Antique Reproduction Indonesian Furniture

REUPHOLSTERY OF ANTIQUE SEAT FURNITURE

“What on earth am I going to do with this?” is often the cry of an upholsterer confronted with a rather down-at-heel looking piece of seat furniture, obviously of some age, and a client whose wishes are that the item is to be used regularly.
It is assumed that the upholsterer, in addition to his upholstery skills, has an understanding of the upholstery techniques and profiles of the varying styles of upholstered furniture from the 16th century to the present day.

The purpose of this article is to set out the methods we do use. I do not claim they are the only method, or the best method, but they do fulfil the following criteria.

* The wishes of the client.
* Pictorial record of the treatment.
* The reinstatement of the piece with any original stuffing preserved.
* The profiles of the upholstery accord with the style of the piece.
* The least damage to the frame.

Chair circa 1827 with collapsed upholstery.

Having recorded instructions from the client and before commencement of any work, it is of the utmost importance that the chair is photographed from all angles, for future reference if required, and as part of the before and after record. The removal of each layer of cover is photographed and the sequence of the covers (this could be two or three) carefully recorded and retained. Each layer of upholstery must also be photographed with particular attention to the manner of the stitching.

The type of webbing and colour can also be significant and must be photographed. At this stage it is easy to discern whether or not the upholstery is the original by the number of tack holes in the frame. More often than not the tacking section of the rails are full of tack holes and are dry and brittle, but nevertheless there still may be parts of the stuffing that are original and are worth preserving in the restored piece.

The frame is the most important part of the chair and as aforementioned, the tacking sections of the rails are generally in poor condition and need treatment before re-upholstery can commence. Whether the tacking section of the rail is replaced or built up with sawdust and glue is a decision that needs to be taken in consultation with, or undertaken by, a competent furniture restorer.

The upholsterer at this stage must have a complete picture in his mind of how the finished piece should look, taking into account the age and style of the frame and the profile of the upholstery that conforms to that style.

Tacks or staples?

To many people the use of staples in antique furniture is unthinkable; I will confess at once that I am not of this school of thought and providing I can gain the acquiescence of the client, I advocate their use at very stage for the following reasons.

* They cause much less damage to the frame:
o two tiny pinholes
o one hit and they are home
o because the staple gun is placed in position before firing, there can be no damage to the gilded or polished show wood.
* Staples can be easily removed
o By hand, using a staple remover and pliers. No jarring of the frame by the use of mallet and chisel.
o Placing well-spaced staples at an angle, the staple remover can be inserted without damaging the show wood.
* We are not trying to prove that the upholstery is anything other than a 21st century reconstruction.

Re-upholstery of 1827 chair
Photographs should be taken to capture the techniques used at each stage.

New webbing should be attached to the top surface of the seat rail. Any of the original webs should be laid on top of the new web and secured in position by sewing only. New hessian, or original if available is then stapled over the webs. The first stuffing is constructed and stitched to the required profile. If the original first stuffing exists, then this is to be replaced complete with stitching and covered with a new layer of scrim and restitched to give a firm profile t match the original. It is important to state at this time that the seat rail must not be chamfered to accommodate the first stuffing. This is a later adjustment and not applicable to furniture of the 1920s and earlier.

The second stuffing now takes place. If the stuffing is new it should match the original, if it is original, it should be cleansed, teased and replaced. A new Holland cover should be placed over the second stuffing, (if Holland was the original covering and not able to be re-used).

Cotton wadding. There was no wadding between the Holland and the cover on the few chairs of this date with the original cover and upholstery we have seen. Nevertheless, owing to the inferior quality of the stuffing materials today, I believe it necessary to use a layer of skim wadding for safety’s sake. The finish cover is applied with staples and placed at an angle (shown in the first picture above).

Chairs of this period often had open basket gimps of various sizes placed around the sharp stitched edge of the upholstery as well as to cover the fixings. These require to be sewn with a fine circular needle so that all the loops are caught as well as the more solid section. Gluing is neither practical nor desirable.

Finally, it is important that a copy of the set of photographs showing your work on the furniture should be sent to the client for future reference.

