Knowledge center · From the workshop — restoration stories · From the frame to the cloth: rebuilding a wingback
Restoration story
From the frame to the cloth: rebuilding a wingback
An old wingback was stripped to the frame, given a new support foundation and upholstery layers built again, and finally covered in a deep-toned cloth with light piping.
The outside of an upholstered armchair tells only part of the story. After the cloth and the filling came off, the frame was exposed, and only then was it clear which parts could stay and where the work had to be rebuilt.
At the foundation stage, new webbing was fitted to the seat and the back. Over that, the filling and the upholstery were built up in stages, keeping the lines of the wings and the arms that give the chair its character.
The new cloth and the light piping emphasize the form without hiding the wooden parts. This is a record of one particular job; on every wingback the decisions come after the structure has been opened and checked.
Related
Hand-tied springs
Seat springs tied by hand with twine, one by one — traditional upholstery that lasts for decades when it is done properly.
Upholstery nails
Decorative nails, usually brass, that hold the fabric to the frame and serve as ornament as well.
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