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.

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.    

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.