Button Fluted Chair Makeover

 

Chair After

Chair Before

This is another classic style chair with fluted channels and buttons to accent the back. It had definitely seen better days since it had a damaged, torn seat from an active dog. The chair itself was very durable and structurally sound, needing no tightening or other repair work. But like many chairs of this style, it had many, many staples to remove which was a very time-consuming process. My customer chose the fabric which was a lovely large floral print on a dark teal background.

And to make matters even more time-consuming, the staples were quite rusty, which made them a bit tougher to remove. This chair may have been in a damp environment, hence the rusty staples, but the fabric had no mold or odors, so despite the dampness, it was dry and odorless.

Removing the fabric is the opposite of putting it on. I removed the welting on the back first before removing the entire back itself. I kept the pieces in tact as I was planning on using them as templates. This is much easier than making the patterns without the original pieces, which I’ve also done. For this particular style of chair having those template pieces was invaluable. I had to carefully transfer the markings for the fluted back and button positions from the old fabric to the new fabric. 

Using a heat removable marker, I transferred the lines to the new fabric. The back consisted of four layers; the outer fabric, the batting, the 1/4” foam and the liner which is the very back fabric (I used muslin), not seen when the chair is put together. The challenging part of this process was stitching all those layers together while keeping them from moving too much. This took the better part of the afternoon to accomplish. The chair also had fabric covered buttons which had to made individually as I don’t own an automatic button maker. (....some day...). 

After I had the seat all done, I began the slow process of attaching the thickly padded back. Starting at the top and temporarily attaching it to the center back, I worked the layers through the bottom wood structure of the chair and attaching it to the lower portion of the wood. All this is not seen once the chair is done. Once I was sure the backing was lined up, I finished attaching it securely. After the front of the back was installed, I attached the very back which covers up the interior of the chair. I covered the back with Dacron batting then used tack strip, which attaches to the wood of the chair all the way down to the arms, then the fabric is tucked between the tacks and folded then hammered with a rubber mallet, attaching it firmly to the back. At the juncture of the arms, I attached the rest of the fabric with staples as that part would be covered with welting.

I then attached the welting below where the tack strip ended, curving around the arms and again on the top curve of the front legs. This is decorative and effective way to finish the chair while covering any raw edges of the fabric. Many chairs have tacks that are used for this purpose, but I prefer welting (also called piping or cording) because once you remove the original tacks, it is hard to apply new ones without defaulting to the old holes, which don’t always line up. Many times the tacks break or bend and can’t be used, especially on very hard wood such as maple or oak. Welting is a great alternative and a cleaner look.

I loved the lines an shape of this chair and boy, was it comfortable to sit on when it was finished!

Fluted Chair Reupholstery Rescue!

Chair After

Chair Before

This chair was in desperate need of being rescued from severe damage from an enthusiastic dog or two. The seat was not usable because the springs were exposed from the large tear and were also damaged beneath. The left arm had been chewed to expose the wood. This chair certainly needed a lot of attention and dedication of time to bring it back to life.

The style of this chair is fluted, or channel back. These “flutes” or “channels” are created by sewing the separate front strips of fabric to a large backing with lines marked according to size, then stitched to the backing fabric and stuffed with cotton or polyester fiberfill to create the flutes.

My first approach was to remove all the old fabric, nails, staples, stuffing and webbing. Once I got down to the springs, I realized they needed to be re-tied which meant they had to be removed along with the old webbing which holds the springs in place. This is an intense process that takes a lot of patience and time to do it right. But there are no shortcuts to good upholstery. Once the springs were secured and tied, I began to build up the seat to create that nice “crown” which is an important element in a nicely structured chair. The first step was to cover those springs with burlap and secure it to all the sides, keeping the springs in their respective places. A layer of cotton batting was next, followed by a section of foam to cover the seat, another two layers of batting then covered with a large sheet of high thread count muslin. This gives the seat a pre-finished look and the top fabric a good foundation to adhere to.

Once the seat was done, the next step was the interior of the arms. Like the seat, I added several layers of batting to build up the arms, then covered them with the new fabric. You must have a “feel” for how much batting to use. Once you’re satisfied with the cushy feeling, it’s ready for fabric. Then it was time to install the flutes.  Essentially flutes or channels are constructed with a series of separate fabric sections stitched together to create one large piece, which is then attached to the chair as one unit. This is tricky because the flutes, or channels, must remain centered while you are working the fabric, attaching them to the top and bottom of the chair. Lots of tugging and pulling at this point! The center flutes were pre-stuffed prior to attachment, then the edges are filled in place after the flutes are attached by filling in the areas with layers of cotton or poly batting, then secured with staples.