It is an alarming thought that over the years upholsterers of undoubted skill have thrown away stuffings and covers as rubbish without any consideration as to the whether the stuffings are original, or without noting the techniques the upholsterer used. So much of the history of the development of upholstery techniques has been lost through this lack of concern. It is well to remember that upholstery techniques did not stop developing on the advent of mass production and foam.

If any of our members are fortunate enough to receive an item of seat furniture of possibly historic interest and they are not too sure how to deal with it, please ring the AMUSF for advice.

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Indonesian Interior Design Launches Handmade Antique Wood Furniture

Indonesian interior design has launched a new service designing and hand-making unique furniture, mirrors, beds, sleigh beds, dining tables and other pieces of furniture. Customers can find it difficult to find antique pieces for unusual shaped or sized spaces and this service provides an opportunity to get the piece of furniture that suits the space perfectly.
Every piece is designed uniquely for each customer and can incorporate any design feature and be a mixture of styles. The aim is to create modern art from ancient wood.
Every piece is handmade and hand carved with real dove tail jointing and incredible attention to detail. Pieces can be of any size and we are happy to include any special features that are required. Where possible we incorporate antique carvings as well as period antique wood.

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Learning to build furniture teaches lessons

All I wanted was a bathroom vanity. Instead, I discovered my inner craftsman. It started with the renovation of the master bedroom. The face lift would eliminate a couple of design flaws that existed in a home my wife, Bridgit, and I bought it in 1995. Gone would be the carpet in the bathroom (yuck). Gone would be the entry into the bedroom via the bathroom (awkward). We changed the floor plan by eliminating a small closet. After new tile was installed and paint was splashed on the walls, all that was left was the vanity. Picking one out would be as easy as cutting a miter joint — or so I thought. I had left an unusual space — 92 inches, to be precise — for the vanity, sandwiched between two walls. The sink had to be on the right side to hook up to the plumbing as I didn’t want to punch a hole into the drywall and reroute pipes. Trips to a few hardware stores were fruitless. Because of its odd size, a granite top, costing about $500, would have to be ordered. So would the cabinet itself. I couldn’t find what I needed, and I didn’t want to wait six to eight weeks for a special order. The more I looked, the more I thought, “Hey, I could build this.”

And I did, with the help of Ed Stirgus. I was introduced to my mentor about five years ago. It might as well have been 25. I hadn’t used a clamp, panel saw or jigsaw since building a bedroom set four years ago. That’s when I gave it up. I thought I was done. “You have to be teachable,” said Stirgus, a New Orleans native with 22 years of woodworking experience. “Skill level doesn’t matter. I always had a love for woodworking. In actuality, I couldn’t put two boards together. I never thought I’d be teaching it.” I never thought I could learn it … again. I found my old tool belt in the garage, strapped it on and got to work with Stirgus, who has a full complement of woodworking equipment, which he shares, along with his expertise, with friends working on specific projects. I drew blueprints and picked out wood at Plywood Hawaii — African mahogany. Dark. Rich. A nice contrast to the red oak bedroom set. It took about eight weeks, building twice a week, about eight hours on Mondays and a few hours another day. I bought a sink bowl and faucet — both in the clearance section at Home Depot — and hooked them up. The room was finished. My wife couldn’t be happier. We saved hundreds of dollars. The experience was priceless. Then it was on to the next project, a bookcase. Not just any bookcase, but one designed to look like a skyscraper. I went through the same drill. Drawing a blueprint. Picking out the wood, this time maple and African mahogany for a stunning color contrast. The hardware came from Lowe’s. About three months later I brought it home and filled it with the Stephen King book collection I’d designed it for. A perfect fit. I love the creative journey of working with one’s hands to build something that can be used for years. There’s great satisfaction in knowing, “I built this.” All it takes is confidence and imagination. And a knowledgeable mentor. Thankfully I found one. On this journey I have learned a few things about myself.

