Stories

  • Tessa Vintage Furniture

    ByFrank Parker

    What is Tessa Furniture?

    Tessa Furniture is an iconic name in Australian furniture manufacturing being a prolific name during the heydays of the local furniture industry. We know re-furbished mid-century modernist furniture with a Scandinavian influence is a niche market. However the interest not only resides with those who have been fortunate to have witnessed this period of design history. Some discerning members of the younger generations are purchasing or inheriting or purchasing second hand Tessa furniture and having it restored.

    Why is Tessa Furniture So Popular?

    As per the above photographs Tessa lounges are extremely well designed and soundly constructed. This Tessa lounge suite was originally purchased in 1972. When the Tasmanian Blackwood timber was sanded and re-polished and new webbing and cushioning were re-upholstered – it looks amazing!

    Tessa Furniture History

    Tessa originally was known as Twen commencing operation in 1968. It then changed its name to Tessa in 1970. Tessa was formed by Fred Lowen, his brother Howard Lindsey and design technician Sigi Danielzik. Fred however commenced furniture manufacturing with Ernest Rodeck in the mid 1950’s having formed FLER which was sold in 1967. Tessa expanded operations during the 1970’s to become a national operation with international links.

    Call Us So We Can Help You Restore Your Special Furniture

  • Why do modern sprung cushions have problems?

    ByFrank Parker
    cushion upholstery Perth

    What are contemporary sprung cushions?

    Contemporary sprung cushions have been marketed over the last decade as a superior concept however there are major issues regarding the effectiveness of using ‘spring pockets’ in the fabrication of seat cushion inserts.

    How are traditional spring cushions different to modern spring cushions?

    Traditional sprung cushions were constructed using mid-gauge coil springs and hand sewn into a hessian case then encased with flock and fitted into a box piped seat cushion with sewing usually finished by hand stitching. Seat cushions constructed this way tend to stand the test of time as is evident by cushions still used in antique furniture.

    However the fabrication of modern sprung cushion inserts utilise light-gauge coil springs encased in a series of thin polyester pockets which are normally referred to as ‘spring pockets’. These spring pockets are placed in the centre of the cushion inserts and sandwiched with polyurethane foam then usually encased with polyester fibre. With moderate to heavy use the spring pockets tend to distort with the springs often fracturing the casings. The result is a distorted and uncomfortable seat cushion and maybe a costly repair bill outside the warranty period.

    What about the option of premium quality foam cushions?

    The sales personnel promoting the “advantages” of sprung cushions usually infer by definition that the base is also sprung but most sprung cushions are on bases fitted with elastic webbing. The truth is that there is nothing wrong with a settee base correctly fitted with high quality elastic webbing. However a superior cushion insert can be effectively achieved by simply using premium quality polyurethane foam encased in polyester fibre and no spring pockets!

    Call Us To Help You With the Cushions on Your Furniture

  • Reupholstery of Late 19th to Mid 20th Century Classic Australian Furniture

    ByFrank Parker
    mid century chair upholstery

    This classic mid century three seater couch was manufactured in 1948 by Hicks Furniture in Kalgoorlie Western Australia. Some classic furniture was made in major WA regional centres from the late-19th century through to the mid-20th century. This was due to the problems associated with long distance transport of bulky fragile items and the fact that many skilled trades people from all walks of life migrated to these areas during the preceding gold rushes. However the other important factor is that the demand existed during this time frame for quality upholstered furniture.

    This midcentury couch was purchased by its current owner who is now 93 years of age when he was married at the age of 24, as a present for his wife. It is interesting to note that it was re-upholstered in the 1970’s. The original sprung edge was replaced with timber rails. The initial upholstery fabric was a tapestry and it was re-upholstered in an olive velvet. Unfortunately the furniture repair of this piece wasn’t detailed. It was limited to only replacing a sprung edge with timber and placing the new fabric over the old sandwiched with a layer of foam.

    We stripped the existing upholstery back to the frame then carefully knocked the joints apart, glued then clamped and screwed the frame where necessary. Our client wanted to retain the history of this mid century sofa so we simply cleaned up the show-wood timber. We also touched up the chips with an oak stain and then used a quality furniture polish to bring back the shine. The frame was then webbed and re-sprung mainly using traditional upholstery methods with an art-deco upholstery fabric. The result is that a classic Australian made couch has been given a new lease of life for future generations to enjoy.

    Call us Today to Have Your Mid Century Furniture Beautifully Restored