Thursday 24 February 2011

Howard & Sons Chairs with Vintage Bennison Fabric










My posts are like buses....you stand in the cold & rain for hours nothing.......then 6 come all at once......Its actually ages since I have waited for a bus, certainly since leaving London over 10 years ago. I now live in a small hamlet in rural Somerset England where we only get a bus twice a week once on a tuesday & once on a thursday......if you miss one then you have to wait for days.....

This week Iam student less.......sometimes I need a week just to catch up on my stuff & today has been a most marvelous day. I was prettry sure when I saw these chairs in my local auction that they were Howard Chairs......Howards & Sons Chairs are most sought aftet as they opitimise the English Country House Look....with their deep rake & siege du duvet comfort, they really are chairs you can sleep in, they are just so comfortable. They are actually a very very fine quality,  birchwood  hardwood frames with chamfered edges, & this " siege du duvet" feathered cushioning on top of a traditional stuffing which gives it that "sink" into fealing........so I was very pleased to have won them in the auction.

Today I started to strip them off as I wanted to get underneath all the layers of patching that had been done to them since their arrival in someones drawing room circa 1910........to my delight I found the original fabric still in place....& this I believe to be Bennison, although I do need to do some research into this, but its beautiful & these chairs would have been most magnificent at their conception, with this wonderfull botanical fabric with exotic birds & flowers on........which them makes you wonder about the people.......the house......who were they........

1920's French Floral




I managed to find two very small pieces of this beautiful 1920's French Floral fabric rummaging in a box of mixed pieces.....that was all there was, so I needed to find an equally small chair for the fabric to go on & I found a little Victorian Nursing Chair that needed completely restoring & reupholstering. The chair came from a local auction & the fabric came from two English guys who live in France but come over to England for all the antiques fairs, so I usually get to see them @ Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair. On the back of the chair I have used a vintage piece of hemp used to wrap the warm baguettes in @ the Boulangerie......

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Vivienne Westwood for Comic Relief

Well how about giving yourself a designer t-shirt by the most marvelous Vivienne Westwood & giving to Comic Relief as well ?.....made from fairtrade cotton & all net profits goind to comic relief...get your Red Nose Day T - Shirts from tkmaxx.com & give give give......Red Nose Day 18th March 2011......There is a selection but hurry they'll all be gone soon.....

Tuesday 22 February 2011

MadMen.....


Just discovered MadMenYourself.Com........well worth 3 mins of your time.......My own MadMen Avatar.....love the jazzzzzzz

Monday 21 February 2011

Vintage Colour.......................





These are photogrpahs of 2 chairs that are work in progress & once finished their story will be told........each one has a history with fabrics from 1890's to 1970's.....& lunch as well with alovely home grown Crown Prince Squash...............

& more roses.......







Sean bought to the course a 1920's fluted back tub chair for complete restoration. The chair was recovered in the 80's in a very dark chocolate leather which had ripped, so the whole lot was stripped off & started again. Sean or should I say Sean's wife chose Kate Forman Roses Sage Linen & I mamaged to find some Vintage white metal thread ribbon, which was used to pipe the chair..........

the sweet smell of roses.......




Jan has used the wonderfull Kate Forman Roses Blue on her lovely Victorian Nursing chair. The chair has been completely stripped back & re upholstered by Jan who is doing an Applied Upholstery Diploma with me........

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Caleb

& this is my beautiful Irish Wolfhound Caleb

Pair of 1920's Restored Armchairs

These are a pair of 1920's restored armchairs that I have done using GP & J Baker fabrics.....The client wanted something different & chose these 2 Baker fabrics & I love the contrast of the burnt orange with the gun metal grey.......