Next step was the outside of the arms. I attach them using cardboard strips stapled underneath the side arms then pulled downward and attached to the underside of the chair. Snip close to the curve so later you can finish it off with the cording or piping. Lastly was the back. I use ply-grip, which are sharp little spikes on a roll that attaches to the curved back of the chair with staples or nails, then each ply-grip section is bent toward the chair halfway, while gently folding the fabric into it. Once all the fabric is wrapped around the sharp spikes, you pound the ply-grip down with a rubber mallet or hammer to secure it permanently to the back. This provides a seamless, clean back.

The fun part was adding the piping/cording to the front arms and around the back where the ply-grip was attached. This is my favorite part because it means I’m close to being done! The chair was very challenging but each time I work on such a project, I learn a new skill or how to do something a little bit better and that’s the true reward of this type of work.

Left side before - Right side after

Antique Parlor Chair Gets New Caning

 

Cane Chair Before

Cane Chair After

When a knee ends up in the seat of a caned chair, well, you have a problem, but not to worry, because it is fixable. It simply needs to be replaced with new caning. This antique parlor chair (it was so cute) had a perfectly round seat with a broken caned center. Like many caned chairs, they are not designed for a sudden, rapid force, such as a knee pushed in the center or a child who jumps from the chair, using it as a launching pad. Cane breaking is not uncommon, especially in old chairs. Unfortunately there’s no quick way to “fix” them. The cane must be replaced.

This little gem had strand caning, which is the weaving that requires a hank of cane in a specified size that is woven directly onto the holes surrounding the perimeter of the seat. I actually prefer this caning to the “press in” spline caning, because the process is quite relaxing. I work on chairs in my lovely sunroom (lots of natural daylight) while trying to keep my cats away from their natural instinct of pulling at what I’m tugging, which is each strand of cane as I weave it through the chair! They indeed love playing. Sadie likes to “sneak” off with a section of cane then run away, feeling like she got away with it. 😂

This chair had spindles on the front legs and overall, the chair was in great shape. You can’t beat hardwood, especially in antiques. They made furniture to last back then. Therefore when people ask the question, “Is it worth restoring?” I always answer with “yes,” because you already have the value in the chair (or other furniture item) so why not get it refinished and keep it another 100 years. It’s something to pass down for future generations. Because once they’re gone, they’re gone. Preserving the past, a bit of history, is a great way to appreciate the artistry created by someone who may not be around anymore. Get it done and you won’t regret it.

Sadie, my “helper"

Oak Teacher’s Desk Revival

Teacher's Desk Before

Remember elementary school? Do you still remember your teacher’s desk? Well, this was once a teacher’s desk that used way back in the day of notebooks (not laptop computers), pencils, typewriters and maybe even an apple on the teacher’s desk. 

Unlike the desks I remember from my early school years, this one had a unique feature; a slide-out, built-in filing cabinet with many cubby holes and slots for letters and other teacher-ish items. I had never seen a desk like this one. And you can imagine how extremely heavy it was!

Teacher's Desk After

The desk top had been destroyed by fire. Our customer thought the top had water damage, but upon closer inspection, it was fire, not water that had destroyed the top. We also noted that the original desk was likely a roll top, which was no longer part of the desk. Unfortunately the top’s damage was so severe, it was not able to be restored. It had to be replaced. 

We generally prefer to use the original pieces of our furniture restoration process, but when that isn’t an option, we rebuild it to resemble as closely to the original design as possible. The burnt top was comprised of border sections surrounding the center sections instead of larger boards simply glued together to create a uniform, single directional top. This was more involved and complex than a directional top and required much more wood in various lengths, but the new top was outstanding when it was done. Jim did a tremendous job in rebuilding the  top to best represent the original one. If I was the teacher, I’d give him an A+!

Tedious would be an understatement in describing the process of refinishing and restoring this desk. Every drawer had to be removed and labeled. The pull-out filing cabinet was its own entity that required even more disassembly and extra steps. The unique part of this little cabinet was that it rotated so that the teacher could easily access the files in the back. It also had its original snap-in alphabetical folders that the teacher probably used to keep track of her students. The handles did not come off, so the stripping and sanding process involved keeping them in place and working around them. The inside of the desk,  as well as the back, also had to be stripped, sanded and refinished. The stain used was golden oak with satin polyurethane to protect the desk for years to come. 

Burnt Top

Newly Built Top