A Plug for Skidmore - Beeswax Products Extraordinaire!

At least seven years ago, I found an article in one of my regular magazines - I believe it was Country Home - that recommended Skidmore's Beeswax products for all good furniture pieces as a cleaner, polisher and sealer.  I bought the products at the time and have been using them ever since to clean woodwork and to add luster and moisture to good wooden pieces.   I just placed another order for Liquid Beeswax Cream which I use to oil wood and add luster and shine to pieces that are in pretty good shape and fairly clean.  For pieces that need a little more - perhaps they are very soiled and stained or a little rough - I use the Restoration Cream and work it in with fine steel wool.  

Skidmore Products

Here's there website and a blurb from the owner - link link to website.

Here at Skidmore's, we make natural treatments for restoration, conditioning, and protecting all the leather and wood in your life. We pride ourselves on being environmentally friendly at Skidmore's. We recycle everything coming in or going out. Styrofoam peanuts too.

This is a collection of useful products I have invented over the years.  I produce these products in small batches, by hand, in my shops at home.  I know you may have been using my stuff for years and maybe never thought about it, but everything we make is produced right here at home by us.  I have spent my entire life making things out of leather, wood, metal, stone, and glass, and these products are a result of that work.  They are also a gift from the universe for which I am grateful.  Thanks for trying them.

You Choose Fabric Sales - Before and After - An Update

Several months ago I started selling "You Choose Fabric" upholstered furniture on eBay.  I regularly get comments and questions from potential buyers indicating that they love a particular piece but would need to have it in another fabric in order to use it in their decor.  So, I started showing the "before" pieces with some fabric options and a price tag that included custom upholstery work by the masters at my local Song's/Lee's Upholstery shop in Norcross, Georgia.  Here's an analysis of that effort and a status report.  I have sold three items in the "You Choose Fabric" category and show before and after below.  I have found it hard to sell this way and conclude one or more of the following:

• It is hard for people to visualize how a piece of furniture can be transformed from a not so great "before" to a wonderful "after" piece of furniture until it is complete.
• People often don't know what they want until they see it - then it either is a "YES" or a "NO".  I have had a lot of questions and on-line discussions with potential buyers who are not able to make up their minds about whether they want to go ahead with a particular fabric even when they clearly like the piece in question and are somewhat clear about fabric choices.
• Even if I have a buyer and a willing collaborator, they are nervous about the outcome.  I have had to say that I will not require them to buy the pieces if they don't really like the results.  Fortunately all around, this has not yet happened.

It is easy for me to list the "You Choose Fabric" options so I will continue to see to sell some pieces that way but I am not finding it as easy to do as I had hoped.

Here are some great transformations:

Refurbishing Upholstered Furniture - First do the Math!

I am often asked about whether a particular piece of upholstered furniture is worth redoing and how much it will cost.  To answer this question, you do have to answer those two parts separately.

Is it worth redoing?

Unless a piece of upholstered furniture has good bones and the construction features have the ability to yield multiple re-upholstering cycles, it is probably not worth redoing.

Here are two major rules/criteria I live by:

·      Does the piece have a solid seat foundation?  All upholstered pieces rely on the strength of this structure to make sure that many years of sitting (with varying size/weight requirements) will not cause “system failure”.  The best foundations include hand-tied eight-way coil spring construction.   It is SO easy to tell if this structure exists although many people seem oblivious to this test.  I always tell people to “flip the piece over” and see/feel the BOTTOM of the seat construction – if there are coils, they will be very easily observed; if not, the bottom fabric will only cover air. 

·      Is the woodwork in good condition – not broken or badly scarred?  Woodwork can be painted to cover imperfections but bad repairs or evidence of structural problems can shorten the life of a piece of furniture or make it so fragile that it cannot be easily moved or shipped.

How much will it cost?

Reupholstering the furniture is the major expense since expert hand labor is involved although fabric costs can come close.   I have found that the marketplace for buying good value fabrics is getting smaller and smaller with this economy and even an existing fabrics store like Calico Corners is changing their business model from one that stocks bolts and sometimes sells at a significant discount to one that only carries samples and has clients order just enough for their pieces.  Fabric warehouses do exist in larger metropolitan areas and ebay does offer some deals on fabrics.  But, overall, the marketplace has shrunk over the past five years.

Here are some average prices for expert upholstery work in my neck of the woods.  I have found that saving a few dollars to get a better deal is not worth it if the outcome is a less professional job and have had over a 1000 pieces upholstered in the past eight years.

