When I was a child I would love to explore my Grandfather's garage. He had a long, 4 car garage. However, it only fit one car, as it was so full of treasures. My Grandfather used to be a window dresser, so he had many weird and wonderful items. On a hook hanging off the roof, he had a set of chairs. They had springs popping through the leather seat and were in rough condition. They were beautiful. I asked him what he was going to do with them, and he replied nothing, but one day I could have them, if i'd like them. When he passed away, my Grandmother sent them to me.
They have sat in my garage ever since. I loved their shape, and knew that one day they would be a beauty, but I had no knowledge of how to fix them. I did try one afternoon, and very enthusiastically started sanding. However, I had no idea what else to do, so there they were left.
Finally, after updating our lounge room, I decided it was time to dust them off, and get them restored. My friend's Brother is an upholsterer, having taken over the family business. I knew he was a bit of a genius, having seen some amazing work he had done. He had even restore antique chairs that had been damage in a fire.
He liked the natural colour of the timber that was showing through from where I had sanded it back, so he decided it would be nice to sand it back and oil the timber. He fixed some broken foot rails and then replaced the seating with a beautiful navy leather and bronze studs.
Just look at that nailhead trim. The blue leather matches my rug perfectly too!I had considered choosing a patterned fabric however I settled for this because a) I didn't want there to be too much clashing fabrics in he room and b) I wanted something classic that wouldn't date
A huge appeal of these chairs for me are the flat arms and curved back. I love the smooth lines they create.
They are simply beautiful. My next task was to find the perfect table to go between them, and I am considering making mini ottomans for feet to rest on when people sit on them, but am unsure if having them slide under the chairs will overcrowd them.
It was well worth getting these chairs restored. I think, if you are unsure of how to restore an item and if it has too much sentimental value, or monetary value, to rick making a mistake, then it is well worth having them restored.
My hope is that these will become heirloom items, passed down through the generations. In the meantime, I am simply going to gaze lovingly at them, and perhaps pet the arms as I sit in them.
Do you have a beautiful item you would love to see restored?
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