Couch and Chair Cushion Renewal

Chair Before

Chair After

This is one of a two-piece set of wicker furniture that received updated cushions with a plush, blue material selected by the customer who also supplied the photos.* She had wanted an updated, modernized appearance for these well worn and loved cushions and chose a lovely color to suit the new appearance. 

The chair matched the wicker couch (photo below). For each cushion I used the original pattern and created the new cushion covers. Since the foam was in usable condition, we decided to keep it instead of replacing it.

There were a total of eight cushions, four smaller for the backrest and four larger from the seats. These cushions were the same 23" width, just the depth was longer for the seats, which were 37-1/2" deep compared to the 20" depth (or height) for the backrests. 

For this job the cushions were a different variety from previous cushions I have made, because they had a "fold-over" style, instead of traditional "boxing." Simply put, this means that the top and bottom are made from one continuous piece of fabric, "folded over," instead of there being two separate top and bottom sections and stitching them to the boxing.

Couch Before

Actually, this style of cushion is much easier to insert the foam into, due to the longer, "overlapping edges" zipper, which creates a larger opening so the foam can be easily slipped into it. Sometimes it is necessary to wrap the foam in a very soft plastic material known as "silk film," which is used in the furniture industry for exactly this purpose. It reduces the friction between the foam and the slipcover that goes over it. 

This process involves wrapping the foam completely with the film and then using a vacuum to shrink the foam by sucking the air from the exterior which then reduces the size of the foam so it easier to insert it into the narrow zippered opening of the outer covering. By making the foam smaller, you have an easier time fitting it into these smaller openings. Although this can certainly be done without using the silk film ( I've done it!), it's easier to use it than not.

In some ways these cushions were easier to construct, once I figured out exactly how the construction was done. I lined up my large outer [top and bottom] material by nothing the centers, then matching up those centers with the zipper panel (a separate piece). After that was accomplished, I knew my corners would line up.

Couch After

 

Once the zipper panel was stitched into place, I attached the side panel boxing, also aligning it with a notched top that matched the outer cover. This system worked well as all the edges were then lined up as they should be. A little ingenuity, patience and time gets the job done.

(Photos were supplied by customer).

Hutch Updated to 21st Century

 

Hutch Before

Many people have a China cabinet or hutch such as this one as they a useful to house those precious collectibles, dishes and fancy glassware. And likely because they tend to be large and cumbersome, people are reluctant to replace them with newer versions because of cost, sentimentality or wanting to leave it to a loved one. This is one of the things we enjoy doing, breathing new life and purpose into such a treasured piece of furniture. Although this cabinet had more than served its purpose and was far from retiring, it required some updating. Still an attractive piece of furniture, it was well worth doing to give it a modernized look while still retaining the elements which were original to the design.

Hutch After

Our customer had wanted to keep the wood look instead of selecting paint, and had chosen a fog gray stain so she could still see the woodgrain. She had also asked that the top scalloping in the center be removed, one update, and the other that the plate rack on the bottom portion be eliminated. She had other plans for this large hutch which didn't involve using it for dishes and collectibles. Therefore Jim cut off the outdated scalloped top and carefully removed the plate rack, which resulted in a modernized, streamlined cabinet. Luckily, this massive piece of furniture came in two sections, as most large pieces do. 

There was a lot of prep work involved. Once the scalloped top and plate rack were removed, he proceeded to mask off the glass and mirrors and start the tedious process of stripping the entire thing. This was quite a lengthy process because of the glass and large mirrors on the top half of the hutch. It was also a large area to cover and some of it was hard to reach, even for Jim who has long arms! So after the stripping and sanding was complete, Jim finished this piece off with satin polyurethane to protect the surfaces. The finalized refinished hutch was stunning. Same bones, different facing. The best of both worlds. 

Our customer had chosen new hardware which looked fabulous and is using this lovely piece as a display case in her office environment. It's very cool to see it in its new home, isn't it? Leave comments below. We'd love to hear from you.

Antique Dresser Freshly Painted "In The Navy" Blue - for Sale!

Dresser After Painting
FOR SALE!

Dresser Before

What you see here is an original antique oak dresser that has been completely modernized with paint, but retaining its original look by reusing the hardware. The frills on the door fronts were removed for a streamlined, clean look. 

First it was stripped, sanded and then painted in a lovely dark shade called "In The Navy." Jim chose to paint this dresser with chalk paint, which requires a finishing treatment of waxing upon completion of painting. The was protects the paint and makes it strong and durable and easy to take care of as it provides a hard finish to the paint, protecting the wood. We've used wax paint on several projects and they always look terrific.

The original hardware was brass, so he cleaned and polished it, making it pop on the newly painted color. The interior drawers were stained and the bottom compartments behind the doors was painted in a light color. Although its primary function was a dresser, this lovely renovated piece of furniture can also be used as a buffet since it has plenty of storage for silverware and plates below and behind the doors. If you wanted a coffee bar, it could be used for that as well. And of course, its original use as a dresser will still suffice. 

This piece is currently for sale. Asking price is $425.00, so please get it touch with us if you are interested!

China Cabinet Transforms to Coffee Station

China Cabinet Before 

New Self-Serve Coffee Bar

This is another example of how to redefine what an item of furniture can become by employing a few creative elements, a dash of imagination and a coat of paint. This was a 1980’s era China cabinet which held a collection of, well, China. It likely housed glasses, knick-knacks and crystal. But my daughter had wanted this cabinet to be used at “Roasted” in downtown Marine City’s Water Street as a self-serve coffee station to replace the old coffee bar during the store’s recent design upgrades and painting.

Her vision was to remove the top doors and paint the entire cabinet, then add wood to the interior to match the paneled wood in the restaurant’s bottom portion of the wall that complements the new paint color. She got the idea on Pinterest, but Jim was able to modify the original design to fit the needs of the coffee shop and size of this general cabinet.

He removed the top glass doors (as they were no longer being used) and lined the interior with the same wood panels to match the theme of the newly decorated coffee shop. Jim removed the original front bottom door panels and replaced them with the same panels as the interior. He built a raised platform so the coffee station would be ergonomically sufficient. This also created storage directly beneath for napkins, sugar, stir sticks, etc. The bottom portion would hold coffee cups and other supplies easily reachable but hidden behind the newly fashioned doors. The final updated cabinet was stunning. A ship’s wheel clock was the perfect design element that perfectly tied in with the coffee shop’s new theme and matched the new coffee station perfectly. You can see the cabinet at “Roasted,” which is located at 218 S. Water Street, Marine City, Michigan.