BE NOT AFRAID: I’m not a real handy guy, especially when it comes to power tools — table saws, routers, jigs. They’re scary. Noisy. Intimidating. Most have teeth. Plenty of teeth. Spinning. Fast. Very fast. Just one mistake … I won’t go there. Woodworking has taught me to overcome that fear, giving me confidence and teaching me how to use at least a half-dozen basic tools safely and properly. These are tools I never would have picked up otherwise. Linda Niino feels the same way. Stirgus has mentored her for six years. “I was useless with my hands,” she said. “When I told my husband (James) I was going to take up woodworking, he said, ‘Did you tell him (Ed) you knew nothing?’ He took me anyway.” Niino has built everything from an entertainment center to a china cabinet, to her own bedroom set. She’s going to build a night stand for her son, to go with the queen-size platform bed and chest of drawers she’s already built. She even builds furniture for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ annual craft fair in November. Proceeds benefit needy vets. A tansu she built a couple of years ago went for more than $800. “I knew what a hammer was, but I had never used any tools,” she said. “They were so intimidating. The table saw is scary. The key is you always have to respect the equipment.” Now, Niino carries a tape measure in her purse. And she says, “James buys me tools for my birthday.”

PURSUIT OF PERFECTION: “Measure twice. Cut once.” It’s a golden rule of carpentry, one I’ve broken repeatedly. But to my surprise, it’s OK. Woodworking allows for errors. At heart I’m a perfectionist. I want the perfect miter joint, my cuts exact, my squares square. Sometimes they’re not, but adjustments can be made all through the process, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity. Carpentry is more feel than figures. “Finish carpentry makes the eye work hard and skip over imperfections,” wrote Will Beemer at finehomebuilding.com. “Finish carpenters must develop an eye for proportion and detail. They must learn to visualize the steps that lead to the finished product.” My finished products aren’t perfect. I know my mistakes. But in many ways they are perfect for what I need.

WHOLE NEW WORLD: Furniture looks different now. At the mall. At my office. In other people’s homes. I notice the joints, the finish, the gaps between drawers. I have a greater appreciation for those who build everything from homes to buildings to, naturally, furniture. Especially furniture. I have a greater appreciation for detail — the color of the wood, the grain, the craftsmanship. And as I gaze at that cabinet or chair or bookcase, I wonder, “Can I build that?” Or, most often, “How did they build it?” The possibilities for new projects are endless. “Woodworking is so empowering,” said Niino. “It’s life transforming. Nothing is the same. You look at everything differently. You see the world through different eyes.” My eyes are now focused on a new project. Shoji-screen room dividers. Four panels. Inset etched glass. The possibilities are endless.

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Log furniture wood retailer

Log furniture is an investment that is built to withstand the test of time. The natural beauty of the wood adds character and originality to each piece of furniture, giving the wood a unique personality. Log furniture is 100 percent natural wood, which makes it entirely eco-friendly and safe for the environment.
JHE’s Log Furniture Place offers both indoor and outdoor white cedar, red cedar, aspen, pine, reclaimed barn wood and hickory furniture with products ranging from yard swings to beds to chairs to kitchen cabinets. Provided the customer cannot find furniture that suits their needs, JHE’s Log Furniture Place will custom build it.

“We provide the largest selection of quality furniture available online, hand-selected by knowledgeable craftsmen. As our product lines continue to grow, I want to ensure that the log furniture pieces on the website are of the highest quality for our customers,” says Jason Hunt, President of JHE’s Log Furniture Place.

One of their newest collections, the Cedar Lake collection combines the best quality cedar wood while offering the collection at competitive prices. JHE locally sources the cedar logs, choosing logs that are naturally aged to achieve as much character as possible. Furniture in this collection includes log beds, chests, rustic dressers and cabin-style nightstands as well as long dining tables, half log benches, log living room furniture and comfortable rustic log dining chairs. Although this furniture may look rustic, it is also quite luxurious.

Cedar is naturally resistant to decay and most insects and thus is one of the best woods to use for outdoor furniture. Cedar log furniture is ideal because of its long life, durability, and stability. It may be left completely unfinished, treated with protectants or even stained or painted. When left unfinished, the cedar will weather to a beautiful silvery gray color.

