Saddle Stool Upholstery Makeover

Stool After

Stool Before

This little stool had come to me with a very worn vinyl top. The center bracket was pushed in so far you could see the staples that were attached to the cardboard that held it in place. Once I removed all the tacks surrounding the seat's top, I was able to take the entire seat off and work on it. I immediately saw what the problem was with the original structure of the seat. 

The foam was only on one side of the top, held on by thick cardboard that had cracked, allowing the breakdown of the foam, which led to the destruction of the seat itself. I didn't do it that way. I put foam on each side of the center bracket and secured it with new webbing. Once I had the center filled in, I added a layer of foam on the top which gave it a nice crown. It will not collapse again as the webbing will hold the entire thing in place for a very long time. I used bronze tacks to finish off the top and gave the chair a touch-up on the worn legs. It was much more functional once I had repaired it and looked a whole lot better.

Antique Tool Box Makeover

Tool Box After

Tool Box Before

This was an interesting refinishing project that Jim had. Our customer had inherited this antique tool box from her grandfather. Jim had researched this toolbox to get an idea on its age and determined it was approximately one hundred years old, possibly more. It had seen better days for sure but Jim was up for the challenge. Made of durable, sturdy tiger oak, this toolbox would be repurposed as a jewelry box. 

Someone had used old floor tiles to line the drawers, so Jim was concerned that they may have used asbestos tiles, so we had it tested and it turned out to be safe, no asbestos. Once that was determined, he began the tedious process of removed all the hardware and carefully peeling off the old tiles to expose the interior wood. It was in rough shape, but the goal would be to line it with burgundy felt which would protect the jewelry it would hold. 

After he had the wood refinished, he installed the newly polished hardware which turned  out beautiful. My job was the line the interior with the felt, carefully applying it to cover the old wood. The color was the right choice and it was transformed to a lovely jewelry box which will last for generations to come.

Rocking Chair Gets New Caned Seat

Rocking Chair
After

Rocking Chair
Before

Another broken seat in need of repair. I think they should declare March "National Caning Month," because this is the second cane repair chair I have completed this month. The other rocker was published just last week. These two came to me from Pleasant Ridge from a referral from a friend who lives there and replied to a couple of women who wanted to find someone who does caning. I much appreciate getting referrals, as I imagine they do as well since I know there are not many people who offer caning services anymore.  

This rocking chair was made of maple and was in very good condition otherwise, except for the broken seat. When caning become brittle as it ages, it is easier to damage, so the seats tend to go first. This was a hand woven caning job, also known as strand caning. It takes considerably longer than press-in caning, which comes in a sheet and is secured with a spline on a groove which is cut into the seat's perimeter. 

I received two of press in style cane chairs over the weekend and will be working on those this week as soon as the materials come on Wednesday. In a way I prefer the strand (woven) caning to the press in caning method. It is a process that can be relaxing once you get a flow and follow the weave carefully. This one turned out great. What a difference a new caned seat makes in the overall appearance of a chair. 

Eighteenth Century Music Chair Reupholstered

Music Chair
Before

Music Chair
Before

This was one of the oldest projects I had ever worked on, an eighteenth century music chair. It had a unique swivel seat that raised and lowered with each rotation. The original decal was still intact and considering its age, was quite amazing. The back of the chair had a "harp like" shape, perfect for the music theme it portrayed. However, it had definitely seen better days and needed a new seat as the one that was on there had worn off and was torn. 

Once I removed the top fabric I saw that there was yet another fabric beneath it, which I believed was the original material. After two centuries, the material was quite brittle and practically fell apart while I removed it. Once the material was gone, I removed the rest of the seat which had webbing which had lost its stretch and was bowed in the center. Lots of tiny nails to remove which was time consuming. 

I replaced the old webbing with brand new 3" webbing for a secure, strong seat that would support an individual sitting on it. I added a layer of burlap to cover the webbing. This adds more stability to the seat. Then it was time to carefully cover the burlap with raw cotton, which comes on a roll. It was not necessary to use a large amount due to the small size of the seat, but it was plush and soft which served the purpose well. A thin layer of foam and covered with muslin was the last step before I secured the new fabric, which matched the decor of the chair perfectly. I finished the edges with gimp and secure it with bronze upholstery tacks that matched the color of the chair. The chair was once again pretty and ready for future generations to enjoy.

Antique Rocking Chair Cane Replacement

Rocking Chair
After

Rocking Chair
Before

This was a lovely antique rocking chair with a damaged cane seat in need of replacement. The old cane was quite brittle, so easily breakable. It is not uncommon for these chairs to become broken as they age by simply sitting on them improperly or putting a knee on the seat which usually results in breakage. I estimated this chair was about one hundred years old, so it's not too surprising that it was broken. 

This style of chair was a strand cane, which means each strand is woven individually, one at a time and threaded throughout the chair front to back, left to right then diagonally in a series of steps that weave the caning so it makes a new, secure seat. For this chair I used 2.5 mm cane which is considered fine.

First the old cane must be removed by snipping away the center seat then carefully removing the binding, which holds the edges together and is a final step in the caning process. This type of caning is very tedious and takes several days from start to finish. It is rewarding work, but requires a lot of dedication and patience. With proper care and use, this chair's cane could last another hundred years or more.