Page 42 - JOA-July-22

by Leif Johnson, TLC Upholstery, Palmer, MA, interviewed by Judy Gonyeau

Upholstery Across the Ages

he true beginnings of uphol- horsehair to stuff in-between the springs to keep them in place.
stery took place in Ancient Button tufting came into fashion thanks to the fourth Earl of
TEgypt. Animal skins and Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope (1694-1773), at least according to local
dressed leather was stretched across lore. Tufting involves tightly pulling upholstery back and anchoring it
a rigid framework to create more with a knot or button.
comfortable seating. Most furniture Also in the 18th century, the fully upholstered chair was created and
of that time was low to the ground was the lead-in to the soon-to-be-popular “daybed.” The first fully-
with feet that resembled animal feet. upholstered chair was built in 1705 and was called the “sleeping
Mostly made of wood, the chairs chayre” because you could rest your head on the sides or the back. As
were built like stools, but those built these daybeds grew in popularity, custom pillows also grew in number
with backs and arms attached were as another element of creature comfort.
limited to the wealthy and presti-
gious. Leather cushions were stuffed The Victorian Era
with horsehair or down feathers. With the Victorian era
came incredible furniture
The Evolution of Fabric filled with every conceiv-
While the materials for the structure of furniture remained the same able design element from
in Medieval times, the interest in weaving on a grander scale came into wood carving to advanced
fashion. The strength and colors of the fabric adorned walls in many fabric design and more styles
rooms of a home, but no more so than the bedroom. Upholsterers of upholstery than ever Early tufted reupholstered couch
crossed over into a world of attaching tapestries to almost any and every before. With the establish- photo: Leif Johnson
wood surface. Canopy beds had hundreds of yards of woven fabric ment of the upper-middle class, the economy for furniture makers and
draping off the tall posts and layer upon layer across the bed itself. The upholsterers continued to climb.
size of the bedroom allowed for additional furniture from sofas to chairs Mahogany and rosewood were the more popular woods used for
and tables—with plenty of tapestries—included to create a magnificent furniture due to its great strength, weight, and ease with which to style
setting for preparing for the day and the evening. Plus, the weight and with plenty of curves and decorations. This era borrowed from the
thickness of this fabric on the walls helped with insulating the sleeper Renaissance, the 16th century French style, and the Neoclassical
against the elements coming through the walls from the outside. throughout the reign of Queen Victoria.
With all this Upholstery featured a variety of finishing touches thanks to custom
expanding use of elaborate trim, decorative hardware, and tufting. Matching sets of
tapestry and fabric, furniture could also have complementary or matching wallpaper and
upholsterers had to pillows to create a theme of color and shape.
gain more skills in
the areas of wood- The 20th Century
working, needle- Innovations in fabrics and upholstering materials ebbed and flowed
work, spacial and throughout the 1900s. Using artificial elements including plastics and
interior design, how other synthetic fibers when creating fabrics such as vinyl, artificial
to restore and repair leather, and even artificial burlap, became popular earlier rather than
against wear and later, especially with the growth of the automotive industry.
tear, and finishing Molded sponge rubber gave designers an easier way to create stream-
Bed chamber at the Chateau-de-fontainbleau and embellishing. lined shapes when creating furniture. It also provided great shock
absorption and recovered well after being sat on for a while. The
The Spring density of this petroleum product made it fairly easy to upholster.
Fast forward to the 18th century and the invention of the single steel Natural latex foam is made from rubber trees and water and is proving
coil spring – the most powerful improvement in upholstery to come to be a high-quality alternative.
along to date. Finally, the cushion had come of age. These single spiral Plywood construction is another inno-
pieces of wire enabled the sitter to sit comfortably and help the cushion vation in furniture construction. As
maintain its shape. While a stuffed cushion would give some comfort, opposed to compressed wood, plywood is
the spring gave a lift to the sitter upon rising. much stronger and can take the wear and
The coils were tied into place with rope or twine to evenly distribute tear well. Thin sheets of wood veneer
weight. Over time, they would stretch and the springs would shift, laminated in alternating directions are
resulting in a lumpy seat. Trial and error in tying the springs in place what make plywood more rigid, while the
led to the use of an eight-way tie to make the seating more stable. cross-graining of plywood reduces expan-
Some upholsterers were able to attain the skills needed to set the seat sion and shrinkage inherent in wood or
right, while others would have to cover the untied coils, using only compressed wood.

40 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles