Can you point me in the right direction?

Hello everyone! I just joined this site, and have posted my introduction for your reading pleasure I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction with this piece? I just bought it, and it is in excruciating rough shape, although it is structurally sound. I am just trying to get an idea of the date/value if at all possible. Mostly because it has to be restored and would like to know if it is something I can restore myself or if I should invest in having it professionally restored. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated!

Veronica

 

Welcome Veronica! This is a circa 1900 Victorian parlor set. No real historical style to them but a bit of this and that combined. It is of the type often found in the Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Wards catalogs of the day. There may have originally been even more pieces to the set. I can't tell the wood but a lot of these were poplar or birch stained to mimic walnut or mahogany. Not really a sought after style today. I can't imagine it would be worth either the effort or expense of restoration. Do it for yourself if you love them but really not worth it for resale.

 

Thank you! That helps a lot. I am just happy knowing that I have a relatively old piece in my house. To be honest, I wasn't trying to sell it, I am much too in love with it to even consider it, I just didn't want to cause any damage to it. Knowing this, I can now safely restore it and enjoy it every day. Thank you!

 

FYI ........ Here is a similar set in a Sears catalog page from 1900.

 

Are one or both of the fabrics on these original? They look so different from each other that I wasn't sure that they originally went together.

 

The seat fabrics are actually the same, Fig. But in the case of the two-seater, the fabric was cut so that the "medallion" was allowed to repeat so there is one for each sitter. The single chairs have that same medallion centered and only one.

Oh, just realized! You're talking about the seat versus the back, right?

 

Any pointers will be greatly appreciated!


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Hi Veronica,
That is a perfect set to sink you teeth into. It is nice but not a VALUBLE antique that needs to look like that. I often put a piece of the original fabric inside the new fabric just as a note for the future. The wood looks like it just needs a good cleaning and waxing. You do not have to fill in every little ding. It is a hundred years old. To do that would be like getting your great grandmother a face lift and lip enlargement. It just would not look right. The fabric choice is your call. Some people try and make it look like the original some people would put purple flame stitching. Whatever makes you happy.
greg

 

Yummy! I have some elegant dark green and white striped fabric that I have been keeping for years for just such a purpose!

 

Yes, I did mean the seat versus the back... sorry I wasn't clear about that!

 

No problem, Fig. I was on my first cup of coffee when I read your post.

 

I don't know, but the set would look divine in my sitting room.