Chart of Average Upholstery Costs and Fabric Requirements

Item	Range of Upholstery Costs		Range of Fabric Requirements in yards
	Low	High	Low	High
Loveseat	$300	$380	10	15
Sofa	$360	$500	14	22
Chaise Lounge	$290	$380	10	14
Chair – complex	$290	$350	7	10
Chair – Simple	$140	$280	5	8
Chair – Cushion Only	$50	$90	1	1.5
Ottoman	$90	$250	2	6

The upholstery cost variables include whether the piece is skirted or not, separate seat and back cushions versus tight-seat construction, tufting, size, and other complexities. 

The fabric requirement variables include size, whether the piece is skirted or not; separate seat and back cushions versus tight-seat construction, and size of pattern and matching requirements.

So, it is important to complete the entire analysis before proceeding with a refurbishing and re-upholstery project.  It also makes sense to work with professionals including having someone (like me) do the analysis and put the whole project together for you – it may well be worth the cost including any shipping required. 

Saved from the Dumpster - Another Installment!

BEFORE - Chaise Lounge

I just photographed and listed (ebay and on my website - link to website) a chaise lounge refurbished/upholstered in a great Thibaut fabric (USA manufacturer dating back to the late 1800's link).   I picked this piece up several weeks ago at a neighborhood garage sale - it had belonged to the seller's mother and was truly in deplorable condition - the seat cushion was nonexistent and it didn't attract too many buyers.  I made my usual structural checks to make sure it was worthy of the time (and significant expense of redoing) and also admired the overall size and styling.  I did pay for it (not much) but I think the seller would have just given it to me to take it away.

My upholsterer, Mrs. Song, and I discussed how to redo and revitalize this piece.  I chose the Thibaut fabric (Geraniums - part of their piccadilly series - also available in wallpaper) for the majority of the piece and decided to enhance with a crisp striped green and white cotton.  I find stripes look wonderful as piping because of the angle you use (piping is always done on the bias).   Mrs. Song was unable to save the seat cushion and made a very nice replacement with the high-end seat cushion foam she uses in her shop.  The cost was a little higher than usual but the results are self-evident - a really nice, comfortable piece of furniture waiting for its new home!

Detail - Piping

AFTER - Chaise Lounge

Before and After - French Settee

Here's a quick blog demonstrating the unbelievable transformation possible with fine old pieces.  This is a purchase from an estate sale several weeks ago.  It was hidden in a sea of old stuff - many not too exciting but I recognized the high-end construction features including fine woodwork and tufting on the back.

Before Settee

The piece was also reasonably priced - which is not often the case at estate sales.   I bought it immediately.

In the meanwhile, I had picked up a nice piece of blue and white checked cotton fabric sold by someone who had used the fabric in a room - this was a nice size leftover.

I asked Mrs. Song, my upholsterer to keep the tufting on the back but eliminate the tufting on the seat cushion adding some filler to make it more comfortable.   I just picked it up and listed it on ebay and on my website - it's already getting quite a bit of attention.  I LOVE how it looks in my sunroom - wish I could keep it!

After Settee

Wood and Double Cording Details

Tufting Details 

Furniture Styles Series - Settees Saved From the Dumpster

This is another installation in the series about furniture styles with a focus on love seats and settees (installment #3).  I am calling this one - saved from the dumpster (a theme I had mentioned early in my blogging history).   This focus also allows me to be a little more introspective about what I am doing and what I am hoping to achieve with my little business and, specifically, these blogs.  Clearly, I am unabashedly and unashamedly hawking my wonderful wares, but I think it is much more than that.  I would like to influence people to see these grand pieces from the past as real options for home decor.  They are all around us and easy to find.  EVERYONE can do what I do and enjoy it for themselves.  So ... here are some that really and truly would have gone to the dumpster if I had not intervened - all sold.

China Blue - Inverted Back Settee

Sofia's Grand Dame Settee

Vera Wang Toile Settee

Furniture Style Series - Camelback Settees

Modified Camelback - Queen Anne Legs 

Custom Settee in Cream Linen (in shop)

My Favorite Camelback Settee

This is the second part of the series on settees and loveseats.  Finding the definitions murky, I have decided to make the distinctions necessary.  For me loveseats are more like fully upholstered wide chairs that often complement (unfortunately often MATCH - which I think it too matchy-matchy), a specific sofa.  This review is about settees with great back curves - usually described as camelbacks.  They can be skirted but most often are not and have varying leg styles - from Queen Anne, to Chippendale, to Claw and Ball.  The arms are gently rolled.  I love their elegant looks and, with the right fabric, they truly can go anywhere!  All settees shown are sold.

Saved from the Dumpster - You can do this too!

Here is an example of a piece of furniture literally saved from the dumpster.  The woodwork was badly scarred, the hand-tied 8-coil springs (more on that later) were falling out along with assorted innards.  I wish I had the before picture but look at this beauty now!  I call it my Morningside Settee - named for an Atlanta neighborhood (site of estate sale where it was purchased)!