Danish Lounge Suite Reupholstery

By Frank Parker

The Fascinating History of Hans Wegner

Hans Wegner was born in Tonder, Denmark in 1914 and often worked from early years at his father’s shoe making business. He obtained an apprenticeship as a wood carver when he was 16. After completing this he then studied cabinet making and attended the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen.

Hans was self employed with a small factory employing about six staff. They manufactured fine modern furniture of the day however delivery could be several years. Which is hard to imagine in these current times.

From here he convened Salesco AS – a group of five large Danish furniture manufacturers to make his furniture designs under licence. They included:
With the number of designs and the volume of furniture produced under licence Hans Wegner became known as the “Father of Modern Danish Furniture”. Hans died in Copenhagen in 2007.

Carl Hansen – timber chairs
Getama – timber framed chairs with lose cushions
A.P Stolen – fully upholstered chairs
RY Mobler – wooden storage units and
Tuck Barde – wooden tables.

With the number of designs and the volume of furniture produced under licence Hans Wegner became known as the “Father of Modern Danish Furniture”. Hans died in Copenhagen in 2007.

Restoring a Danish Hans Wegner Model 233

We had over the years restored a considerable amount of upholstered mid-century furniture for these particular clients. The latest job we did for them was the restoration of a Hans Wegner ‘model 233’. A classic Danish lounge suite which was in very good condition.

The Lounge Frame

Given that the lounge was in such good condition the timber frame only required scuffing, a coating with a 30% gloss lacquer then a light rub down with polish and super fine steel wool. The frame had a seat springing system which remained in superb condition, so this just required new replacement quilted padding fitted with elastic tabs.

The Lounge Cushions

The seat and back cushions were interesting being internally sprung but were slightly firm and uncomfortable. So we replaced the cushion inserts with laminated premium foam encased with bonded polyester fibre. This provided firmer cushioning and was considerably more comfortable. The upholstery fabric selected was Zepel ‘Mingle-Mangle Spice’ which gave the lounge a more updated finish while keeping within the design. Finally, the cushions were slip-stitch closed eliminating the requirement for zips (maintaining the original clean lines) and then buttoned.

Exceeding Our Clients Expectations

Our clients had high expectations and the team at Parker Interiors ensured we exceeded them. This mid century piece of Danish furniture was modernised whilst maintaining its classic mid-century simplicity. We trust this furniture will stay in the family for future generations to enjoy.

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The Reupholstery of Van Treight Chairs
ByFrank Parker
The Story of Van Freight Furniture

Van Treight Furniture was founded by John Van Treight in 1947. Operations commenced with only one assistant, making nursery furniture from a shed in Parramatta. The business grew rapidly moving into manufacturing quality colonial style bedroom, dining and lounge furniture. In 1959 they made the shift into their Homebush factory with about 50 staff. In the early 1960’s the company also started producing Scandinavian influenced design. Then in 1966 acquired the rights to import and manufacture under licence from Drexel Heritage. In 1972 Van Treight shifted to a new purpose-built factory at North Rocks NSW employing about 65 staff. By the mid 1980’s they were employing over 130 staff and supplying top-end furniture to the leading national department stores and specialist furniture retailers.

Flash forward twenty years and the renowned furniture manufacturers were toppling due to cheap imitation furniture flooding in from Asia. Van Treight Furniture officially closed in 2001 and Drexel Heritage filed for bankruptcy in 2014.

Our Clients Story

Our Fremantle based client contacted us saying she had two chairs which she purchased in 1978 for her husband’s home study. The chairs were in severe need of refurbishment. Upon inspection of these chairs, we instantly recognised them as Van Treight, one of the legendary local manufacturers from the golden age of Australian furniture manufacturing.

How We Transformed the Chairs

Reupholstering the Chairs
1. We completely removed all the existing upholstery from the chairs revealing a timber frame.
2. The timber show-wood bases were cleaned then touched up with stain and polish.
3. The original seats and back zig-zag springs were still in good condition so we just fitted additional spring edge wire links.
4. The upholstery fabric was selected, it was the William Morris ‘Fruit Velvet – Midnight’ which suited the chair design.
5. Cutting patterns were developed with the fabric being carefully pattern matched.
6. High density foam was fabricated and laminated to the frames.
7. The bodywork was then upholstered bringing the chairs slowly back to life.
8. The outside arm and back panels were lined and padded then carefully upholstered with piped detail.
9. The back cushioning was fabricated using polyester filled channelled and quilted inserts and the seat cushions were fabricated from premium foam encased with bonded polyester fibre. When filled the cushioning completed the rejuvenation.
The End Result

Behind every re-upholstery job is a story and when the chairs were delivered the warm smile on our client’s face said it all.
“Restored the chairs to their former glory”

Thank you for re-upholstering my two Van Treight chairs which I purchased in 1978 as a surprise for my husband, Professor Bob Reece’s study here in Fremantle. Along with purpose built Jarrah book shelves and a restored Jarrah desk from the Fremantle wool store building, they created a perfect space for his work. Your restoration with the exquisite William Morris fabric has restored the chairs to their former glory. Thank you.

