Before and After - Martha Washingtons (with some History)

I always thought that Martha Washington Chairs were English in origin but didn't know what they were called there - assuming that the Brits were not adopting our egocentric naming convention.  Wikipedia offers the following:

A Gainsborough chair (also known as a Martha Washington chair in the United States) is a type of armchair made in England in the eighteenth century. The chair was wide, with a high back, open sides and short arms, and was normally upholstered in leather.

BEFORE - Hickory Chair Martha

The American furniture-maker, Hickory Chair, describes their  model "A Classic Martha Washington chair features fluted, straight Chippendale legs, hallmark receding arm posts, and characteristic shaped crest rail."  

The model they were talking about is in fact the one I just refurbished - having purchased this pair from a nice couple in Buckhead who were selling their aunt's furniture.  The chairs were in almost perfect condition so the refurbishing process was not as dramatic as others.  For this pair, I chose a fabric I still had from last year's Kay's Kovers Fabric Sale (see previous blog) - a VERY heavy linen with an embroidered velvety cranberry oversized pattern - I think they turned out just beautiful!


In addition to the Hickory Chair transformation, I picked up two Hancock and Moore Chairs as well - one a more traditional Martha Washington while the other a shorter version (with some interesting fretwork on the base).  It's Martha Washington time at Wydeven Designs!!

AFTER - Hancock and Moore - Shorter Version

AFTER - Hancock and Moore

AFTER - Hickory Chair Marthas