New Seats for Old Chairs
December 12, 2010
My bad habits are again on display. Despite an expanding demand for my own designs, I still have a hard time keeping other peoples’ castoffs out of the back of my truck. Chairs especially. My original intention with this group was to fit them with a some sleek new shaped hardwood seats and backs, that was before I saw the work of Josh Duthie at Chairtastic. Instead I decided to try my hand at a bit of upholstery and weaving to fit them with seats closer to their originals. Opening my doors to the world of textiles may prove to be a pandora’s box.
The first is an original, cast aluminum, Shaw Walker made in Michigan. After that is a steel chair by Hamilton Cosco of Indiana. Both have all fully functioning swivel action and posture adjustments. The low-back wooden chair I believe may be a genuine Shaker piece. I fit it with a traditional woven rush seat. It has a tiny brand near the top of one of the front legs reading ‘stw’. The last chair I can’t put any specifics on besides that it received the most awesome upholstery to compensate for its ambiguity.
