I am so excited about this project so let's get right to it and see the before pictures.
The first thing I noticed were the carvings. Aren't they beautiful?! The client's grandfather made this rocker for her mother. Now she is passing it on to her daughter. I love pieces that have history and are being saved from the attic abyss or the trash.
Having said that, this rocker is old. The wood is brittle and some of the supports and braces that were originally in the rocker were gone. It was wiggly and unstable when I brought it home. I started by separating the main pieces; arms, base and back. Then I took off all the old nail heads and upholstery. I needed to get to the bare bones to see what I was dealing with.
After everything was stripped down, I had a mild cardiac arrest episode. I saw how thin and brittle the wood was. I saw many dowel rods broken in their slots. I saw extra screws randomly put in and screwed so tight it cracked the wood. I was starting to get nervous about being able to rescue this chair.
BUT.....I did. Luckily, this chair still has some life in it and is now refreshed, bright and happy. I refinished the wood by sanding off the old dark stain and clear coat but leaving the darker stain in the carvings. Now you can really see them with the contrast of wood colors. I used tung oil on all the wood instead of stain and polyurethane. The two-tones of the wood is beautiful and coordinates with the green fabric that was chosen.
I can't believe how great this project turned out. Love it.
Love, Love, Love!
I hope everyone has a great relaxing weekend. My plan is to recuperate after a busy week of visiting family out of town and out of town family visiting us. My #1 on the "to do" list is sleep. :)
Sharing At:
Remodelaholic
Classy Clutter
DIY Showoff
House on the Way
Great job Kaylor! Love the mix of old and new!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI love that fabric! Green is my favorite color. You really turned it into something so pretty. I haven't tacked any projects that deals with furniture, yet. I'm still trying to get around to upholstering the bench in my bedroom since the summer. Feeling kind of inspired after seeing this rocker...
ReplyDeleteThank you & thanks for visiting.
DeleteHi Kaylor, I saw this at That DIY Party. WOW! you did an amazing job. I love the lighter finish you went with too, the designs in the wood stand out so much better now. Thanks for sharing. Happy New Years! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks & Happy New Year to you and your family.
DeleteI saw this at Remodelaholic's Party. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThank you and thanks for visiting.
DeleteGorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Love the fabric, love the trim, love it all!
ReplyDelete