My Swedish Furniture Makeover

Several years ago I found some wonderful Swedish antique furniture. It was covered in dirty muslin and desperately needed to be reupholstered.

Here is the bench, notice the tear on left side. The muslin was stapled on.

Two wonderful Bergere chairs - also notice the tear on the right chair and the awful stained upholstery fabric on the cushions. I also had two sweet Swedish side chairs which I did not take before photos of.

I searched for several years (really!) to find just the perfect linen fabric. It proved easy once I met Wendy Lewis of Textile Trunk. I spoke to her directly and mentioned I wanted hand woven linen, over a hundred years old, with a fine weave and soft drape- not nubby like like my grain sack pillows - more formal and soft. I vacillated on whether to have a grain sack stripe going down the front of the chairs, that is so popular these days, but in the end I decided to stick with what I am most comfortable with - the classics.

Wendy immediately sent me a few samples to review - each was more beautiful that one before. I decided on the gorgeous linen above. The seven stripes are just on the very end of the roll. The weaver most likely could not read or write and this combination of color, width and number of stripes was her signature. The stripes remain my favorite part of the roll and I intend to make them into small pillows to honor the time and effort put into this beautiful fabric by a unknown woman of long ago.

With such beautiful antique furniture and antique fabric that had touched such a sentimental cord with me, I was nervous to just let any upholsterer work on this project. What to do? I contact my bloggy friend, Linda Merrill of the famous Surroundings and The Skirted Round Table, for some direction. Another blessing, when Linda pointed me in the direction of Master Upholsterer, Heller Furniture. Above is photo of my Bergere Chair deconstructed.

A Czech by birth, Walter Heller is a master craftsman. His roots are firmly anchored in his extensive European training which began as an apprentice saddler and tapiezer in Bavaria, Germany, at the age of 14. For over 40 years, Heller has been working with architects, project managers, interior designers and residential clients to produce upholstered custom furniture. His knowledge of antique furniture and his attention to detail is outstanding. Once I met him and his assistant, Nancy, I breathed a sigh of relief that my furniture and fabric were the hands of a master! Thank you Linda, Walter and Nancy!

Walter's knowledge was exceptional - he showed me the jute webbing under the chair. He mentioned that although jute was generally used in a chair this age, this jute had been replaced- and poorly done as it was too sparse and would not provide good support.

He also showed me the chair joints which were loose. This was caused by the stripping of the furniture. These pieces, he said, were clearly dipped in Lye. Lye is wonderful for removing paint quickly but it also dissolves the wood glue that holds these pieces together and ultimately loosens the joints over time. Walter was able to re glue and screw the joints to strengthen the chairs.

Here is the chair being covered,. Notice the top, front, back panel of the chair. The upholstery stuffing is bumping out or "crowning" here to create a noticeable arc of padding. This is the way the chair was intended to look. Better photos of this effect below.

Antique fabrics do not generally match exactly in terms of color but Walter was able to use different shades in different areas of the chairs to create a visually perfect match.

Here the seat cushions for the Bergere chairs are being crafted.

I had a limited amount of fabric. He was able to use the linen so conservatively that I had enough left over to make pillows. Amazing!

Walter explained that the best furniture has nailed muslin covering - if you see staples, that is a sign that the quality may not be the best underneath!

Here is the finished bench at Walter's Workshop. He had to rebuild the cushion and the effect is fabulous. Notice the two seams down the front of the bench, the match is incredible.

Nail head trim or double welting are traditional in Swedish Upholstery - I prefer the double welting - notice the attention to detail.

Here is the Bergere Chair finished in the workroom. This is a better photo to highlight the upholstery bumping out and "crowning" on front upper back panel of the chair.

Double welting detail

Amazing work on the sides and arms of the chairs

Here are my pieces waiting to be picked up

And here they are in my Conservatory - waiting for my final decorating touches!

The Swedish bench with gorgeous antique, original grain sack pillows by textile artist, Kym Fraser of Three Fine Grains.

One (of my pair) of sweet Swedish chairs in front of my Mora Clock (just a peek as I am working on an upcoming post about the clock)

Finding the right fabrics and upholsterer can be a daunting task, but when you put all the right pieces together you can re-create beautiful furniture worthy of another hundred years.

For more information on Wendy Lewis of Textile Trunk and her lovely antique fabrics click here. For information on Master Craftsman and Upholsterer, Walter Heller and Heller Furniture click here. Don't forget to mention you heard about them on Willow Decor.

(all photos property of Willow Decor and Heller Furniture and not to be used without permission)

A Home by the Sea by Hutker Architects

Mention fabulous residential architecture in Massachusetts and inevitably you will hear the name Hutker Architects. Their work has been published in leading design magazines including Coastal Living and Architectural Digest. Also the winner of numerous design awards and most recently inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame, Mark Hutker, and his team, have created an impressive body of work.

Let's have a look at a wonderful, newly constructed ocean front home. This is the view of the impressive home from the water.

