Bench restoration: the big reveal
Once the bench had been dismantled, cleaned, glued, and clamped for a couple days, we were moving into the home stretch. It was time to reweb the seat!
For me, this part is the most fun of all. I got to play with my new electric staple gun and stretcher. I could streeeeeeeeetch that webbing until it twanged when plucked and then, bang-bang-bang, staple it in place just like magic. The seat was really starting to come together beautifully.
I put thick piping, couched in muslin, all around the sides to maintain a nice edge around the foam that my friend had chosen. This ought to ensure that it always looks nice and puffy and square, instead of being squashed flat around the edges (and especially the front).
The next part was going to involve fabric, so I took some time first to retouch the biggest, most noticeable scratches with some mahogany stain. It’s not the same as refinishing them, but it does make them all but disappear. A few more coats of stain also made the new piece I’d created match better, though not perfectly. Then I gave the whole bench a rub-down with some mineral oil.
After cutting the foam to fit and using a little adhesive to keep it in place, I stapled a dust cover onto the bottom of the seat frame. Then it was upholstery recovering time.
It strikes me as kind of funny that the actual recovering – what I had originally been asked to do – took a mere hour as compared to the 15 hours I’d already spent on the rest of the bench. Talk about getting sidetracked!
But look. It was so worth it.
The dust cover:
This project was SO much fun and so rewarding! Now, what’s next? Perhaps the wedding dress I need to have done by April… unless someone else has another piece of antique furniture for me?
March 20th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
Truely gorgeous!
You can come and visit us anytime, oh wait, you will…bring tools!
Does Sofia have her own carpenter tools yet?
March 22nd, 2013 at 9:36 am
Mama, no she doesn’t, though she was asking me for her own kid shovel yesterday.
She might be old enough to start planting things like sunflowers in the garden, we’ll see.
Amanda: ugh, stripping sucks! 😛 I have so few brain cells left as it is! I might come and help YOU though…
Candy: You are soooo sweet thank you!
March 20th, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Wow, wow, wow!!! If I just had the nerve like you do to take apart a piece of furniture like that! You need an applause track for the reveal picture!
March 20th, 2013 at 10:55 pm
Um…yeah! I have something for you to help me with…remember that big ole buffet?
March 24th, 2013 at 7:30 pm
Wow Diana! Your OCD paid off- those little curvy top points are perfect and they make the bench a much happier person. Or, happier bench. You know.
March 24th, 2013 at 8:41 pm
AND the swirls on the fabric match the swirls on the arm rests! *nods in approval*
March 25th, 2013 at 11:03 am
Thank you everyone! <3 It was a lot of fun.