CHAISE LONGUE

This was a lovely project to work on and I had to go right back to the coiled springs to discover why the seat had failed.

In need of some love

The piece had been shortened at some stage in its lifetime and the springs had wedged themselves under the piece of wood which attached the long sides of the piece together. As a result the seat had collapsed at one end.

Reworking the arms

I tightened and tidied up the calico fabric on the rolled arms and inserted some additional padding to give them increased plushness and comfort to lean on. I did minimal repairs to the wood as my client felt that the imperfections added to the story of this lovely piece. 

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Working on the seat

By changing how the springs were placed and using softer springs in some areas, the seat was transformed into an elegant and supportive seat again. I re-used the original first layer of coconut coir but to make the second layer softer, I swapped the coir for animal hair.

The finished item

The client and I decided on a classic but simple finish with two contrasting fabrics. Using an old dressmaking technique I made a rouleaux out of the fabric to imitate the piping on the arm roll.

Cost: £1,000 plus materials