From the entry the home feels inviting; not huge or imposing.

This was achieved by designing a courtyard setting. Notice the the garage barn doors and wonderful coastal landscaping. It looks as if this house was just dropped on to the beach dunes.

A wonderful feature is the front entry porch which opens and looks directly through the back doors to the ocean. I love the columns, notice the heft of them and how the base is larger on the bottom.

The living room truly captures the coastal feel. I love the inlaid wood compass rose on the floor. I suspect it is positioned to point just as the house sits on the property.

Another angle of the living room which gives us a peek at some lovely window seats.

The view from the Butler's Pantry into the Dining Room and then on to the Living Room.

Pretty white kitchen with mosaic backsplash. Emeco industrial stools at the center island.

Of course if you are guests here you would be staying in the Guest House on the property. I love how well this home compliments the main house.

Here is the Guest House kitchen, artfully designed to include every appliance. I suspect this is stocked with all kinds of wonderful goodies

Notice the beautiful ceiling details.

Finally, no home by the ocean is complete with out a boat house. What a sweet, charming structure and so well landscaped.

Thanks to Hutker Architects for designing another wonderful home by sea...

(all photos by Brian Vanden Brink and property of Hutker Architects)

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My Very Chic Friend's Kitchen Remodel

I have a very chic friend! She always looks so stylish without looking trendy- Her look is effortless; she just wraps that amazing scarf around her shoulders and voila! Instant style! Some people are just born with this innate ability to be fabulous!

Unfortunately my very chic friend relocated back to Sydney, Australia and we have had limited contact since her move (thank goodness for FB) She emailed me recently to send on some pictures of her new kitchen remodel. Her kitchen is was just featured in Australia's Luxury Kitchens and Bathrooms.
I noticed the difference between her "American Style" of her house here and the new more minimalist style of her home in Sydney.

I love the flat wall of white cabinetry off set by the ebony black island. The counter stools have wonderful lines and look striking against the white flooring.

Many key appliance are built in and everything has a place

Like her fabulous fashion accessories, its no surprise the lighting she chose added such bling to the space! Notice the wonderful transition from inside to outside.

Note the interesting mirror and the black lighting at the far end of the space. Very chic!
The office - also a very sleek design. The ebony floors look gorgeous with the zebra rug and they are a wonderful contrast to the kitchen floors.

I also like the choice of the raspberry drum light with gold interior. It adds a bit of glamour!

From the office you get a view of the family room - again interesting lighting and a streamlined design. If you are in Sydney, pick up a copy of the June/July issue of Luxury Kitchens and Bathrooms (vol 8-p.74) otherwise check it out here.

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A warm thanks to my wonderful friend for sharing her amazing space! You are missed!!

(all photos property of Luxury Kitchens and Bathrooms)

The Swiss Chalets of Ballenberg

One of the highlights of our trip to Switzerland was the day we spent at the Ballenberg Museum. This Open Air museum is situated on over 160 acres, in the Haslital Brienz-Meiringen-Hasliberg region and nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains.

Over 100 buildings are separated into 13 building groups representing the various regions of Switzerland. The different construction techniques of the farmhouses, barns, cheese making and storage sheds, outbuilding, and even operating mills are represented for each region. The buildings, some as old as the 1500's, reflect the daily lives of both the wealthy and poorer day laborers of the periods. These buildings have been moved to the museum and preserved in natural settings that gives you the feeling of actually being able to step back into that time.

Museum workers also dress in period clothes, perform the daily chores of the farmers, craftsmen, and artisans of their respective era. We saw cooking over an open fire, lace making, and workers tending to the many farm animals and gardens on the property. The Apothecary above was a beautiful building surrounded by an amazing herbal garden.
Inside were rooms filled with herb and areas where medicines would have been prepared.
One of several thatched roof houses.
I was impressed with the iron detailing on this door. What incredible craftsmanship.
A poorer laborer's home with grain storage under the living area.

A wealthy land owner's home - notice the carved wood detailing on this building.

The inside of this home - the lovely furniture suggests that this family was very well off.

The diversity of the architecture was amazing. Another area of Ballenberg that had a Hansel and Gretel feeling.

Here is a close up of the window boxes and the fruit trees.

The interior with traditional furnishings - Notice the corner cupboard shelf. Charming!

Yet another area of Ballenberg - the building detail and the window boxes were beautiful. My children especially loved this house. It had many floors and an attic bunk-room. A traditional built in bed. Though hard to see, this one was built in a small alcove by the stove to keep the family warm during the winter months. This building was extraordinary. The detailed carving all over this structure made this a unique architecural treasure. How lucky this is preserved this for all to see.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous that my children and husband would be bored and begging to leave. Just the opposite happened - it was my feet that wore out as they excitedly explored each and every building.

Ballenberg Museum is a place to visit if you are ever in that area; an incredible Swiss treasure and a wonderful day for us!! For more information check out their website.