Lesley
Fremantle W.A.
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Re-upholstery of a Jason Recliner Chair
ByFrank Parker
Transforming the Classic Jason Recliner

Jason recliner chairs are an iconic piece of Australian furniture valued for their quality craftsmanship and durability, making them sought after to this day. This restoration aimed to preserve the chair’s structure for future generations to come.
The Origin of Jason Recliners

Jason chairs were manufactured under license from Lazy Boy in Munro Michigan. The factory operated in Welshpool WA from the mid 1960s through to about 1990. These chairs were known for featuring a very robust and unique mechanism. The business was owned and managed by the Bridge family with the chairs distributed around Australia and at its peak they were also exported.

This is Our Restoration Process

The chair was completely stripped and the mechanism cleaned and lubricated

The show-wood rocker base and the turned wing sections were sanded and re-lacquered dark walnut

The back zig zag springs were linked

New hessian was layered over the seat springs

New high density padding was laminated onto the body

New polyester encased premium cushioning was fabricated and

The chair was then re-upholstered to the same finish in an English Heritage Linen

This chair was also of sentimental value as it previously belonged to our client’s father. We wish her many years of memorable moments in this special chair.
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Reupholstering Mid-Century Leather Furniture
ByFrank Parker
The History of Kill International Furniture

Kill International Furniture was a globally recognised German bespoke ‘mid-century’ furniture manufacturer named after the founder Alfred Kill. Kill developed a product range by collaborating with renowned Danish furniture designers such as Preben Fabricius and Jorgen Kastholm. However, the furniture refurbished was designed by Rudolf Glatzel (1911-1999) and produced at the Kill International factory in Stuttgart – Fellbach Germany as documented in the photograph above.

Reupholstery of a Kill International Lounge Suite

A gentleman contacted us after Parker Interiors was recommended to him. The person who recommended us was the mid-century furniture dealer who he had purchased this nostalgic and rare suite consisting of a Kill International 3-seater settee and 2 Kill International lounge chairs. We were invited to his mid-century styled home and inspected the furniture. Given that it had never been re upholstered and was almost 60 years old it was in good structural condition. Just one back leg had a large chip. We explained that the leg could be repaired and the upholstery completely replaced. Given that this was a prestigious mid-century piece, we suggested a similar high quality black semi-aniline leather be used to maintain the design integrity. The Futura ‘Lena Black’ upholstery leather was selected by our client.

The Transformation Process

We disassembled the lounge suite and the first task was to rebuild the chipped rear leg with a two-pack resin. This was to make sure the fault was difficult to notice when completed. The body padding was replaced with appropriate high-density foams and the seat and back cushions were fabricated by laminating premium foams of various firmness then encased with bonded polyester fibre.

The Finished Product

The reupholstery replicated the original finish with large panel cuts and twin-stitched detail. Using hides of exceptional quality allowed us to use single panels for the Kill International 3-seater body. This was in accordance with the original design and ensured design integrity. The detailed stitching is a credit to our sewing machinist as was the buttoning and upholstery finish a credit to our master upholsterer.

Seeing Our Clients Amazed

The most rewarding aspect of our job is delivering the completed upholstered furniture. Our client was amazed with the finish which excelled his expectations. We just hope that the skilled artisans will exist in sixty years to refurbish this suite for our client’s grandchildren.
“I can only say how delighted I am with the result”
Last year I purchased a mid 1960s lounge suite in black leather by a famous German designer. After almost 60 years of wear and tear the suite was in poor condition: cushions were sagging and some were split, there was little spring left in the couch and one chair leg had a large chip.

Frank Parker was recommended to me as someone who could complete the job of full restoration to a high standard. Frank visited my house to see the suite, provided options in Italian leather and arranged for pick-up and delivery of the finished project for a mutual agreed date, later in the year.

I admit to feeling some ambivalence having gone ahead: this was a lot of money and what would I be getting in return? I can only say how delighted I am with the result. The professionalism of Frank’s team shows through in the quality of the finished project which exceeded my expectations. I look forward to contacting Frank in relation to some future work and unreservedly recommend Parker Interiors.
Mark – Hamersley
W.A.
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Restoring Fler Furniture
ByFrank Parker

Background of Fler Furniture

Fler Furniture was founded by Fred Lowen and Earnest Rodeck in 1946 and ran through until 1968 producing iconic designs now referred to as ‘mid-century’ furniture. Featured in this article are the Fler D71 ‘Norsk Divan’ and the E71 chair purchased from a Perth furniture retail store in 1960.

Our Clients Furniture Request

Our client contacted us saying she had furniture purchased by her parents in 1960 from a Perth furniture retailer. This furniture was then given to her daughter by the grandparents when she set up home then her daughter had the furniture re-upholstered in the late 1980’s. When this furniture was re-upholstered the upholstery design was altered and finished to a very poor standard. Her mother recently took back this furniture and wanted it restored to original condition and finish.

How We Reupholstered The Fler Furniture

The divan and chairs were completely disassembled including the timber frame components.

