Stories

  • Sentimental Furniture For Years

    ByFrank Parker
    Restoring Sentimental Furniture in Perth

    Passing Down Furniture or Inheriting Furniture

    It is always difficult to place a monetary value on something that is of high sentimental value however when the furniture has been restored the value is evident. Furniture that is of high sentimental value is usually inherited but may also have been from an era of perceived sentimental interest or have been previously possessed by an individual of interest. However regardless of the reason a high proportion of furniture we restore is due to sentimental value.

    Reupholstering Library Chairs From the 1920’s

    Our client approached us wanting to rejuvenate two library chairs with a matching chaise initially purchased new by his wife’s grandparents in the 1920’s being made in Australia. When we inspected this furniture it was in a completely dilapidated condition due to years of storage in a damp basement.

    How We Renewed the Library Chairs

    • We completely striped the upholstery to the frame noting that it had also been re-upholstered shabbily
    • It was not until we had completely stripped the existing upholstery that we became aware that some of the carved timber rails were rotten due to prolonged storage in damp conditions
    • We approached the client with this information as restoration was going to be a major task.

    A Collaborative Restoration

    Our client still insisted the furniture be restored and this was now going to be a collaborative operation. Our friend from Eachells Fine Furniture was engaged to replace the rotten carved timber rails. He ascertained the species of Eastern States Eucalypt used in construction so replacements would look identical. The resurrected timber frames were then polished looking like original.

    Our client still insisted the furniture be restored and this was now going to be a collaborative operation. Our friend from Eachells Fine Furniture was engaged to replace the rotten carved timber rails. He ascertained the species of Eastern States Eucalypt used in construction so replacements would look identical. The resurrected timber frames were then polished looking like original.

    We then set about the task of re-upholstering this furniture using original methods and materials. They were webbed with heavy weight jute webbing then coiled springs were laced in, tied down then hessian overlays. We then however use laminated layers of premium padding encased in polyester. The result is fundamentally original methods but finishing with some new materials to enhance the comfort.

    This furniture was upholstered to original finish and trimmed with a matching gimp. Our clients were ecstatic with tears of sentiment!

    Call us Today to Have Your Sentimental Furniture Restored For Future Generations

  • Re-upholster antique chaise lounge

    ByFrank Parker

    When given a restored antique chaise lounge frame to re-upholster the problem is that there may have been many different ways it was traditionally upholstered. Therefore the method of upholstery depends upon the client’s interpretation on how the furniture appeared originally combined with the restorer’s knowledge and research into period pertaining to this style of furniture.   

    This antique chaise lounge frame was given to us by a client who wanted it upholstered for her bedroom. Apparently this piece originated from the 1880’s and she did not want any deep buttoning in the upholstery. We went through much archival material on chaise lounges from this period and found examples of similar double ended pieces from this period with plain upholstery which coincided with our client’s expectations. Above all our client also wanted the re-upholstered chaise to be comfortable giving us considerable autonomy regarding upholstery methods.

    We set about our task and first cleaned and repaired the original castors. We then webbed the base with heavy weight jute webbing, laced in the coil springs, tied them down then fitted a hessian overlay. We then used synthetic furniture edging and built the seat, back and scroll ends up with varying hardness’s of high density cushioning encased with bonded polyester fibre. The result of building up the platforms this way is that the traditional look is maintained however unlike the furniture from this era comfort has not been sacrificed for style. The upholstery was trimmed with matching gimp trim creating a superb finish.

    Our client was elated with the stylish finish of her re-upholstered antique chaise lounge but was equally impressed with the comfort which would not have been such a necessity in the bygone days. We trust our client will enjoy and relax on her rejuvenated chaise lounge for many years.

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  • Re-styled 1940’s chairs

    ByFrank Parker

    Occasionally clients are unhappy with the style of the chairs presented to us for repair and re-upholstery. This can be as a result of either initial design flaws, poor re-upholstery or poor reconstruction as a result of previous damage or sometimes a combination of these factors. The idea is not necessarily to bring a chair back its purest original form but occasionally compromise with slight re-styling to compliment the client’s décor.

    These two 1940’s chairs were presented to us by a client as they had been passed down to her through the family. She wanted the chairs to be re-upholstered however she wanted the arms modified on one chair and the wings to be altered on the other chair. This re-styling was required partially due to initial design flaws but also due to past re-upholstery exaggerating these flaws.

    We completely stripped the existing upholstery on both chairs down to the bare frames. The top arms on one chair were then cut down to a cigar shaped arm in keeping with the design while the other chair had a plywood strip removed from the inside wings which improvised as a thumb roll. The two modified chair frames were then re-upholstered using a combination of traditional and contemporary methods.

    When these re-styled chairs were delivered to our client she was ecstatic with the outcome. We trust the chairs will be enjoyed and continued to be passed down to future generations.

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