Reupholstery

Traditional know-how

Reupholstery is a fundamental stage in the restoration of a piece of furniture. Reupholstering a chair requires several steps such as attaching webbing and setting springs, stitching, stuffing, and applying fabric. Many of these steps are no longer required for modern foam seats. All these meticulous operations are done by hand and call for a lot of patience and a level of dexterity perfected over centuries of repeated motions. Unlike many other upholsterers today, Brazet still uses traditional material such as natural horsehair. The artisans of Brazet are proud to maintain all the techniques inherited from the traditional art of upholstery.

Reupholstery

Step 1

Webbing

Webbing is the first stage of a long process. Many hours of patient high skill labour will be necessary to restore this chair original features. The webbing consists of intersected linen straps. These tightly pulled straps will constitute the physical support for all the layers that make up the seat.

Reupholstery

Step 2

Positionning the coil springs

The springs bring flexibility to the seat. Springs were introduced around 1830. They were then known in France as "élastiques". Laid out at regular intervals on the webbing, they are sewn and fixed in place by "guindage", i.e. spring-tying. The Brazet upholsterers tend to prefer, on older seats, to forego springs and abide by the tradition of using exclusively horserhair for the core of the seat.

Reupholstery

Step 3

Tying in the springs

The set of coil springs is maintained in place by a webbing of ties which forms a platform for the seat canvas. This represents an essential step in the upholstering process, as the artisan must work with a very precise sense of the final volume of the seat.

Reupholstery

Step 4

Applying the seat canvas

The canvas is made of fine jute cloth and separates the springs from the horsehair. As it is laid, the springs are sewn in order to prevent wear and tear of the fabric. This step precedes the creation of the "cuvette", i.e. the base.

Reupholstery

Step 5

Filling the "cuvette"

The Maison Brazet uses natural horsehair as filling. Natural horsehair has a life of tis own and provides better comfort to the final seating. It is carefully laid out on the strong fabric which will be folded back in order to form a pad.

Reupholstery

Step 6

Folding in the seat base

The cloth is folded in to enclose the horsehair and set it in place. The seat horsehair is carefully placed within the base. This stage requires a lot of experience and dexterity from the upholsterer. The stitiching requires a very precise hand and a lot of patience in order to make the seat border perfectly even.

Reupholstery

Step 7

Filling the seat

This stage requires a very high level of skill and experience from the upholsterer. The final aspect and comfort of the armchair depend greatly on attaining the perfect density of horsehair in the padding. The section strings are weaved in and serve to anchor the final fabric.

Reupholstery

Step 8

Covering

The seat is covered with a white coton cloth tacked in the groves known as "feuillures".

Reupholstery

Step 9

Placing the top fabric

A layer of wadding of cotton is applied, and then the top fabric. The strings are weaved in and positioned in order to form padding compartments known as "capitons". The upholsterer then performs final adjustments and creates the capitons.

Reupholstery

Step 10

Completion

Buttons are tied in. The fabric is finally stretched out and cut. The fabric is then fixed at side groves and is decorated with trimmings known as "passementerie". In this case, the fabric was not glued but affixed into the side groves with a finishing tool called "pointe à crêter".

Reupholstery

Step 11

The upholster check every aspect of the finished chair. Artisans who work for the Maison Brazet all share the same taste for perfection. Today, the chair has returned to the music room of Empress Eugénie in the palace of Compiègne.