19th Century British Plantation Chair Re-Caned

Plantation Chair
After

Plantation Chair
Before

Large, one of a kind and very labor intensive, this is a 19th Century British Plantation chair which was in dire need of new caning due to the broken seat area. This was definitely the largest caning chair I had ever done and possibly the largest chair I had ever worked on. I had never seen anything like it, so after some research, I discovered its origin. Used by plantation owners, chairs such as this were preferred for veranda seating due to the caning, which allowed easy air flow to cool its occupant. 

This chair had a feature that I had never seen, dual caning. The front of the chair had strand (woven) caning and the rear had press-in caning. I knew I had a great deal of work ahead of me when I took on this project and I was absolutely right. Because of the sheer size of the chair, it was difficult to reach the farthest points in the curved portion of the chair. There was a lot of stretching and reaching to achieve the results required to make this chair work.

I had to be creative with following the curve of the seat by using a cardboard sleeve to keep the caned strands somewhat even while weaving the strands from the top to the bottom edges of the chair. Since the strands had to follow the lines of the chair and stay loose, it was hard to determine just how loose they needed to be. This was quite difficult. Once I accomplished that, it was time to begin the actual horizontal weave. The farther down I got, the more difficult it became. I had to twist and turn my body to reach these distant areas. (See photo below). Eventually I finished the entire front and tackled the back. This was difficult because the front caning came through the part where the back push-in spline had to go. Suffice it to say it was quite challenging. I was extremely happy to be finished with this chair that took about six weeks of labor intensive work to complete.

Rene's weaving of
the plantation chair

Antique Chair Refinished w/New Cane Seat

Antique Chair
Before

Antique Chair
After

This antique chair had seen better days. It belonged to our customer's great-great grandfather, likely dating back to the early 20th century. Commonly seen with a set around a dining room table, this chair had many spindles and a fair share of darkened stain that needed to be refreshed.

The back had oxidized and had a lot of alligatoring, which is a rough texture formed by years of exposure to either sun or the elements. It had lovely carving which was practically invisible due to the alligatoring. 

The seat had been caned and was broken, so once Jim had finished his magic I tackled it by installing new press-in caning. Once the refinishing had been done and the newly caned seat was installed, the chair one again looked great and would serve for many years to come and may last another 100 years or longer. By stripping off the old stain, the beautiful oak was again exposed, transforming the chair to a younger version of itself.

Antique Dresser Converted Into Wine Cabinet

Dresser After
as Wine Cabinet

Dresser Before

This was originally an antique dresser, likely dating back to the early 1900's as it had been sitting for quite a long time. It had a musty smell, the drawers could not be opened (without a hammer) and the top was warped. Needless to say, this dresser was going to be quite a challenge. 

Our customer had wanted something different, unique for this old lady. She needed to be repurposed into something else. After discussion and brainstorming ideas, it was decided that this old lady would be better suited as a wine cabinet, so Jim got to work on the overall design and started to make it happen. 

In order for this to happen, it required open space, so the top and second drawer were removed completely and a brand new interior structure had to be designed and built. Jim sketched out ideas and came up with the center being open for wine glass storage and the left and right sections, as well as beneath the opening would hold wine bottles. Once he had designed and built the divided sections, he primed and painted it black with chalk paint. We lined the back opening with wallpaper selected by our customer. 

Brass drawer pulls were used for the drawers which matched the brass lock covers perfectly.  Jim even located a skeleton key for the drawers at a local antique store, so they can be locked if needed. The two drawers could be used for utensils or linens, depending on the person's preference. The drawers were also lined with the same wallpaper as the back of the wine area which made it a functional, cohesive design. This was a major overhaul of a once neglected, musty old dresser. The newly painted wine cabinet was fresh, modern and a multi-functional item of furniture, well-suited for entertaining and storage.

Antique Cedar Chest Restoration

Cedar Chest After

Cedar Chest Before

This cedar chest had seen better days as it had been in storage in a garage for several decades. The exterior had become rough, with a sand-like debris covering the front bottom decorative edge. 

The overall condition of this cedar chest was very good, except for the back leg which needed to be tightened because it was loose. The interior was in mint condition, lined with newspapers that dated back to 1954.

The front of this cedar chest had a lovely carving which was hidden by the many years' it had been sitting in storage. It had darkened with age, therefore the lovely detail wasn't as clearly visible as it should have been. It was screaming "make me pretty again!"

