Le Cornu was an iconic South Australian furniture manufacturing and retailing business. Operations commenced in 1861 when Phillip Le Cornu started a wholesale cabinet making business in Adelaide. In 1885 the factory was largely destroyed by fire and recommenced operations at a former church in North Adelaide. In 1921 the founder died and his son Phillip took over the business expanding operations and by 1924 employed 25 people.

In 1954 the business went factory direct with a diversified range of furniture and over the next two decades expanded retail stores in S.A and Darwin. In 1989 the North Adelaide store was closed and then the business was sold to Fantastic Holdings in 2008.

Our client approached us wanting to re-upholster a settee purchased by his parents from Le Cornu in 1959. This settee was the surviving piece of the lounge suite which he grew up with and lounged upon as a teenager. It was still upholstered in the original fabric being a ribbed velvet which would have been the latest trend at the time of purchase.

We removed all the existing upholstery from the settee frame and it was well constructed with little structural work required. The frame was re-sprung with heavier gauge no-sag springs on the seat and the back springs were replaced with the same gauge. The springs were linked, outside arms and back were lined with hessian and high density body work padding applied. The original cushion inserts were latex and these were replaced with polyester encased premium cushions. The two seater settee was then upholstered to its original finish in a ribbed Zepel gold velvet.

Our client was gobsmacked upon delivery of the settee saying it was just as he remembered it as a child growing up in Adelaide.

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Don Rex Furniture – Restoration

ByFrank Parker

Don Rex was a Brisbane based furniture manufacturer operating from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. They primarily manufactured Danish influenced designs now commonly referred to as mid-century furniture. Don Rex Furniture was renowned for utilising native hardwoods and high quality craftsmanship. Given this their refined designs are sort after by mid-century enthusiasts today.

Our business has always been focused on helping private clients with their upholstered furniture requirements and we value the constant stream of referrals. However as restored ‘mid-century’ furniture has gained popularity we have commenced working with several discerning furniture dealers. Working with these mid-century furniture dealers has introduced us to this brand of chairs, including Don Rex dining chairs and Don Rex armchairs. As they were only a medium sized manufacturer and based in Brisbane there is not a significant amount of this furniture brand circulating in W.A.

The Don Rex chairs we have restored have been soundly constructed and only occasionally requiring the frame joints to be re-glued. The frames are then sanded back then either lacquered or oiled depending upon client requirements. New cushion inserts are always fabricated from premium foam and wrapped with bonded polyester fibre. The chairs are always upholstered to the original finish which is not necessarily the way they arrive if they have been previously re-upholstered.

It is pleasing to see many younger clients purchasing this restored mid-century furniture. This displays the timeless quality of the designs but maybe more importantly young people turning away from a throw-away society.

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Mid Century Modern Restoration – Tessa Chair

ByFrank Parker

The History of Tessa Furniture

Tessa Furniture Australia originally was known as Twen. They commenced operations in 1968 and then changed their name to Tessa in 1970. Tessa was formed by Fred Lowen, his brother Howard Lindsey and design technician Sigi Danielzik. However, Fred commenced furniture manufacturing with Earnest Rodeck in the mid 1950’s having formed Fler which was sold in 1967. Tessa Furniture expanded their operations nationally during the 1970’s. Their international links helped them to become an iconic name during the heydays of local furniture manufacturing.

Most restored mid-century furniture with a Scandinavian influence involves bringing the furniture back to its original glory, particularly for those who witnessed this era. However, there is a niche segment within the mid-century restoration market involving mainly those younger at heart who want their furniture restored with a contemporary flair.

Reupholstery of a Tessa Furniture Chair

Our Client’s Request for Their Bargain Furniture Find

A young lady who works in our industry sector approached us regarding restoring a Tessa ‘T1’ chair she had purchased for fifty dollars. However, she did not want her chair refurbished to its original splendour but wanted a contemporary finish.

