Reupholstery of Jarvi Furniture Lounge

Reupholstery of Jarvi Furniture Lounge

A Special Wedding Gift

A couple were getting married and had requested of their wedding guests to contribute to the re-upholstery of their ‘Jarvi’ lounge suite. This lounge furniture with a matching table and cabinetry was purchased by the Groom in NSW some time ago and the fabric for the re-upholstery selected by the Bride.

The History of Jarvi Furniture

Jarvi Furniture was founded by Len Jarvi, who was born in Finland in 1910. Len migrated to Australia learning his trade at Chesterfield Furniture in Botany NSW. He then established Jarvi Furniture in Sydney after the war. They were focused on manufacturing high quality lounge and dining furniture influenced on the Jacobean style of furniture. Len Jarvi died in an accident on his farm in 1959 however his quality furniture still lives on today.

The Lounge Suite Restoration Process

We worked on restoring the frame of the lounge through the following process:

  • Stripped this lounge suite down to the bare frame
  • Repaired several minor structural defects
  • cleaned and polished the show-wood frame
  • re-webbed the bases with jute webbing
  • coil springs were laced into place and then overlayed with hessian
  • Several modern materials were used to finish of the sprung edge (whilst maintaining quality)
  • Placed a synthetic thumb-roll on the front edge and
  • Then finished with a high density foam overlay

Finally, the front edge and borders were hand sewn to give the traditional finish.

The Final Part of the Lounge Reupholstery

The seat and back cushions were box piped using cotton piping cord. We also incorporated zip borders so the cushions are removable. The cushion inserts we used were laminated premium quality polyurethane foams encased in bonded polyester fibre. The result being firm resilient cushioning that will last for decades.

Such a special gift for this newly married couple.

Issues with reconstituted leather

Issues with reconstituted leather

The background to these dining chairs

Our client from Nedlands, W.A contacted us saying that they had purchased a new solid timber dining suite with eight chairs about ten years ago. They liked the solid structural design of their furniture however the “leather” was disintegrating. We inspected the dining chairs and asked a few more questions. The clients shared that the upholstery on the dining chairs was “reconstituted leather”.

What is reconstituted leather?

Reconstituted leather which is occasionally referred to as bonded or blended leather can only be described as a very poor substitute for real leather. The process starts with leather off-cuts and reject hides which are shredded and made into a pulp. This pulp is then mixed with bonding materials and rolled into a continuous layer and then coated with polyurethane. The polyurethane coating is available in various colours and embossed patterns, usually following market trends.

What are the main issues with reconstituted leather?

The main issues with reconstituted leather are as follows:

As polyurethane fabrics act like a semi-permeable membrane, hydrolysis takes place over time with body oils and perspiration causing cracking then peeling of the polyurethane coating.

  • Contrary to most sales explanations reconstituted leather unlike real leather does not breathe and is no different to sitting on a vinyl
  • Reconstituted leather does not develop the patina effect over time like real leather
  • Reconstituted leather has a comparatively short life span (when compared with real leather)

Happy clients with long lasting leather dining chairs

Our clients decided to have their dining chairs re-upholstered in a high quality semi-aniline leather from Tasman (Matisse Black). They were exceptionally happy with the finish and no doubt will enjoy them into the future as they age beautifully.

Call us about getting your furniture restored
Refurbish Moran chairs

Refurbish Moran chairs

Our Clients’ Favourite Two Moran Chairs

A local Perth client approached us who had acquired quality pieces of furniture during the 1960’s and 70’s but was having to downsize and could only take her favourite two Moran chairs purchased new in 1972.

The Moran Furniture Story

The Moran story started with John Moran completing his upholstery apprenticeship then starting John Moran Furniture in 1950 at his mother’s garage then shifting to a rented factory. Moran Furniture grew over the decades providing furniture for several generations of Australians.

The Steps for Repairing These Chairs

These Moran chairs were worthy of complete reupholstery as the frames were sturdy and the sprung edge was in good condition. The original upholstery was stripped to the frame and the rejuvenation process began by doing the following:

  • new jute webbing
  • hessian
  • high density foam overlays
  • polyester encased premium cushion inserts

The result is these two luxurious chairs are in new condition ready for many more years of enjoyment.

The Moran Five Points of Difference

Moran Furniture was always marketed with the “5 Points of Difference”

  1. Genuine 8 way hand tied springs
  2. Spring cell seat cushions
  3. Body correct lumbar support
  4. Kiln dried, close grain hardwood timber
  5. Premium leathers & fabrics

Our customer was thrilled with their Moran Furniture repairs.

Call us Today to Have Your Moran Furniture Repaired