The legs were quite decorative with their ball shape, lending a strong, sturdy appearance. The top was quite scratched, with a deep gouge in one area. Jim had his work cut out for him by stripping, sanding and staining this piece and attending to the loose back leg. The front decorative carving was removable, which made it more accessible to refinish, as this was done separately. He used cherry stain which lightened the entire cedar chest, therefore making the front detailed carving more visible, with a striking new appeal. Like many other cedar chests we have done, this one was unique and lovely again.

If you would like to see other cedar chests we have done, please click on the links below.
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2019/11/solid-cedar-chest.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2016/08/1948-lane-cedar-chest_22.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2015/04/elegant-cedar-chest-revival.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2013/12/1945-lane-waterfall-cedar-chest.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-waterfall-cedar-chest.html

Dining Room Chairs Upgrade

Dining Chair
After

Dining Chair
Before

This is one of four dining room chairs which needed an upgrade with new upholstery. The old fabric was still in remarkably good condition, however my customer had wanted to match curtains with the chairs so she chose a silvery-gray fabric which gave the chairs a classy and elegant look.

Unlike most of the other chairs I have worked on, these had a unique approach in how the fabric was attached to the cushion. After inspecting the bottom, I realized there were no screws holding in the seats. Everything was done from bottom up. Beneath the fabric was the Dacron; beneath the Dacron was the foam and underneath everything was the webbing. 

The material had been attached by staples at the base of the seat's top, covered up with double welt cording. In most dining room chairs the seat is removed by unscrewing it from the base, so each seat can be worked on independently of the chair. The advantage is that you have access to the entire seat and can work on a tabletop. For this particular chair, that was not the case. Everything had to be removed and reassembled right on the chair. This leaves little to no room for error (not that that ever happens...lol). Once I established how these seats were put together, I proceeded to yank off the old welt cording, then removed staples, lots and lots of staples at the base of the seat, surrounding the entire chair.

Because these chairs needed new cushions, I removed the old Dacron and cushions and replaced them with new high density foam. I also reinforced the old webbing by adding some new webbing strips to give the bottom extra firmness and support. The old webbing was likely original, narrow and a little sloppy. I used three inch jute webbing, which provides a stronger, more stable seat. For the cushions, I used the old cushions for size and shape, then cut the new ones and aligned them on the webbing, then secured them with staples on the bottom edge. 

New Dacron covered the foam and then the chairs were ready for new new fabric. Slow is pro, so I took my time and made sure the material covered the chair enough to allow for the staples without covering the lip of the seat. The final step was gluing the double welt cording to the bottom edge which covers the staples while providing an elegant finishing touch to the seats. Two of the chairs required a replacement of the chambray dust cover, so once those were done, my project was complete.

Dining Chair
Before/After

 

Antique Dresser Beautfication

Dresser After

Dresser Before

A lovely piece of furniture that had seen better days, this antique mahogany dresser was a great piece to make beautiful again. The beautification process for this little gem started by removing the old knobs, repairing the drawers which included replacing one of the drawer bottoms and proceed with stripping, sanding and applying new stain. 

We selected red mahogany stain with satin finish for this piece which was appropriate for the vintage and wood style.

The original knobs were made of wood, which were switched out with brushed brass knobs. This really made this little dresser into a lovely finished piece of furniture and a great addition to any household.
 

Dry Seak Freshen Up

Dry Sink After

Dry Sink Before

This little cabinet is commonly referred to as a dry sink. Before they had indoor plumbing, people would keep a large wash basin on the top of such a cabinet with towels and toiletries beneath for a quick freshen up. 

It didn't need an entire refinishing, just a little bit of refresh. This included replacing the top drawer bottom which was damaged and wouldn't close easily. Jim replaced the broken piece with new wood and strengthened it in the process.

Made of sturdy oak, this dry sink was in really great shape. After he cleaned and refreshed it, the natural beauty of the wood came through. Oddly enough, the cabinet door did not have a knob, so we're not sure how a person would have opened it without opening the top drawer and pushing on the door. It didn't even have a hole where a knob would have been. Luckily we had a glass knob in our repertoire of supplies which matched pretty well and looked great once it was installed. 

The customer took the "before" photo, so it looks much darker than the "after" photo due to the lighting. The "after" photo is more representative of how the actual dry sink looked, which was a much lighter shade of oak and looked terrific.

Grandpa's Rocking Chair Makeover

Rocking Chair After

Rocking Chair Before

Well used and worn out, this was once a grandfather's favorite chair. It had been reupholstered a long time ago prior to my getting it, so the material was quite faded, stretched out and dirty. The seat had broken springs, so the chair was literally sinking. Needless to say, the chair was not usable in its condition and needed a lot of TLC as well as new materials, inside and out.

