same time, a local news report from Cornwall Live (regional news outlet) indicated that Chinea was “running out of time” to move his workshop in Cornwall, suggesting pressure to relocate his workspace due to a deadline. The exact reasons and new location have not been disclosed.
Is there a new show with Dominic Chinea?
Yes. I Made It at Market (first series aired 2023) is a BBC daytime show that Chinea hosts. A second series was announced for 2024, though a specific air date has not been confirmed.
Bottom line: Dominic Chinea is expanding his TV presence beyond The Repair Shop while simultaneously dealing with a practical business challenge: moving his workshop. The new show gives him a platform as a host, not just a craftsman, which could open up more opportunities — provided the workshop relocation is resolved smoothly.
How rich is Dom Chinea?
Public financial records offer a rare glimpse into his earnings. According to an OK! Magazine report, Dominic Chinea’s limited company, Dominic Chinea Ltd, had a net worth of £66,020 in 2023, based on Companies House statements. The same figure was reported by Express (British news outlet).
However, his personal net worth likely includes income from his TV career, restoration work, and potential book deals. Industry estimates for similar TV craftspeople often range between £500,000 and £1 million, but no official figure has been confirmed.
What is Dominic Chinea’s net worth?
- Confirmed company net worth: £66,020 (2023, Dominic Chinea Ltd).
- Estimated personal net worth: £500,000–£1 million (based on TV career and restoration business, though not independently verified).
The £66,020 figure from Companies House is the only hard data. For a TV personality with a national profile, that number is modest — but it reflects only the company’s retained profits, not his total earnings from BBC contracts, public appearances, or book royalties. Without a full financial disclosure, comparisons to other cast members of The Repair Shop remain speculative.
The pattern: Chinea’s disclosed company wealth is low, but his total earnings likely far exceed that figure — a reminder that limited company filings capture only a slice of a celebrity’s income.
Timeline
- Early career — Started in graphic design (BBC Media Centre).
- Mid-2000s — Transitioned to set design for TV and film, working with Rankin Studios (Hello! Magazine).
- 2017 — Joined The Repair Shop as metalwork expert (BBC Media Centre).
- 2023 — Hosted first series of Make It at Market (Penguin Random House).
- 2024 — New series of I Made It at Market announced; faced workshop relocation deadline in Cornwall (Cornwall Live).
The timeline shows a steady progression from behind-the-scenes design to on-screen expertise, with the workshop move now adding a practical hurdle.
Clarity check
Confirmed facts
- Dominic Chinea is a metalwork expert on The Repair Shop (Dominic Chinea official website).
- He runs a restoration business in Cornwall (BBC Media Centre).
- He is married with children (OK! Magazine).
- He presented Make It at Market in 2023 (Penguin Random House).
- His company Dominic Chinea Ltd net worth was £66,020 in 2023 (Express).
What’s unclear
- Exact age or date of birth.
- Wife’s full name and specific profession.
- Number of children.
- Exact personal net worth.
- Details of the workshop move.
The clarity check confirms that the known facts are well-sourced, while the unknowns remain gaps that the subject has chosen not to fill.
In his own words
Dom Chinea, best known for his master metal work in The Repair Shop.
— Dominic Chinea, personal website
He is running out of time to move his workshop.
— Cornwall Live, local news report
For Dominic Chinea, the next year will define whether he remains primarily a craftsman on a beloved TV show or expands into a full-time media personality. The workshop deadline and the new series are two sides of the same coin: one demands his physical presence and traditional skills, the other pulls him toward the camera. For fans of The Repair Shop, the choice is clear: watch his new show or risk missing the next chapter of a career that refuses to stay in one lane.
agrodata.com.ng, imdb.com, themoviedb.org, repair-shop-the-workshop-of-dreams.fandom.com, prima.co.uk, nyhedszone.dk
Viewers curious about his life in Cornwall should check out more about Dominic Chinea for a closer look.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dominic Chinea’s Instagram handle?
His Instagram handle is @dominicchinea, where he posts behind-the-scenes content from The Repair Shop and his restoration projects.
Does Dominic Chinea have a YouTube channel?
Yes, he runs a YouTube channel called “Dom Chinea” where he shares restoration tutorials and workshop updates.
What is the name of Dominic Chinea’s restoration business?
He owns Ranalah Ltd, a classic car restoration company based in Cornwall.
How did Dominic Chinea get into metalwork?
He started in graphic design and set design, which led to prop making and eventually metalwork. His first serious metalwork projects were for film sets and theatre productions.
Is Dominic Chinea active on social media?
Yes, he is active on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter under the handle @dominicchinea.
What is the title of Dominic Chinea’s new show?
The show is called I Made It at Market (originally Make It at Market), airing on BBC One.
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Jonathan Ellery is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Press Hive, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.