History

Handed down through generations of the same family, these beautiful Louis XVI replica giltwood armchairs were in need of a makeover.

The top fabric was looking tired, the foam within the removable seat cushions had become flat over time and the gilding was displaying losses in many areas.

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Brief

The client wanted to retain as much of the original stuffing as possible whilst re-covering in a new fabric to prolong the life of the chairs and make them more durable as they were in every day use.

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Treatment

When the chairs arrived,  the top fabric had already been stripped off and any structural issues with the frame had been addressed using conservation grade materials. Some new gilding had already been applied although this would be completed after the upholstery had been worked on.

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Traditional materials such as hog and horse hair, wool-felt, hessian, and calico were used alongside a more modern polyester wadding to restore the shape of the seating, and the back and arm rests, retaining as much of the original interior filling as possible to comply with the wishes of the client.

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A beautiful teal velvet was chosen for the new covering and after much research, a decorative braid in a similar colour was sourced and applied to all visible edges. Interestingly, whilst removing the existing calico layer, a small thread in a similar colour to the new fabric was attached to one of the upholstery tacks suggesting the chairs may have been previously upholstered in a version of this shade.

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Due to the sagging of the seat cushion, a new firm foam pad was cut to shape and enclosed in a piped cover and handsewn closed to give a neat finish.

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The client was delighted with the final result and applying the principles of conservation to this project allowed as much of the original structure to be retained as possible.

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