Removing the old fabric is always time-consuming because there are plenty of staples. First I had to remove the upholstery tacks which had been used along with gimp as a trim on the front and back sides and bottom edge. Personally I don't care much for upholstery tacks, because as wood ages it becomes even harder and the tacks inevitably bend so much after you hammer them in, they shift and don't line up where you start. I prefer to use welt cording instead of tacks.

Once I had removed all the fabric, I tackled the seat area and removed the old burlap and worn out seat padding. The springs had come loose and were poking right through the chambray dust cover. Because they had come off the wood, they were quite tangled in the chambray and made the bottom fabric material challenging to remove. Finally, once everything was taken off I could access the springs to reattach them to the framework. Luckily they were in great condition as I like using the original springs when possible.

After the springs were reattached, I covered them with burlap, then laid one inch padding on top of the burlap. This was followed by two layers of dacron and a layer of raw cotton batting, which made for a cushy, crown-soft seat ready for fabric. My customer had selected a taupe/brown plush material with a pattern of alternating nap squares which created an attractive highlighted and low lighted effect. 

With the seat finished, I moved started on the top of the chair. The original design had a welt cord at the neck level with a "pillow" for a headrest, so I recreated that look by sewing two sections of fabric together, adding a welt cord between them to replicate the original. I liked the detail of the welt cord in that area. After I attached the front, I moved on to the back, attaching it at the top with an invisible seam by using cardboard strip and staples, then flipping the material down and attaching it to the bottom of the chair. This made for a streamlined look. To finish off the chair, I used double welt cording for trim on the sides and continued on the back. This chair was unique because it had wheels only in the front. After completion, the chair looked great and will greet many generations to come.

    Before & After

Twin Rocking Chairs Makeover

Rocking Chair After

Rocking Chair Before

This was a dual set of identical rocking chairs which ended up being painted instead of being refinished and stained. They came to us without cushions, just an old seat covering and broken springs. Jim worked his magic by first sanding and priming the chairs before painting them. Then it was my turn.

To modify and update these twin chairs, I used jute webbing instead of springs for the center opening on the seat area. This worked very well and will do the job of sustaining comfort and support. This is a commonly used method for this application. The customer chose a lovely dark blue/gray color and matching plaid fabric which looked great. 

I designed and sewed two sets of cushions for these chairs, one for the seat and one for the backrest. The seat cushion had a 2" foam for support and comfort while the back was filled with soft fiberfill used for chair stuffing. I liked this choice because it made for a very comfortable backrest with adequate support. 

For an added elegant touch, I chose satin buttons to decorate the back cushions, evenly spaced for an aesthetic appeal. For the skirting I used my ruffle foot on my sewing machine which created evenly space ruffles all the way around the 60" perimeter of the seat. This was the perfect finishing touch for the chairs.

Antique Rocking Chair Reupholstered

Rocking Chair
Before

This was an antique rocking chair which my customer had refinished prior to my

Rocking Chair
After

receiving it to be reupholstered. The customer had selected a light weave material which looked great with the dark stain on the mahogany wood. The springs were in pretty good condition, so they didn't require to be re-tied. I covered the springs with upholstery burlap, a normal procedure for this type of chair. (The customer supplied the "before" photo since they did the refinishing and I did the upholstery only).

The wood was in great shape and the chair was sturdy and well preserved. The material was a linen weave in a light cream color, well suited to the color of the stain selected by my customer. I finished off the chair with welt cording on the front and rear seat portion for a touch of elegance and style.

Caned Chairs Repaired

Caned Chair After
w/repaired seat

Caned Chair Before
w/broken seat

Caned chairs are a nice addition to a home because they add a customized, textured touch with their hand caned seats. Unfortunately, they are easily damaged when someone tries to stand on them or can be damaged with a knee placed strategically in the center of the seat itself, which results in broken cane. 

These two caned chairs were strand caned, therefore each seat is hand woven with individual strands of very long caning, a natural product grown in warm climates, such as southeast Asia,  including Malaysia, China, Singapore and the Philippines. History shows that caning is an ancient craft dating back to Egyptian times.

This natural cane originates in the Rattan family, which is a wild creeping vine that grows freely in these countries. The outer bark is stripped away, leaving a shiny exterior bark. This is used for chair caning. The strands used in this style of caning can be up to 12 feet long. Each strand is then carefully woven through the holes on the outer edge of the chair's seat (and back) and follows a specific pattern to create the finished caned seat. The weaving process is time-consuming and can take 2-4 days to complete one chair. 

