Our Client’s Story

Our Claremont clients purchased their Artifex chair about 20 years ago from a respected Perth furniture retail store. This contemporary wing-back chair was one of the most popular Artifex designs. Our clients still admired their chair, however it had become slightly worse for wear. The approached us wanting their chair restored to new. They also wanted the same or a similar fabric to be used in the furniture reupholstery process.

We removed the original fabric revealing a well-designed and constructed timber and ply-wood frame requiring no attention. The elastic webbing was replaced also new premium foam polyester encased seat, back and arm cushion inserts. The original upholstery fabric was the renowned Warwick ‘Macrosuede’ being still available, so a similar colour was selected. The chair was re-upholstered to an original finish featuring top-stitched detail.

Chairs Restored to Their Former Glory

Our client were thrilled when seeing how we had reupholstered their beloved chair. Especially as we were able to reupholster it in the same upholstery fabric – it was like turning back the hands of time.    

Clients Request for Leather Sofa Repair

The Leather Reupholstery Process

First Steps

These 2 ½ seater settees had indeed seen heavy use however the furniture seemed in good structural condition. We removed all the existing upholstery. We stripped the settees down to the frames which were constructed from Jarrah and plywood. No structural work require was required.

Webbing and Foam Upgrades

New seat and back heavy grade elastic webbing was fitted then high-density foam was laminated to the arms and frame bodies including the outside arm and back panels which were lined and padded. Polyester filled channelled and quilted back cushion inserts were fabricated. The premium foam polyester encased seat cushion inserts were fabricated by laminating two grades of foam creating a cushion that progressively firms and ensuring greater longevity.

Webbing and Foam Upgrades

New seat and back heavy grade elastic webbing was fitted then high-density foam was laminated to the arms and frame bodies including the outside arm and back panels which were lined and padded. Polyester filled channelled and quilted back cushion inserts were fabricated. The premium foam polyester encased seat cushion inserts were fabricated by laminating two grades of foam creating a cushion that progressively firms and ensuring greater longevity.

Time for the Tasman Tanning Leather

The leather selected was Tasman Tanning ‘Settler Amber’ being a beautiful traditional full-aniline leather. This was upholstered using large panel cuts meaning no sub-panel joins were required and it was top stitched to the original finish. The general finish reflects both the care that we took with patterning the job, our detailed sewing and upholstery skill.

The workmanship on this job spoke for itself and we know the reupholstered sofas will be enjoyed by the family for another twenty-two years.

---

Upcycling furniture as with many other product lines has evolved from a trendy bohemian life gesture into a mainstream way of living. For Parker Interiors this is reflected in sales as when we commenced operations in 2006, 70% of our production was new furniture and 30% restoration. Now in 2024, these figures have completely reversed. The types of upholstered furniture being upcycled have also evolved which is interesting.

Several decades ago in the early stages of furniture upcycling upholstered antique furniture would be stripped, the show-wood frames would be brightly lacquered and the furniture re-upholstered in varied bright remnant fabrics. The next up-cycling stage was the refurbishing of 1930’s to 1950’s club lounges. These designs were almost unique to Australia and it became fashionable for the young professional class to have club lounges restored to their individual requirements. The following restoration phase is mid-century furniture which is presently huge and likely to continue for many years. Those having mid-century furniture restored are the inheriting grandchildren in their twenties setting up homes to the aged original purchases who still admire the beauty and practicality of this furniture. 

The enquiry commenced with a phone call from our clients almost on the eve of Christmas requesting a quote on the re-upholstery of a pair of settees located at a Salvos furniture Perth. However, we understood our clients had serious intent as they had already selected a fabric so we met them at the charity shop with a sample of their selected upholstery fabric. The settees were inspected and quoted upon sight then we were asked to transport them back to our Canning Vale factory.

