Nursing Chair

This reproduction Nursing Chair was to have a new cover to fit to different decor. The chair held a lot of sentimental value for the owner with memories of the grand mother.

As an upholstery project it showed some of the furniture manufacturing techniques developed during the 20th century.

Under the chair was a label telling us the chair had been made by Wade spring – a company now over 100 years old and very much alive producing springs for the furniture industry – including major car and rail companies. In the 70’s they started making zig-zag springs used here – which gives a good guide to the vintage of this chair.

The undercloth did not appear to require removing but it did seem appropriate to take a look at the type of springing under the seat.

That exercise turned out to be essential! Fabric from the seat and inner back was fixed to the frame around the sides of the zig-zag spring base.

The chair was turned around and the fabric removed. Under that was a barrier cloth.

Under that was a cardboard cover that supported the outer back fabric.

With that removed more cardboard was found both supporting the inner back and acting as the anchor for the button cords which were stapled to the card.

The button ties were removed and the chair turned around again. The front fabric could now be removed.

The foam back was in good shape. It was covered in barrier cloth and then the new fabric.

New buttons were added, anchored again on the card backing.

The original card outer back was then stapled back in place, barrier cloth added and finally the new cover fabric.

The undercloth, which had been partially removed, was fixed back in place.

Double piping was added around the inner back, the ends hiding below the seat. More was added around the outer back, the ends carefully trimmed and hidden under yet more piping circling the seat. The ends of that were folded and hidden under the end of the wood framing the back.

And with that, the chair was finished and returned to the customer.

JBerryUpholstery has many examples of furniture Recovering and Restoration and also Soft Furnishings to add to or complement the finished items. You can see pictures of these in the Galleries – Recovering Gallery, Restoration Gallery, Soft Furnishings Gallery and Transformations.

If you have some upholstery that is in need of a bit of TLC or you are interested in Soft Furnishings then please contact us.