I picked this chair up at an estate sale a few months ago. I can’t say for sure it’s an antique but I know it’s old. When I bought this chair it had been recovered with a leather like material.
I decided to take it off right away and discovered what I believe to be the original seat cover underneath. I believe it was the original because it looked old, and was attached with nails.
As you can see from the picture the material looks pretty worn and aged and you can see the small flathead nails used to attach it. Underneath the chair you can also see the jute webbing. So I’m already feeling like this chair is fairly old but then I took a look at the inside of the padded seat.
Straw and horse hair! What!! I don’t have a lot of experience with antiques and vintage items so this was all brand new to me. I did a little research and horse hair and straw were used in the mid 1800’s and into the early 1900’s. I believe it was sometimes used into the mid 1900’s but not as often. Other than that I can’t seem to find any more information on this chair. There’s no manufacturers name or any info at all printed or attached to this chair. So I’m left to wonder.
I wanted to reupholster this chair but I didn’t want to remove any of the original seat cover or insides. Because I’m not sure of its age I just want to keep all the original parts intact. So I put the nails I pulled out back in and added some extra padding over the original material. Then stapled the new material over that. To give the seat a finished look I decided to add a little trim around the back and the arms. I measured each piece, cut it and used a hot glue gun to attach it.
I love the wood finish on this chair and the beautiful carved back. With the simple pattern on this material I think it’s the perfect accent chair for a farmhouse style home.
I would love to hear from anyone who knows anything about antique and vintage furniture. If you have an idea’s on the age of this chair or any advice on how to find out please leave a comment below.
Thanks for checking out my blog
Cindy 😊