In the New Year we removed all the existing upholstery on this old furniture pieces and carried out minor structural adjustments to the timber frames. New turned legs were also acquired and stained to client requirements. The reupholstery commenced with heavy quality elastic webbing fitted to the seats and backs then high density foam laminated to the frame bodies. Premium foam was fabricated to form the shell backs as well as cylindrical arm and seat cushion inserts. The inside backs with the cushions were all then laminated with bonded polyester fibre.

The upholstery fabric was cut with great attention to pattern matching given the fabric concerned was a bold pattern. We worked through the upholstery process on the two settees simultaneously guaranteeing an identical finish with piped detail. This included lining and padding the outside back panels also trimmed with piping.

The reclaimed furniture looked more tailored than the original upholstery finish and the result was spectacular. The settees were brought back to life in a bold majestic way but still retained the essence of their reproduction art-deco design. This is upcycling in the truest sense and we trust this luxury furniture will be enjoyed for many years.

Leather Interiors Subiaco, were a dominant up-market Perth furniture retail store situated in Hay Street Subiaco for many years. They manufactured ranges of their own leather sofas and chairs but also bought from other local manufacturers a significant amount of leather furniture. 

Our client had purchased a 3 seater leather sofa, 2 seater leather sofa and leather chair from Leather Interiors in the early 2000s. This lounge suite was upholstered in a good quality semi-aniline leather however it had received heavy use in a family room setting and was certainly due for replacement leather. We recommended to our clients leather reupholstery with the same type of leather as it is ideal for heavy everyday use.  They selected the Futura ‘Lena’ range, from one of the world’s finest tanneries.  

• We disassembled the leather lounge furniture and removed all existing upholstery. 
• The timber bases were sanded back, stained then three coats of lacquer applied. 
• The frames were then reinforced with corner blocks and re-webbed with superior quality elastic webbing.  
• The outside arm and outside backs were lined and high density foam laminated to the frame bodies. 
• Polyester filled channelled back cushion inserts were fabricated then secondary quilted back cushion inserts to provide a durable and fine finish.
• Premium foam polyester encased seat cushion inserts were also fabricated to provide years of comfortable and durable seating.

The leather hides were cut allowing for large panel cuts being just single body joins for each seating unit. Incorporating large panel cuts provides a superior finish than internal panel joins but may increase leather usage and the joins were saddle stitched to replicate the original finish. With the leather correctly cut and sewn the upholstery is streamlined giving the leather chairs and sofas a smooth elegant finish.   

This was indeed back to the future with the original finish not just replicated but improved. Our clients were elated and we trust this leather furniture upholstery repair will be enjoyed for many years to come. 

Molmic Furniture is a Melbourne based upholstered furniture manufacturer having commenced operations in 1987. Molmic is an acronym formed from the names of the founders Molly and Mick McMahon. Today several generations of the family are involved with the business as well some of the original staff members.

Our Perth client originally purchased this Molmic ‘Francisco’ chair in 2009 and contacted us about reupholstering her special chair. Upon inspecting the velvet chair we reassured her that this was of superior quality and certainly worthy of re-upholstery. Her intent was to re-upholster the chair in a contemporary velvet similar to the original covering but more subdued. Quilted velvet is presently in vogue and it was these ranges that caught her eye and the particular velvet upholstery fabric was selected.

The original upholstery fabric was removed revealing a well-constructed timber and ply frame sprung with linked heavy gauge zig-zag springs. The chair had been well used over time so the seat cushioning was replaced with bonded polyester wrapped premium foam. The existing back cushion was preforming and so also laminated with bonded polyester. The upholstery cutting was concise as the fabric was a quilted square design ensuring a symmetrical finish. Another production test was the concave back being upholstered in a square-line fabric, the finished appeared balanced.

The Result – a Very Special Velvet Chair

This Australian made chair proved to be a good investment for our client as when we lovingly re-upholstered it fifteen years later, it looked and performed like new. We expect her to have another fifteen years of comfort in her special velvet chair.

A Background of Charles Catt & Son