The Chair: Overstuffed With History
- Audio File: Faded Love
- The Chair: Overstuffed w/History
It sits within a few feet of where it was placed when it came home new, fresh-out-of-the-box, c. 1942.
After about eight years of ruminating on the matter, I finally took the irreversible plunge to replace the old and faded upholstery, with arms worn through to the bony wooden frame, and oozing stuffing from every opening. Mice had made a cozy home there, during the years that the house was unoccupied by humans. I was as torn as the nearly seventy-year-old original fabric. Ultimately, I concluded that the chair was of no value in its dilapidated condition; nobody wanted to sit in it. A makeover would give it life.
Having no experience, and no funds in the budget for a professional reupholstery project, I enlisted the aid of my dear Aunt Thelma, who is skilled with furniture restoration. Her hands are no longer strong enough to pull the fabric taut; the grunt work would be on me.
It took us many days to complete the fabric work; carefully tracing each piece onto the new fabric as we removed the old; painstakingly matching pattern and grain; straining to stretch and staple each section into place. Before we sealed it up, we signed our names and the date inside, for the next upholsterer to find, maybe 50 years from now. The hand-carved wooden trim and feet still await final attachment.
I love this chair! I love the handful of black hairpins we found inside it, that had belonged to the late Widow Coolie, who left this earthly vale in the 1960’s.
Whenever I sink into this big comfy chair, I feel embraced by the many people who lived in this old house before it became my gallery. Sweet reverie made all the sweeter by my sense of accomplishment in bringing it back to life, and the time I got to spend working on it with my aunt. I hardly think about the mice, at all.
** The draped chair in the background is vintage 1936, awaiting it’s turn for restoration. The wooden chair in foreground is one of the original “recliners”, adjustable by a wooden peg in the frame. It belonged to my grandfather.
photorover
Wonderful Arla! The chair came out great and looks so inviting sitting there. You can almost feel it beaming out a welcome to any and all to come and relax and just sit for a while and chat. The only thing I would change is your title, “Overstuffed with History AND LOVE”
I love that composition and colour.
Great work as always Aunty Arla and loved to hear about the history of the piece.
I love that you took the time to restore the chair. Things with so much history are worth the time to rescue!