JHE’s log furniture lines have also expanded to include an Aspen collection, employing some definitive styles in the way the beds, tables, dressers or other home furnishings are created. The aspen logs JHE harvests begin as dead-standing aspen trees, therefore utilizing this natural resource to help them create sophisticated rustic furniture, while benefiting the forest as well as the environment. These methods of creating the furniture with the aspen wood ensure that no two logs every look exactly the same, making the aspen furniture line completely unique.

About JHE’s Log Furniture Place:
Since 1998, JHE’s Log Furniture Place has been furnishing homes, cabins, camps, and lodges across North America. The Hunt family has been in the log and rustic furniture industry for over 25 years, giving them a vast knowledge of rustic furniture. The family-owned company offers the finest rustic furniture and decor all while providing the best customer service found in their industry. Their wide selection includes 3,000 lodge furniture and rustic decor pieces.

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How to buy furniture for your kitchen

Buying furniture for your kitchen can be tricky as you need to take care of functionality and practicality as well as style to give you the perfect kitchen. For this, you need to consider several things before you actually buy furniture, which are listed below.

Work out the practical detailsKitchen is one of the most important areas of the house and needs to be well planned. The practicality issues which you need to consider include the size of your kitchen and measuring the dimensions so you have an exact idea of the space available. Next, you need to make a list of all the furniture pieces you will need, like kitchen table, bar stools and furniture, racks, shelves, kitchen carts, tableware and accessories etc. This is important, as it will give you an idea of exactly what you need and how many. Some of the most important things you will need for your kitchen are listed below:

Baker’s Rack – Bakers racks come in different styles and designs and add strength and beauty to your kitchen. They also provide the functionality you need in your kitchen to work efficiently.

Pot Racks – A wide range of pot racks available in furniture stores can be overwhelming for some furniture buyers. Pot racks come in different styles, made from different materials and are crafted in amazing designs. By choosing from the different styles available, you can get one which is ideal for your kitchen.

Kitchen Carts – This is an item which is a ‘must have’ for all kitchens. Kitchen carts provide extra storage space and come in different styles, making it easy for you to choose one which compliments your kitchen. They also take less space and can be moved around easily if needed.

Sideboards –This is another essential item for the kitchen or the dining room, and provides extra storage space to store away linens and dishes. Sideboards usually come in decorative designs and styles, including traditional and contemporary.

Kitchen Islands –Kitchen islands provide the perfect space to prepare your meals, especially if you are short on space. They act as counters and some island come with castered wheels to allow you to move them around. They also provide extra storage space and can be moved to an empty corner of the dining room or kitchen when not in use.

Counter Stools / Bar Stools –If you need stools for your kitchen counter, you can choose from bar stools or counter stools, which are shorter. Choosing the right stool to fit perfectly with your counter is essential to add grace to the whole area, and providing seating at the same time. New stools in your kitchen can completely change the look of the area and provide luxury as well.

Kitchen Hutches and Cupboards –These are ideal for large kitchens that have a lot of available space. Kitchen hutches are ideal for your kitchen as well as the dining room and provide storage for dishes, cookbooks, glassware and other kitchen accessories. Some hutches also provide open counter space and customizable stacking compartments, making storage easier for you.

Decide the style and theme of your kitchen furniture. You also need to consider your personal taste and preference when planning and buying furniture for your kitchen. The colors and styles of the items you need are also important to consider before you buy anything. And like always, you also have to keep a budget in mind, so you do not end up spending over and above on your kitchen.

You will also need to consider other issues like the practicality of these furniture items in your home,the quality of furniture like pine furniture and if they will compliment the lifestyle and overall theme the other furniture items at your home, especially those in the dining room.

Do not compromise beauty for utility. When buying dining room furniture or furniture for your kitchen, do not compromise beauty for utility. You can make your kitchen and dining room beautiful and productive from every aspect by buying the right furniture items. Simple additions like counters, counter stools, racks, kitchen islands and other items can work together to make your dream kitchen. Also, be sure to look around, research and visit furniture shops before you buy furniture items for your kitchen and dining area.

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