The first chair in this pair has a larger seat area than the second chair, so it took a bit longer to complete. Caned chairs can be painted or stained, but I don't recommend it because it dries out the natural caning, which ultimately makes it weaker and more apt to become damaged. 

Chair After
w/repaired seat

Chair Before
w/broken seat

Caning can also be done in a "press-in" manner, which differs because the caning is purchased as a pre-fabricated, woven section and pressed into a channel cut into the seat with a spline that secures the caning tightly into the opening. It is important to pre-soak the caning for at least an hour before it is pliable to press into the opening of the seat. 

No matter what form of caning chair you choose to furnish your home with, it is going to create a warm, inviting touch showing the natural fibers of the caning as well as the craftsmanship of the person who created it.

Bookshelves Refinished after Fire Damage

Bookshelf 1 after

Bookshelf 1 before

This is one of four bookshelves that had been damaged in a house fire. The top had suffered smoke and water damage. The surface was charred and in need of stripping as well as deep sanding to revive the surface areas. This bookshelf was made out of oak, so luckily it sanded nicely and the damaged areas were brought to their original beauty. Jim chose Ipswich Pine stain for all the bookshelves, which proved to be a great choice. Protecting the newly refinished surface, he used satin polyurethane to give it a nice, smooth finish.

Bookshelf 2 after

Bookshelf 2 before

This is the second bookshelf that had been damaged in a fire. The top was in rough condition but the shelves weren't terrible. It too required deep sanding and a liberal application of stripper. Because of the extensive damage to the top, Jim needed to trim away the decorative top edge and leave it with flat front and sides, which gave this bookshelf a more contemporary look.

Bookshelf 3 before

Bookshelf 3 after

Jim was able to save the top of this bookshelf as well as the one below it. What a huge difference stripping and sanding makes! There is more fire damaged furniture soon for Jim to work on. As soon as it is complete, I will post it here.

Bookshelf 4 before

Bookshelf 4 after

Drum Table Refinished

Drum Table After

Drum Table Before

Many people have owned or seen a drum table such as this one. Still in usable condition, this little table had seen better days. This was a smaller version of previous drum tables we have refinished and was only about 16" in diameter, a perfect size to set in a corner for an accent table which can hold a decorative item such as a vase or showpiece of art. 

The little drawer had a unique lion head brass drawer pull which had oxidized over the years so it was barely visible. Yup, this table required a bit of beautification and refinishing.

Jim carefully stripped, sanded and stained this drum table with a customized mix of blended stains to best bring out the lovely mahogany color, showing off the hidden woodgrain. Having only three legs, this table also had brass feet which were practically invisible because like the lion head drawer pull, they too had oxidized and darkened. 

The brass lion head and feet were also polished to remove the oxidation and once again showing off the beauty of the original brass which looked terrific with the newly refinished table. Once the table had been refinished and all brass work polished, it once again looked as beautiful as it had so many years ago after its original construction and will look good for another 75 or 100 years for future generations to enjoy.

Outdated Ottoman Upgrade

Ottoman After

Ottoman Before

Worn and threadbare, this ottoman had seen better days. The original material had a quilted top and at one time was very fashionable, however after many years of use, it needed a major upgrade with new material. 

The seams were barely held together with stitching that had long since deteriorated, with the cushion pushing through an opening created by the torn material. This was a Queen Anne style ottoman, with traditional curved wooden legs, commonly seen on this style of furniture.

This ottoman proved to be a complex upholstery job, because of the way the top cushion had been attached to the underside of the cushion's section. There simply wasn't any way to install a cushion in this type of application without having some sort of access to it, like a zipper. Through extensive removal of staples along with the original material, I discovered that sure enough, there was a zipper on the underside of the cushion. The adjoining sections were attached to the zippered section, then all were stretched as one unit over the ottoman starting from the top and continuing all the way to the bottom edge and secured with staples. I added three rows of cording as was in the original design, which gave the update ottoman the final classic finish it deserved. 

My customer had provided the fabric which was a nice geometric design on a blue background. The fabric was great to work with and durable enough to last many years to come. 

Solid Cedar Chest Refinished

Cedar Chest After

Cedar Chest Before

A family heirloom such as this can become worn and scratched over the years, because it has been used by many people for various purposes. However, with the proper care and refinishing a lovely cedar chest such as this one can once again claim its rightful place among the precious memories it held for its previous generations.

