Gossip Bench - Let's Talk About It

  

I revive furniture.  It's what I do.  A pretty house cannot be filled with gross old junk and tearing upholstery!  That said, not everything has to be brand new either.  Well made furniture has a life of its own.  It can be passed from generation to generation (case and point, the beautiful brass bed that I have that once belonged to my great-grandparents).  It's not a part of your life; you are a part of its. 

 

And, this gossip bench is not done talking!  A little elbow grease and VOILA:

This project was pretty straight-forward.  First thing, I unscrewed all the upholstered pieces.  SAVE YOUR SCREWS!  Once I had the frame by itself, I realized that some of the nails were missing or falling out.  Not uncommon for a 50 year old piece.  A little hammering here and little screwing there and the frame was once again sturdy.  

Next step, a good cleaning.  I start by vacuuming all the dust and spiderwebs off.  This piece had a rare treat, A LIVE SPIDER!  Like I mentioned before, life of its own.  Following spider removal, I turn to my secret power-through-grease weapon, Dawn.  It's a successful slogan for a reason.  It shouldn't be a shock that something that houses eight-legged friends is covered in years of dirt and grime.  A quick pass with a non-scratch sponge and the difference is amazing.  I keep a towel handy to dry as I go.  Standing water is not good for any type of wood.  Allow the furniture to air dry before applying any oils, etc. 

  

**Please note that I only use soap and water on wood furniture that has a protective finish.  Also, for this particular piece, I am restoring it, not refinishing it.  Refinishing would involve stripping the wood to its bare state, thus making cleaning the existing finish unnecessary.  I do not recommend Dawn for everyday wood cleaning.**

Coming up, reupholstery.  Unless there are extenuating circumstances, I remove all old fabric instead of just putting on a new layer over it.  Try to remove the old fabric carefully to use as a guide for how much fabric is needed and as a pattern.  Cut the new fabric and secure it using a staple gun.  Corners take some practice but, I second the advice, wrap it like a present.  

 

 

 Once the frame had some time to air dry, I used Old English Scratch Cover to hide the scratches and nicks in the wood.  If possible, I like to keep the original wood as original as possible.  I don't mind if a vintage piece is a little rough.  I see that as character.  (However, if it was too far gone, a total refinish would have been in order and that would have evened out the stains and scratches to make it like new.)  Follow the directions on the bottle.  Apply the polish directly to the scratch and then buff the whole area.  Eventually, I covered the whole frame.  It does stain, so be careful!  I allow the piece to dry overnight just to ensure I don't get any polish on my freshly upholstered pieces.

 

Finally, it's time to put the piece back together.  Just screw the upholstered pieces back in, and admire the before and after.  Go ahead, sit down and chat awhile.