Stories

  • Don Rex Furniture – Restoration

    ByFrank Parker
    don rex chairs
    don rex furniture

    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 sought 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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  • Bridge Chairs – Restore

    ByFrank Parker

    Bridge Chairs were originally designed and made in the late 1930’s originating from Europe. Bridge Chairs are compact in size allowing them to be used in most rooms, suiting bedrooms, to accompany dining tables and even offices. It was said they were for “ladies of leisure for games of Bridge, afternoon tea and gossiping”. The popularity and manufacturing of this design spread throughout the western world with the chairs being made until the late 1950’s. The frames were usually constructed from Beech or Oak but in Australia native hardwoods were extensively used then stained to client requirements.

    We had undertaken previous work for a client who again approached us with a Bridge Chair having belonged to her parents. She rescued the chair from a trailer heading for the tip. This chair was originally in a set of four having been purchased by her parents for their farm house in the wheatbelt town of Karlgarin.

    We removed the existing upholstery then repaired the frame joints with two-pack resin and screwed the chair rails. The arms and legs were sanded back having been constructed from Jarrah which was still structurally sound but had been bleached due to decades on a veranda. The show-wood Jarrah was stained and three coats of lacquer applied being sanded between coats.

    The upholstery foundation was kept original with jute webbing fitted to the seat, coil springs laced then tied-down then a hessian overlay fitted and the back also having jute webbing fitted then just a hessian overlay. We then step into the present and laminate premium foam padding with bonded polyester overlays which provides superior comfort to the original flock and fibre stuffing. Our client with her sister had selected and abstract floral design fabric for the upholstery which reminded them of “gum trees on the farm”. The result speaks for its self and is best summed up by our client’s comments. “Thanks to Parker Interiors for restoring it so beautifully so it will last for the next generations to come”.

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  • Wireless Chairs – Restoration

    ByFrank Parker

    Wireless Chairs also referred to as Radio Rockers were produced throughout Australia in various forms from the 1930’s through to the 1950’s. The concept was to have a comfortable rocking chair by the wireless as many hours were spent listening to the ABC or BBC news, cricket broadcasts and scandalous serials. Although designs varied the vast majority of chairs were made like our feature chair with round bull-nosed timber arms.

    Our client from Northam initially approached us at a furniture restoration display in the York Town Hall during the York Heritage Festival. She explained that she had acquired her grandmother’s Wireless Chair and would like to have it restored, upholstered in a linen featuring an Australian floral design.

    When commencing the job we first removed the existing upholstery then using two-pack resin repaired fractured timber and the frame joints. The Jarrah rails were then screwed so the frame was robust and remained square. The Jarrah arms and rear feet were heavily stained and lacquered as in bygone colonial days Jarrah was often referred to as “Swan Mahogany”. These show-wood components were carefully sanded back to bare timber with three coats of low-sheen lacquer applied being sanded between coats then finally rubbed over with super fine steel wool allowing the natural beauty of the timber to shine.  

    Heavy gauge coil springs situated between the rear seat and the base frame create the rocking motion however we filled these springs with cylindrical shaped firm foam to dampen the motion. The upholstery foundation was kept original with jute webbing fitted to the seat, coil springs laced then tied-down then a hessian overlay fitted and the back also having jute webbing fitted then a hessian overlay. We then step into the present and laminate premium foam padding with bonded polyester overlays which provides superior comfort to the original flock and fibre stuffing. The upholstery fabric complimented the restored Jarrah frame with the result speaking for its self. The chair now resides in one of the grand old homes of Northam and will be enjoyed for many years into the future.

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