A Modern Reupholstery for a Tessa Chair

To ensure a high quality furniture restoration, we first:

disassembled the Tessa chair and removed all the existing upholstery.
we fabricated replacement ply-wood panels (The outside chipboard panels were fractured near the top back, which is not uncommon).
The frame show-wood components were sanded back, stained to original and three coats of 30% lacquer applied.
The seat webbing was replaced with a heavy grade elastic webbing
the jute webbing at the back base also replaced and
Premium foam polyester wrapped seat, back and headrest cushion inserts were also fabricated

The Modern Upholstery Fabric Choice

The upholstery fabric specified by our client was Wortley ‘Axel Honey’ which was an excellent choice, a contemporary version of the period fabric. The cushioning was streamlined being wrap-around versions like what would be used on a ‘T2’ chair and without the arm-pads. The chair was re-assembled and upholstered, it just had that ‘wow factor’.

Our client was elated upon seeing her ‘special chair’ which has taken pride of place in their Chidlow lounge room. We took great pride in making sure we interpreted our client’s requirements. We are always focused on producing quality upholstery and making our clients happy 😊.

“Such an awesome job”

I purchased a Tessa T1 swivel chair and being in the industry I know most restorers.” “Parker Interiors are known in the industry for both the quality of their work and integrity of operations.” “Thankyou for such an awesome job.”

Angela

Chidlow W.A

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Bedroom Chair (Slipper Chair) – Restoration

ByFrank Parker

Bedroom Chair (Slipper Chair) Restoration

Bedroom chairs, also known as a bedroom slipper chair, date back to 18^th Century Europe. The armless upholstered chair with short legs was designed for women’s dressing rooms out of necessity. Since Victorian women often wore restrictive layers of clothing, tight corsets with wide petticoats they tended to require assistance when slipping on their shoes. More modern versions of the slipper chairs evolved over time remaining in fashion until the 1950’s.

Our client approached us saying she had rescued an old chair from her grandmother’s house which had originally belonged to her great grandparents. Upon inspection of the chair it was a bedroom chair or more appropriately a ‘ vintage slipper chair’ and judging from the art-deco design most probably made in the 1930’s.

We understand that there is interest in how to upholster a slipper chair. This is the process that was followed. We removed the existing upholstery covering on the ladies slipper chair. A once superb abstract floral velvet with a flange cord trim. This revealed a Jarrah timber frame in good condition and like most locally made upholstered furniture of the era the main frame was dowelled with the cosmetic frame components nailed. The timber frame was carefully knocked apart, glued with a superior PVA then screwed together.

The upholstery started with fitting jute webbing then lacing coil springs, tying down the springs and fitting hessian overlays. Synthetic edge moulding was used to form the foundation of the upholstered edges then fabricated various layers of premium polyurethane that were laminated over the seat top and inside back to create the necessary upholstered structure including flute detail. Bonded polyester fibre was then used as a final layer to provide the necessary finish when upholstered.

A traditional chenille was selected for the upholstery covering with a contrast fabric from the same range for piping. The upholstery techniques combined traditional and contemporary methods with the foundation period authentic but with a modern touch to the finish. The back flutes were channelled into the foam/polyester with the upholstery laced to the hessian foundation providing greater comfort than the original. Likewise the seat was still firm but well-padded and even compared with the old flock and fibre techniques. The outside back panel was lined and padded with the contrast piping highlighting the art-deco detail.

The result spoke for its self with our client happy that her Nan’s upholstered slipper chair would now look in place at her home while retaining the family history.

We are delighted with the outcome

Cleaning out my Nan’s house recently after she passed away we found an old chair that was in pretty poor condition. Believing that it had potentially belonged to our Nan’s parents we decided to get it refurbished and keep it in the family.

We rang Frank at Parker Interiors to get his opinion. Dealing with Frank was a pleasure, he was very knowledgeable and very helpful when it came to choosing what materials to use. Frank explained what options would be best to keep the authenticity of the chair.

