Reupholster Parker Furniture

By Frank Parker

Parker Furniture commenced operations in 1935 as Dagger & Parker formed by Alf Dagger and Jack Parker making chairs and cabinets fashioned from packing palettes. Post war they manufactured reproduction Queen Anne and Art Deco designs then Alf Dagger resigned and the business was renamed JW Parker and then Parker Furniture.

Tony Parker joined the business in 1949 working in the polishing and finishing area while studying furniture design at East Sydney Technical College at night. Tony then left the business for the UK working in furniture sales management and design for John Lewis. Jack reluctantly made some of Tony’s modernist UK inspired designs but showed little commitment in promoting these designs. Tony then displayed these new designs at the Sydney Furniture Exhibition with a year’s production being sold in four days! Grace Bros. then stocked and displayed these new designs with sales expanding so did the staff and the factories. After several shifts Parker Furniture premises was situated on eight hectares at Seven Hills and the business employed over 380 staff by 1973.  

The brothers sold the family business in 1990’s but without their enthusiasm and due to a changing market the company had closed by 1997. Covermore Designs rose from the ashes formed by former Parker employees and is still going strong today manufacturing some classic company designs and re-furbishing past production pieces.

A client approached wanting her Parker lounge suite to be re-upholstered. They had previously lived in Sydney and had purchased this suite in the early 1980’s. The lounge suite remained in exceptional condition, partially due to care but also testament to the quality design and construction.

Our client selected a linen similar to her original choice for the re-upholstery. We removed the existing upholstery with the timber frame and springing system still in superb condition. New premium padding was laminated onto the arms and frame body. New polyester encased premium seat cushions were fabricated also polyester filled channelled and quilted back cushion inners were made. The lounge suite was then re-upholstered being carefully pattern matched at all stages.

Our client was overwhelmed with her re-upholstered Parker lounge suite as it was delivered into her home it took her back to a bygone time.

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