Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Very old Wingback

I did it again...Forgot to take a decent before picture that is. This lovely wingback had been upholstered more than once...and as happens occasionally while stripping layers of fabric or wallpaper, the green stripe underneath was awesome! (Of course, all too frequently each layer is more horrifying than the last, like the living room wallpaper in the house we grew up in.) This picture represents the loving labors of my 13-year old helper. I know he is underpaid- please don't report me! The cat is obviously not camera-shy, if anyone is allergic... please let me know and I will not let our cat Mouse near your project. He loves to be wherever we are working.
As for this chair- I would estimate her to be approximately 80 years old... the innards were truly amazing. I have never seen a wingback chair with outside arms reinforced with a curved piece of wood that actually lays over the fabric pieces. The wings are stuffed with horsehair and the cushion is luxurious down. We had some fun (and challenges!) with matching this pattern front/back/side to side. I think she turned out magnificently.





Monday, November 7, 2011

In Every One's Life....


A little mundane must fall. Isn't that how it goes? Seems right- this week anyway. Do you ever find yourself with dreaded projects just staring at you standing in the way of the ones you really want to do? If I wasn't 100% certain that my sweet little old customer is not a blog reader, I would hesitate to complain about the little job I am working on this week, but I am in luck. She does not even own a computer. These two little beauties are not so bad in and of themselves, and a clever little design for piano or vanity stools, swivel base, feminine little backs... however- why? oh why? must we recover them in almost exactly the same thing as they were in before? Don't fear- I will never mock your fabric choice if I have the honor of recovering a beloved piece of your furniture. It is just a real challenge to "recreate" something that could have happened just as easily with a good cleaning. Oh well... this complaining is slowing me down even further. Don't wait for a big reveal...we will all be disappointed.