We are delighted with the outcome and love the look of the new chair. Frank was even able to tell us that it was originally made in Perth sometime in the 1930’s.

Ronni

Salter Point W.A.

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Chaise Lounge Restoration

ByFrank Parker

French Style Chaise Lounge Origins

Today we commonly use the term ‘chaise lounge’ to describe a chair, sofa or part of a sectional modular lounge featuring a deep seat to which one can lay. However, this is a derivative of the original French term ‘chaise longue’ describing a long upholstered chair to support the legs of the sitter. Chaise longues sofas originated in France, produced by craftsman in the 1700’s using the most expensive materials for construction being for the wealthy to lay upon without having to retire to the boudoir. This style of furniture was first imported into England in the late 1700’s and over time the chaise longue sofa evolved through the various design eras to become part of the standard home décor.

The Restoration of a Chaise Lounge Perth

Our Client’s Special Chaise Lounge

Our client was shifting house and decided to have her beloved chaise lounge restored for her new residence. She explained that it was purchased from a second hand furniture dealer in Perth during the early 70’s. This antique chaise lounge reminded her of a similar piece they sat on as children at their grandparent’s home in England. This chaise lounge was constructed in Jarrah so most likely locally made with the design suggesting it was most probably constructed in the 1920’s -30’s.

How We Refurbished the Chaise Lounge

The client wanted a full refurbishment, so the existing upholstery was first removed. The frame joints were then repaired and an additional timber rail added during a previous re-upholstery was removed. Then it was sanded back with the indentations filled with resin and then again finely sanded. The Jarrah had bleached over time obviously having been exposed to prolonged periods of direct sunlight so the frame was stained Mahogany. Three coats of 50% gloss clear lacquer were then applied, gently rubbed down between coats.

Our client was given various options regarding the reupholstery methods and selected for us to use modern methods to acquire a traditional finish. We used heavy-grade elastic webbing and then fitted upholstery edge moulding around the seat top and arm/back perimeters. Premium foam was then fabricated for the seat and double ends and glued into place. Bonded polyester fibre overlays were also used for the outside arm/back panels lined and padded for a superior finish.

The upholstery fabric selected by our client was a high quality plain crimson chenille which looked plush against the mahogany coloured show-wood. As most of the original upholstery was absent when we received this piece we had to take some liberty during the re-upholstery process including the finishing trim which we used self-covered banding then space studded. However, the result spoke for itself displaying that a high-quality traditional finish can indeed be achieved using modern upholstery methods.

We’re sure this preloved chaise lounge will now stay in the family and be enjoyed for many years into the future.

I am extremely happy with my dealings with Parker Interiors

I am extremely happy with my dealings with Parker Interiors. My precious sofa that has been abused by children, dogs, and all manner of ill treatment for the last 55 years, has been given a new lease of life. Profound gratitude to all concerned. Thankyou.

Linda

Mosman Park W.A

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Tessa Furniture Restoration

ByFrank Parker

Tessa Furniture History

Tessa originally was known as Twen commencing operations in 1968 then the name changed to Tessa in 1970. Tessa was formed by Fred Lowen, his brother Howard Lindsey and design technician Sigi Danielzik. However Fred commenced furniture manufacturing with Earnest Rodeck in the mid 1950’s having formed Fler which was sold in 1967. Tessa expanded operations nationally during the 1970’s with international links becoming an iconic name during the heydays of local furniture manufacturing.

Restored mid-century furniture with a Scandinavian influence is a niche market although the interest not only resides with those who have witnessed this period. Some discerning members of younger generations are purchasing or have inherited this furniture and enjoy involvement in the restoration process.

Our client purchased this piece of Tessa furniture secondhand from Amber-Brown, a well-known and respected Perth mid-century furniture dealer who referred her onto Parker Interiors for professional restoration. This Tessa T9 chair design effectively represented the end of the mid-century era as it was produced in the early 1980’s however it was clearly inspired by similar Danish chairs produced in the 1950’s and 60’s.

