When clients show us furniture that is in need of restoration we sometimes come across some very interesting furniture pieces. This mid century chair and footstool manufactured by Westnofa Furniture Company, is one such piece.
Westnofa furniture is one of the great success stories of the Norwegian furniture industry. The name was derived from the combination of WEST NOrway FActories and was formed in the late 1950’s by a collaboration of the country’s leading furniture manufacturers. The goal was to combine forces to market and export locally produced furniture.
This mid-century chair and footstool were in a dilapidated condition when received at the factory for rejuvenating. The furniture frames that were still assembled were carefully knocked apart, the joints were cleaned up and the pieces individually sanded before being re-assembled with the fractured components using a two-pack resin. The wood frames were then lightly sanded, stained light walnut, received three coats of lacquer between sanding and then finished off with a rub down using super fine steel wool.
The chair and footstool plywood shells were stripped of the old latex rubber which had perished and were laminated with premium polyurethane foam. The upholstery fabric selected by the clients was a luxurious quilted velvet. This was precisely cut and sewn using old patterns and intuition. The reupholstering process involved exceptional skill including delicate slip-stitching.
The result of this intensive labour and delicate work by a master upholsterer is a beautifully recovered mid century chair and footstool that will be loved by future Western Australian generations.