The timber components were sanded back with the oversized fixing holes and dents filled with two pack resin then reassembled using a crosslinking PVA.

The frames were then stained to the original timber tone and three coats of 30% gloss lacquer was applied then finished with a rub of superfine steel wool.

New cushion inserts fabricated from premium foam with polyester overlays now conformed to the original dimensions. The fabric selected by our client was a sage velvet having a semi-crushed effect with the upholstery also detailed to the original finish.

The Restored Mid-Century Furniture

The result spoke for itself and our client was absolutely delighted with her restored mid-century furniture taking her back to childhood days.

See more of our high quality furniture restorations.

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T H Brown Chairs– Restoration
ByFrank Parker
Thomas Howard Brown in 1911 formed Brown Brothers Wholesale Chair Manufacturers based in Adelaide. They grew rapidly supplying furniture and department stores, then in 1942 became T.H. Brown & Sons. The business continued to grow and became one of Australia’s largest furniture manufacturers. With the death of Thomas in 1964 his sons Napier and Peter continued to expand the business with interstate manufacturing. In 1987 with the retirement of Peter the business was sold to Work Space Commercial Furniture. Thomas’s grandson Simon joined the business in 2015 forming a joint operation to re-launch some of T H Brown’s signature mid-century furniture.

These classic T H Brown occasional chairs were supplied to us for restoration through a well known mid-century furniture retailer. The chairs had previously been poorly repaired so they were stripped to the bare frames. The frame joints were repaired then all surfaces sanded back, stained and three coats of low sheen lacquer applied. The chairs were fitted with quality elastic webbing and premium foam cushioning profiled then polyester fibre laminated. The small pattern textured upholstery fabric selected was carefully matched during cutting and sewing.

The overall effect with the timber stain tone and upholstery fabric selected gave a slightly modern touch to the restored mid-century chair. However the most important point is that this furniture restoration bought joy to our client.
Parker’s restored these pieces so perfectly
I am very blessed . . . Brendan suggested buying these two chairs for my office from Benskys Vintage. Naomi Baron chose some fabulous fabric and Parker’s restored these pieces so perfectly. Customer (me) extremely happy thank you.
Vivienne
Dianella W.A.
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Our Restoration of a Manhattan Lounge Chair
ByFrank Parker
The Origin of Guy Rodgers

The ‘Manhattan’ lounge chair was manufactured by Guy Rodgers of Liverpool. They were the largest and most well known makers of contemporary upholstered furniture, in the U.K. during the 1960’s. Their designs were all named after prominent U.S destinations. The Manhattan was the most popular Guy Rodgers style designed by Eric Phamphilon and George Fejer.

Our Clients Story

We were contacted by a client who we had previously reupholstered a lounge suite for. She explained that she had a single lounge chair remaining from her parent’s divan suite, brought over from the U.K when the family emigrated. She now wanted
to have the chair completely restored for her son and his family.

Transforming the Chair

The Reupholstering Process
1. We removed all the existing upholstery and dismantled the timber frame. – the stained and lacquered surfaces were carefully sanded back. It revealed that the chair was constructed from solid Afromosia, an African timber bearing similar characteristics to Teak.
2. After the preparations had been completed the timber frame was stained a mid-tone walnut and lacquered with a 30% gloss to the original finish.
3. Completely new cushioning was fabricated from laminated premium foams then wrapped with bonded polyester fibre to replicate the seating comfort.
4. The upholstery fabric selected by our client was a plain blue chenille, Wortley ‘Domo Capri’. This was reupholstered differently to the previous upholstery but was tailored to replicate the original finish
The End Result

Our client told us her daughter in-law was ecstatic when collecting the chair and that her son also treasured the chair. These jobs are more than a monetary undertaking, we are trusted with family heirlooms just like this chair everyday – which are more valuable.
“Looks Absolutely Brand New”

This chair was part of a three-piece suite bought by my mother at a furniture store in Watford, Hertfordshire in the 1950’s. My parents were just a normal working-class
family with not much cash left before the next pay day, but we needed a new three- piece. Mum and I in the exciting outing finished up in the hoop which I believe was Calle Grange. We both fell in love with this particular suite, which was quite pricey. We committed to paying for the suite on hire purchase, paying a deposit then paid a fixed amount on a regular basis until it was fully paid. It was a rather unusual suite, the settee could become a single bed simply by turning the back over. The back panel was hollow designed for storing the bedding. We brought this suite with us when we immigrated to Perth in 1981. Mum had
it re-covered at some stage then after several years she decided it wasn’t needed and only kept one chair. When she passed my son said he would like the chair which
now required serious attention. Having seen the excellent job Parker Interiors had done in re-covering my armchairs Christopher asked them to restore this chair. Everything was done to perfection including the timber parts being restored and polished. In fact, it looks absolutely brand new and strangely enough the original upholstery was blue. Thank you all the craftsmen that had a hand in the restoration of a much-loved family heirloom, one that holds many treasured memories.

Valerie
Morley W.A.
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Read More ... Our Restoration of a Manhattan Lounge Chair