Antique Veneered Chair Set

We are just beginning work on this beautiful 'his and hers' set of chairs.  This old set is made of walnut which has gained a lovely hue as it has aged.  They came in to us with two different stain colors and now that they are stripped, we can see some interesting information about the set.  

You can see in the second picture an image of the side rail of the arm chair.  The upholstery attaches to the upper section of the rail, and the lower section is exposed.  We can tell that this set was made in Europe because they implemented a practice that was never done in the United States.  While the entire chair was made of solid walnut, the rails around the chair were made with a 'cheep' wood and then covered in a walnut veneer.    They did this to save in cost, but here in the US, that was always way to much hassle.  If it had been made here, it would have been all solid wood and no extra step of veneer.

The veneer on this chair has been damaged, and part of our repair process will be to either replace the veneer or do some color touch up to make the damage blend with the rest of the piece.  Be sure to check back often as work on this beautiful set continues.

Old Morris Chair Gets A New Life

This Morris Chair came to us in bad shape.  The finish on the wood was failing and had turned a dusty color or was just worn off.   The casters on the legs ware missing as well.    We began of course by stripping the chair in our immersion system which got the wood very clean and ready for prep sanding.  The chair originally had a dark stain on it, and while the chair's owner could have chosen any stain, they decided to go with something that would have been similar to the original color.   The color they chose is Walnut, and over that it has a Satin Finish.  

After the finishing was completed,  the old holes for the casters were drilled out, filled with dowels and then re drilled so that new brass casters would fit securely.  Now all it needs is a new padded seat and back and it will be ready to grace any room!

Morris Chairs were first marketed in 1866 by William Morris and is one of the original 'recliner' style chairs.  The chairs featured a hinged back, set between two un-upholstered arms.  The angle of the back could be adjusted through a row of holes, pegs or notches in each arm.  Reproductions are still made today, but they generally have a lighter wood stain, and simple oak slats instead of the decorative spindles under the arms.