Commission – Renovating 14 Oak Chairs

Commission: to reupholster 13 dining chairs and an armchair.

Phase 1: Rip down

Leather swatches were obtained and a replacement leather chosen

All of the chairs were carefully stripped of tacks, leather, wadding, webbing and horsehair

One back rest and seat from the dining chairs and for the armchair were used to make a template to cut the new backs and seats

Phase 2: Prep

The original horsehair was washed, dried and ‘fluffed’ for re-use

New coir, wadding, webbing, tacks and brass nails were sourced

Each chair was cleaned and waxed; loose joints were made secure; cracks and large holes were filled and sanded

Phase 3: Rebuild

The seats: New webbing was fitted, then a hessian layer, before the seat pad was re-built with horsehair (stitched in) and two layers of wool wadding and upholstered in cotton. The leather was then pulled taught and tacked in place.

The backs: The leather section visible on the back was applied then the back was covered in hessian, horsehair and wool wadding. Each was upholstered in cotton before the leather was pulled taught and tacked in place.

Once all of the chairs had been reupholstered decorative brass tacks were hammered home, to cover the tacks; approx. 1000 in total!