"There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment." — Orison S. Marden
The owner of an antique leather chaise longue (French for "long chair") was cheered by its keenly-awaited return home yesterday after being without it for a short period while it was undergoing restoration.*
This project had involved more than just a mere tidy-up. (See previous blog entries "Getting the stitch" and "Putting our best foot forward.") The original green colour had all but gone and the bare leather was exposed in many places, stitching needed to be replaced, holes and tears repaired, wooden trim repaired and repolished, dust cover replaced, and then finally a complete refinish of the leather itself in an antiqued green with satin finish.
This project had involved more than just a mere tidy-up. (See previous blog entries "Getting the stitch" and "Putting our best foot forward.") The original green colour had all but gone and the bare leather was exposed in many places, stitching needed to be replaced, holes and tears repaired, wooden trim repaired and repolished, dust cover replaced, and then finally a complete refinish of the leather itself in an antiqued green with satin finish.
Finally, the work was all done and the day arrived for me to deliver the chaise longue to its owner. The chair had been in their family for over 100 years, and they had longed to see it restored to its former glory. Their reaction put a smile on my face and made all the hours of work worthwhile. The photos below tell the rest of the story. Thanks again to Tony Kilmister of Kilmister Furniture Restoration for the beautiful wood repairs and repolishing.
*Chaise longue is a French term adopted into English usage which is often incorrectly pronounced or written as "chaise lounge."
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