This was a solid cedar chest with a brass latch closure on the front and brass accents on the top with decorative nails in each corner. In order to do the job correctly, Jim removed the brass accents on the top and polished them, replacing the old nails with new ones that contrasted nicely with the freshly polished brass. The interior was in immaculate condition, so it required no restoration. Sometimes the interiors of cedar chests have broken elements, such as a pull-out hinged shelf. In that case the hinge would have to be replaced and the shelf repaired. (We actually have a cedar chest with this feature). 

Since cedar chests can be very detailed or relatively simple in design such as this one was, they still have distinguishing features that differentiate them from others. This one had nice curved leg bottoms with a rosette design on the front. The soft curves are a nice contrast to the straight lines of the overall furniture. The front of this cedar chest had a brass latch to match the brass corner accents on the top of the chest. Over the years the locks are usually gone or have been removed to protect children from being locked inside. It's always nice to have the original hardware when refinishing a cedar chest or any other piece of furniture since finding the exact same hardware can be quite a challenge, but oh so gratifying when you do find it!

After Jim stripped and sanded this cedar chest and all the hardware was polished, he used a "natural" stain which is practically clear and protected it with two coats of satin polyurethane. The transformation was impressive and once again this cedar chest became a treasured heirloom to welcome future generations.

To see more cedar chests, please click on the links below:

https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2019/11/solid-cedar-chest.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2016/08/1948-lane-cedar-chest_22.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2015/04/elegant-cedar-chest-revival.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2013/12/1945-lane-waterfall-cedar-chest.html
https://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-waterfall-cedar-chest.html

Fireplace Mantel Revival

Mantel After

Mantel Before

This was an awesome looking mantel which the customer had purchased to update his fireplace. Unfortunately, someone else did the refinishing and didn't wipe off the stain, so the surface wasn't up to par. It required extensive stripping with attention to detail in removing the excess stain in the crevices of the corbels. 

The mantel was made from oak, but the corbels may have been a different wood since they accepted the stain much darker than the mantel itself, therefore left a variance in color. It actually looked pretty good once it had been finished and installed by the customer. Sometimes the finishing touch is the installation which makes the entire job look effortless, despite the amount of work involved in achieving it. Jim had to separate the corbels from the mantel while working on it to get better access to each piece. This is a better way to achieve great results when stripping multiple pieces. Once everything was stripped completely, he sanded the surfaces so they would accept the new stain. The end result was a much nicer, updated mantel which looked great with the new brick fireplace surround ad hearth.
 

Old Rocking Chair Revival

Rocking Chair After

Rocking Chair Before

Some projects go very smoothly. This rocking chair was not one of them since it was in dire straits. The arms were shredded and there was a large hole on the right top of the seat. The rocking chair was over 45 years old and had seen a lot of use, possibly damaged from a dog as well. Indeed, it was time for an upholstery revival on this old rocking chair.

The seat cushion was badly worn and the foam was so flat it wasn't able to support you properly. Originally a 3" cushion, the old cushion had been reduced to about 1-1/2 to 2". I had a brand new T-cushion made then designed a brand new cushion cover with the new material. It turned out perfectly. T-cushions can be tricky especially with top and bottom welt cording, which I used for this cushion. The curve-around zipper makes it easy to slip over the foam. Once that was complete, I tackled the back portion.

Unlike other chairs I've done, this one had a separate cushion on the front half but it was stitched to the inner back panel with the back section wrapped around the top and sides of the chair and attached to the interior of the back and sides. This made the removal process extremely difficult and as I soon found out as I progressed with the removal of the old material, it was apparent that this factory style method of construction would be impossible to duplicate. 

This turned out to be a typical catch 22 situation; during fabric stripping, I had to remove each section to learn how it was assembled, but when the time came to stitch it back together, I couldn't replicate the exact method as it was put together, since it had been taken apart to use for templates. Even with detailed markings, numbering and many photos, I found it simply wasn't possible to recreate the original construction, so I chose to build this rocking chair by building loose cushions for both the seat as well as the back. My preferred method had a couple of great advantages. It made the project's assembly much more efficient, because with loose cushions as opposed to attached, they can be easily dry-cleaned, plus the cushions can be reversed for even wear. Finally, the overstuffed cushions were really comfortable. Bonus!

I padded the backing and covered it with fabric front and back after replacing the original, insufficient webbing.  They had only three strips and I replaced those with four. Much stronger and more support. The under spring assembly was also covered with thin foam and finished off with the floral material. Edge rolls were used for comfortable seating. Once the structure was all done and the cushions in place, it fit together perfectly.

The customer selected a lovely floral pattern which was a far cry from the original outdated and worn material which had seen better days. The bones of the chair were very good, strong and stable, so with the newly upholstered material, this chair should last for many years to come.