Antique Living Room Set (1 of 4) - Victorian Rocker - Complete Rehab, Purple Stripe

The next 4 posts are all from the same client, and include a rocker, as well as a 3 piece living room set.

This rocker had seen better days. The finish on it was mis-matched (light and dark areas), the back rails were horribly damaged, and the seat was long overdue for reworking. The frame was also wobbly.

Before:



The seat was actually sitting on top of a groove, which it is supposed to sit into (and which hides the edge of the fabric). Note the difference in the final photos.





The arrow points to the damaged areas of the frame. The fabric is NOT supposed to be attached here. The fabric should sit right inside the edge. We called our client about this, to find out if she wanted us to patch/stain/repair this, and reupholster it properly (at an extra charge), or leave it as-is. She chose for us to repair it, and at the same time refinish the entire frame, which turned out beautifully.



Here's the seat pad with the material and first layer of stuffing removed. We should see an edge roll here, and hand stitching.



Second layer removed (straw), revealing a foundation in very poor condition.





The spring twines were all very loose and/or incorrectly tied (not enough tension, and incorrect knots):



Everything was taken off, cleaned, and re-tied.



Burlap and stitched springs.



First layer of stuffing (straw from above), this time with edge roll, and side edges (to get a nice crisp shape). Also note bridle ties (long stitches in the centre) to help keep the straw in place.



Second layer of stuffing, cotton, and rough cover.



While I worked on the seat, Pierre refinished the frame, which was reglued, touched-up, sanded, re-stained a more appropriate walnut/mahogany colour, and lacquered.

Not shown is the work on the back. The back was fairly simple, but still tricky because of the striped fabric.

After: