Double-ended rosewood early Victorian sofa prior to stripping down, re-covered in wool pile cut moquette.
View from underside showing broken webbing and supports with the springs exposed.
Detail of rose wood grain of central splat to after reviving - some areas have been re-coloured due to extreme exposure to ultra violet light.
The frame exposed showing the original back stuffing of animal hair, felts and lumber roll to be reproduced. A good quality frame typical of this period with heavy sections to all areas. Internal frame areas beech and oak.
Close spaced interlaced twill woven webbing supports tacked to the frame. The springs at the point of lower coil are then sewn and knotted at four positions from the underside of the seat with linen twine.
48 x 9 inch copper coated springs are laced laterally in each direction with heavy three ply cord allowing only vertical movement. Each spring is knotted at four points on the top coil. The seat will eventually take on a domed finish to reduce any chance of fullness in the final shape.
After the back foundations and stuffed shapes are built, the fabric is tacked to the back and arms. This piece was given additional comfort with a generous lumber roll following the contours of the back and seat blending to the arms.
A suitable scale matching cord could not be found. Instead a “braid” or narrow band of the fabric was accurately seamed to form a finished line to the lumber roll.
The seat is covered in horse hair with 2 levels of stuffing and stitched through hessian to consolidate and harden the shapes. Then the seat is layered with felt and covered with a calico jacket to contain and maintain the finished shape prior to the final fabric being applied.
Finished details showing match fabric panels to back, arms and ends with detail of nailing to arm and seat.
Finished details showing match fabric panels to back.
Finished details showing arms and ends with detail of nailing to arm and seat.
The completed piece with buttoned ends requested by the client to enhance the plain areas. The original rear brass casters are re-moved, repaired and replaced. Aged brass nails are applied to the finished show wood areas.