We subsequently removed all the upholstery and initially carried out the frame restoration with the joints knocked apart and dowels re-glued. The legs and arms were constructed from laminated timber finished with a Tasmanian Blackwood timber veneer with the stuffing and seat rails being solid Tasmanian Blackwood. The veneer was carefully sanded and touched-up then polished with a 30% gloss lacquer containing a Baltic stain to match the veneer background. Three coats were applied with the frame ribbed down between coats with super fine steel wool.

The base was re-webbed with a heavy quality elastic webbing then quilt padding fitted. The cushion inserts were fabricated from firm premium foam and encased in bonded polyester fibre. The cushion covers were cut and sewn as original using a superior olive velvet with a semi-crushed look. The result was a chair which looked like it had been lifted from an early eighties high end furniture pamphlet.

Well done to Frank and the team

I had come across this Tessa T9 which required restoration. Being a rare piece of furniture, I needed an expert to complete the restoration. From the moment I met Frank I knew he would do a fantastic job, he is a rare gem that loves his job and appreciates mid-century furniture. Old school service was outstanding and the restoration far exceeded my expectations. Well done to Frank and the team, we will enjoy this chair for many years to come. As the old saying goes; we never really own these pieces, we merely look after them for the next generation.

Tiffany

Mt. Hawthorn W.A.

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Danish Deluxe – Restoration

ByFrank Parker

Danish Deluxe commenced operations in 1958 and was located at a series of factories in Huntingdale Victoria. The business was founded by Neville Ashkanasy, John Westacott and Borg Gjorstvang with most of the designing done in house however they also manufactured under licence. Danish Deluxe utilised moulded polystyrene frames to which they had an exclusive licence in Australia. The business grew rapidly reaching national distribution by 1968 and ceased operations in the early 1980’s.

Our client who has had a long term involvement and is well known in the local furniture manufacturing industry approached us regarding restoring a Danish Deluxe ‘Trina’ lounge suite. He had been going to restore the furniture for years however it only reached the dismantled stage. He had noticed another ‘Trina’ lounge suite displayed on our social media which we had also recently restored for another well-known Perth furniture family.

This job was to be given the works so the timber base frames were first sanded then glued using two-pack resin and clamped overnight. The frames were then given another light sand and stained a blended Oak/Walnut returning the timber to its original colour. Then three coats of lacquer were applied with a light sand between coats then a final rub down with super fine steel wool returning bringing the frame back to the original mid-century finish.

The arms were upholstered using a beautiful full-aniline leather which was top-stitched and moulded well to the polystyrene arms. The internal frames were knocked apart, glued and screwed then linked zig-zag springs fitted to the bases and quality elastic webbing fitted to the back frames. The back and seat carcases were also then upholstered in leather. Replacement seat and back cushion inserts were fabricated using premium foam and then encasing with bonded polyester fibre. The head-rest cushions featured quilted polyester filled inserts providing a more rounded and soft finish. The cushions were upholstered in a similar colour wool but the variation in covering textures displayed a classic mid-century finish.

This suite restored about five and a half decades after manufacturing now resides in a mid-century Fremantle home. We trust it will now endure another five decades.

We are thrilled with the contrast and finish

Hi Frank – Alicia and I would like to thank you and your staff for the fantastic craftsmanship that you have done to revive our 1966 Danish Deluxe 3-seater and chairs.
I was given the furniture 15 years ago and never had the heart to throw it away. This has been restored to new with the Aniline leather on the base and wool cushions from Kvadrat Maharam on the seat cushion. Both the leather and fabric I have also had for several years, and we are thrilled with the contrast and finish.

Once again, we greatly appreciate the great service and quality of work and comfortable lounge suite now to enjoy.

Shaun & Alicia

Fremantle W.A.

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Le Cornu Furniture – reupholster

Don Rex Furniture – Restoration

Mid Century Modern Restoration – Tessa Chair

The History of Tessa Furniture

Reupholstery of a Tessa Furniture Chair