Before and After - My Own Parade

Periodically, I post examples of my own before and after transformations in the hope of encouraging others to seek and restore heirloom quality upholstered furniture themselves. It is almost always better made than anything available today at reasonable prices and it not hard to find. The trick is to be patient and wait for the right quality piece to come along - here are some pointers:

• Make sure the woodwork is substantial and intact - it should not wobble or move when pushed and be free of obvious breaks and repairs.
• Make sure that the piece has a solid seating platform - my personal preference is hand-tied, 8-way steel coil springs that are the true signs of quality upholstered furniture. 
• Make sure that the seat and other cushions are medium-firm - if down is preferred, it should be firm enough (often wrapped around a coiled interior or mixed with non-down materials). If the cushion is in bad shape, ask your upholstery shop to replace it with a high-quality foam.
• Make sure that the piece does not exhibit strong odors (minor odors will dissipate with new fabrics and innards) or animal/insect damage.

Here are some of the nice pieces that I have recently had transformed. Again, I do not do my own upholstery work and rely on the experts for that. That said, making sure you are using a really good, meticulous master upholsterer -  is just a good investment. This is not the place to save money but you should shop around for the best values.

This piece is available on Etsy and Ebay. I bought the original off of a craigslist ad and had it upholstered in a great graphite and white bold print. It is a heirloom quality piece probably over a 100 years old. link to eBay description

This set of chairs came from an estate sale (WAY back in the woods in a huge but ancient estate in the Buckhead area) . It has sold!

This stylish chair was purchased on a craigslist purchase of another chair. While there, the seller told me about another chair she no longer wanted. It has scuffed black legs so I had to refinish those but the construction is wonderful is wonderful on this piece and I love the sway-back. link to Etsy listing 

This chair and ottoman (slightly undersized) was purchased at a garage sale in the neighborhood. It has those great hand-tied, 8-way coil springs but no longer had any brand information which is often lost when pieces are reupholstered. 

This great chair was purchased on a "bid" left at a nearby estate sale. It is a beautiful vintage piece in wonderful condition and before proceeding with it,  I showed a photo to a favorite client who loves fine furniture and particularly anything with French styling. She bought it immediately and selected this fabric from about 10 I showed her. 

This wonderful settee was purchased at a neighborhood garage sale. I love how it looks in this soft green velvet. I think it is sold and on its way to San Francisco to be a star in a little girl's room! 

This great looking chair was one of two (with ottoman) that I bought off of a craigslist ad. The other chair with ottoman was sold as a custom piece for a client who has long received it and loves it! This chair was just completed and is available on both Etsy and ebay.

This great chair manufactured in THE fine furniture capitol of the world (Hickory, NC) was part of a two-piece set which includes a high settee. Both were re-upholstered in this striking stripe (navy and cream-white) and both are available on Etsy or eBay. I would love to see someone buy the set but have offered to split them up. 

This set of Thomasville Chairs is in almost brand-new condition. I had actually bought the originals from a craigslist add and found they perfectly matched the colors in my bedroom so used them for about three years in that space. Just recently, I completed a minor redecoration of the room and the colors no longer matched (got rid of the pink). Now the new fabric makes them a good match again but I  am selling to change out the room a little more. These are available on both eBay and Etsy.

Well, that was somewhat exhausting but inspirational - even for me,  I hope you enjoy!