Cardboard Challenge
Before:
I think this reproduction Edwardian-style armchair was originally from a certain well-known high street retailer. I found an old label stitched inside the seat’s cushion cover.
I thought it had seen better days though I guess those days must have been even shorter then these suddenly dark and chilly ones we have had recently.
So I started ripping it down, you should of seen my face once I saw how the chair was manufactured!..Is there no end to how low some furniture manufacturer’s and suppliers will go (just to make a profit?) When I saw what was lurking underneath this piece I make no exaggeration when I call this a “cardboard copy”
After:
Out went all the nasty cardboard and crumbly foam fillings!
Refurbishing the arms, using English jute webbing and hessian wrapped in new rubberised hair and fresh new foams covered in polyester skin wadding.
The refurbished seat base used the same serpentine spring suspension system which were in decent nick, though this time I lashed the springs so they moved in unison and distributed the weight more evenly, prolonging their life.
The top cover (customer supplied) was from Osbourne & Little; a patterned floral weave called “Chandra”. Using a flame retardent barrier cloth to make the chair as fully compliant with the current health safety and fire regulations.
Finally finishing off the chair with old speckled gold decorative nails, choosing a hessian as a base cloth, sourcing some absolutely beautiful front legs with antique brass castors to replace the original old broken ones which had split and were missing their castors.
A much more distinguished, respectable (as well as upgraded) armchair arrived last night to a pleased customers home.
