Sheraton Style Settee Transformation - A Great Classic!

Occasionally I hit the jackpot and come across a classic sheraton-style settee and just have to buy it.  In the almost nine years I have been buying and refurbishing great, mostly American-made upholstered furniture, the buy last month of a sheraton-style settee (by Henredon) was only my third piece like this.  The extensive woodwork is beautiful and includes inlaid accents.  The quality features (hand-tied 8-way coil springs in foundation and composition-down seat cushion) just shout excellence in manufacturing.  The other two pieces were Hickory Chair and Southwood - both great American furniture manufacturers!

I checked the Henredon website (link) and noted that they no longer manufacture this style piece - at least it was not shown in their product listings.

Settee was purchased at an estate sale in Dunwoody, Georgia

I also researched information about sheraton style pieces and found the following - link to full article

Sheraton-influenced furniture dates from about 1790-1820. It's named for the London furniture designer and teacher Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806), who trained as a cabinetmaker, but is known for his written guides, especially his first, The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing-Book, published 1791-94. A neoclassic style, it falls within the Federal period in the U.S.

Because Sheraton furniture is characterized by contrasting veneers and inlays, pieces often contain more than one type of wood. For the base, satinwood was a favorite, but mahogany and beech were also popular. For the decorative elements, common woods included tulipwood, birch, ash and rosewood. Since craftsmen frequently used the local woods at hand, American versions of Sheraton's designs might use cedar, cherry, walnut or maple as well.

So now that I had found this classic piece, I needed to have it professionally reupholstered in an equally fine fabric.  At another estate sale (this time in a true mansion in Buckhead), I had found a very heavy and fabulous golden-yellow matelasse with a large-scale pattern - just enough to do this piece!

 I don't know current retail on this type of fabric but know you cannot just pick it up at any of the fabric stores I frequent - it is truly special!

I dropped the piece off at my go-to upholsterers, the Lees at Songs Upholstery in Norcross, Georgia (right around the corner from me - so convenient).

A few weeks later and (drumroll), the piece is ready.  I just photographed it in the sunroom of my home.  Even my husband said (and absolutely does not say this about that many of my pieces), "this is beautiful!!"

Unfortunately, I cannot keep every great piece I reupholster and this one is for sale - currently on eBay and soon on my website link to website.

Here is the finished product!!!

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