Back on
June 11, 2008, I wrote a blog entry about the 19th century backless couch
my mother gave me, which is now being restored. I thought my mother
bought the couch as an antique but it turns out that the piece has been
owned by our family for at least my mother’s lifetime (it was in our cabin
at
Elkmont, in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee for many years).
This weekend, we got to see the completion of the second phase of work, by John Gibbs
of The Workshop (500 E Mcglincy Lane, #G, Campbell, CA 95008-4919, Phone:
408-371-7166). When we went to see the fainting couch, John Gibbs said the
wood is probably a combination of mahogany, birch, and maybe elm. He also
showed us a reproduction furniture catalogue from 1875-1905 which featured
a “Turkish Couch” similar to ours (so now we know more about the date of
our piece). It probably cost under $40 when it was new.
Here are the phases of this project:
- Phase I (June – July) – the couch was stripped of its upholstry and
padding - Phase II (August – September) – The Workshop reglued and braced the frame,
then repaired and refinished the visible wood - Phase III (Starting Soon) – Reupholstry
Photos of the work so far:
Before Starting Work (June)
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End of Phase I (July)
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The Workshop Sign
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End of Phase II (September)
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John Gibbs and The Workshop
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Turkish Couch Image
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Images Copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson
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