HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Cover It Upholstery was established in December 1998 so we are about to start our 20th year in business!
To start the year I'll post the second and final part about antique chair types, and a few photos of a couple of recent commercial jobs completed late last year.
Hall Chairs
Hall chairs were made for large houses, and were
often carved impressively with the crests or coats-of-arms of the owners. The
seat was often slightly dished so that the sitter did not slide off the highly
polished surface, but they offered no comfort, and were specifically intended
for messengers or others waiting in their outdoor clothes.
Library Chairs
Library or club armchairs, made for
gentlemen's clubs, were produced from around 1830. They were usually made from
mahogany, but were also produced in oak or rosewood. A chair of this date would
not originally have had casters, and these would have been added during the
Victorian era. The use of leather upholstery on Victorian tub-shaped chairs was
popular. The leather is unlikely to be original, but should ideally be old and
in good condition as it is expensive to replace.
Victorian Chairs
Although chairs from the William IV and
Victorian periods may lack the style and elegance of earlier chairs, they are
often very well made. The best examples, with elegant French style cabriole
legs, are classics of English design. Single chairs were essential in the
drawing room for accommodating the wide skirts worn by ladies at that time, and
consequently the seats were often slightly narrowed at the sides, with
serpentine fronts. The French rococo style was popular for the boudoir and
bedroom during the early Victorian period, often made of walnut, gilded or
painted soft woods, or papier mache. Sheraton and Hepplewhite designs were
reproduced from the 1870s onwards.
Settees and Sofas
The word 'settee' was used throughout the
18thC to describe any appropriate piece of seat furniture, whether it had a
carved or upholstered back, while the term 'sofa' came to be applied just to
more heavily upholstered examples. Now the words are almost interchangeable.
Most settees of the 18thC, whether upholstered or carved, formed parts of
suites and as such their designs matched those of the chairs in the suites.
Also, since they were made to stand against walls, their backs were plain and
unadorned. The elegant, French-influenced designs of the late 18thC gave way to
far heavier and extravagantly shaped pieces during the period of the Regency of
the reigns of George IV and William IV By 1860, the French taste had once again
brought a lighter touch to the form of Victorian furniture, and the settee and
the now popular chaise longue had taken on new curvaceous, organic lines.
During the last quarter of the century the sumptuously upholstered and buttoned
Chesterfield gained a level of popularity which it has never really
relinquished.
Corner Chairs
Corner chairs are usually found singly rather
than in pairs or sets. Good quality examples are found in rosewood, mahogany
and walnut. More basic corner chairs are in oak and other country woods, such
as elm, and have straight legs and no carving.
Windsor Chairs
Windsor chairs were unknown before 1720s, and
were originally found in Georgian taverns and coffee houses. The earliest
examples have comb backs, plain turned splayed legs, and no stretchers.
Cabriole legs suggest a date between 1740 and 1770. The hooped back was
introduced c1740, and the wheel splat around 1790. Gothic Windsors, recognised
by the carving of their splats and their pointed arch backs, were made between
1760 and 1800. The most desirable wood is yew, followed by elm, but mahogany
examples are always of good quality. Curved stretchers, carved and
well-proportioned backs also add to the value. Some better quality Windsor
chairs were stained black or japanned black or green, and are more valuable in
original condition — do not strip them.
Sets of Chairs
The demand for large sets of dining chairs is
very strong so the price which has to be paid for a set of, say, ten or twelve
chairs will work out considerably higher per chair than for the equivalent set
of six. The presence of a pair of armchairs in a set will increase the purchase
price further. Look out for repairs and alterations in any large set. Legs or
feet may have been spliced to repair breaks; stretchers are often not original
and sometimes seat rails have been replaced.
Dating Chairs
Although there are few hard and fast rules
when dating chairs there are certain pointers which can be looked for. One of
these is to examine the way the seat frame is braced for strength. In the 18thC
this was achieved by fitting and sticking a thin strut of wood across the front
corners of the frame. In the 19thC this technique was quickly superseded by
sticking and screwing a solid block into each corner. Although many 18thC
chairs have had their original struts replaced with the stronger and more
durable blocks, the notches in the frame where the struts originally fitted
should still be visible.
2 RECENT COMMERCIAL BENCH SEATING JOBS BY COVER IT UPHOLSTERY SYDNEY
As we begin the year next week on the 29th of Jan I would just like to remind you we service ALL SUBURBS OF SYDNEY, so just email a photo of your furniture to be recovered and describe what needs to be done to marcel@cover-it.com.au and I'll get back with an estimate after which we could possibly sort out a fabric or leather selection on which to base a firm quote.
Should a quote be accepted I would then ask you for a 1/3 deposit (50% commercial customers) and book the job in and order any materials required.
