Stories

  • How We Reupholster Catt Furniture

    ByFrank Parker
    Perth Reupholster Catt Furniture

    A Background of Charles Catt & Son

    Charles Catt was a cabinet maker who emigrated from England with his family to WA in the early 60’s however his son Roy emigrated some years later having completed his diploma at the London. The business Charles Catt & Son was established in the mid 60’s with their first factory in Belmont then shifted to a large factory in Willetton in the early 70’s then finally moving to their purpose built factory in the mid 80’s at Canning Vale. Catt became renowned for designing and manufacturing premium quality contemporary Jarrah furniture including dining, cabinetry and lounge. The business went into receivership in the early 90’s due to a combination of high overheads and a declining market.

    Details of the Catt Furniture

     Re-upholstering these Catt ‘President’ dining chairs takes time as attaining this style requires considerable engineering. The chair is constructed utilising a fibreglass shell with a hollow Jarrah pedestal base containing a centre threaded spine.

    Our Step by Step Reupholstery Process

    We re-attached ply pieces for fixing the outside back and laminated new premium padding to the fibreglass shells. To acquire the complex curves requires shaped borders for the fitted upholstery then just the slow task of finishing the outside backs. The chairs are finally carefully re-assembled applying the correct tension to the threaded spine enabling the swivel action.

    A Happy Ending

    By rejuvenating these iconic 70’s chairs this family will be able to enjoy using them into the future.

    Call us Today to Get Your Furniture Recovered

  • Re-furbish Australian styled ‘Club Lounge’

    ByFrank Parker
    Perth Reupholstery Club Lounge

    The Classical Club Lounge

    What we generally recognise as Australian styled ‘club lounges’ were made from the late 1920’s through to the mid 1950’s. This design was not uniquely Australian however it was very popular during this era and the suite featured is typical of this period however many variations were available.

     These suites all featured the wide arms with timber trays and bases but some also decorative timber trim on the arm facings. The upholstery finishes were also available in a wide variation of finishes. This included cord trim, contrast piping and raised panel patterns on the backs.

    Our Client’s Request

    We were requested to completely re-furbish this ‘club lounge’ by a client who inherited this furniture from her parents but which originally belonged to her grandparents. This lounge suite was made in the late 1940’s and then re-upholstered in the 1970’s so it was in a dilapidated condition when received for refurbishment.

    The Reupholstery Process

    • We completely stripped the existing upholstery to the frame
    • The frame was well constructed using thick Jarrah timber
    • We screwed all the joints to eliminate any potential movement
    • We sanded back the timber arm trays and base blocks
    • Then polished the Jarrah leaving a natural finish
    • The suite was then re-upholstered using the traditional jute webbing, coil springs and hessian for the seat and back bodywork
    • For comfort and practicability we then use premium cushioning for the base, back and arm overlays also polyester encased premium seat cushion inserts.

    Combining the traditional and modern upholstery techniques gives an authentic finish but provides practical and comfortable seating.

    In rejuvenating this classic Australian styled ‘club lounge’ our clients will be able to cherish their family memories into the future.

    See more of our high quality reupholstered furniture here.

    Call us Today to Have Your Club Lounge Professionally Reupholstered

  • Our Reupholstery of French Provincial Furniture

    ByFrank Parker
    French Reproduction Reupholstery Perth

    The History of French Provincial Furniture

    French provincial furniture recognises the designs from provincial France during the 18th century. These tend to be simplified versions of Louis XV and XVI furniture, being more affordable for those residing in provincial France. In recent years this design period regained popularity with reproduction of French provincial furniture being manufactured in many countries.

    Our Clients Story

    The French provincial 3 seater settee our client wanted reupholstered was made in the 1990’s in Vietnam. The timber was well machined and the frames were a snug fit. Like most reproduction furniture made in Asia, it was of light construction and poor quality upholstery.

    The Reupholstering Process

    Reupholstering the Settee

    1. We stripped the existing upholstery and strengthened the frame.
    2. Then we fitted the elastic webbing and laminating premium cushioning to the inside arms and backs.
    3. We lined and padded the outside backs and arms.
    4. The entire settee was then finished with twin piping detail.
    5. Finally new polyester encased premium cushion inserts were fabricated and filled into box piped seat cushion covers.

    The End Result

    Our clients were ecstatic with their re-upholstered French provincial style settee and we trust they will enjoy it for many years into the future.

    Call us Today to Get Your French Provincial Furniture Transformed