Sunderland Restorations

I’m super excited about this pair of chairs. Just look at the graining on this leg!! They’re going to be stunning.

Some odd pictures today. I’m working on a pair of antique chairs from the late 19th century (one of them was pictured recently when being stripped of its upholstery). They’ve been reupholstered numerous times as well as just being older, so the amount of nail holes combined with some dry rot meant the frames needed reinforcing. Enter some quite fluid epoxy used for the purpose of restructuring the wood. Fills in all the holes nicely and gives the frame more solidity once again. That in combination with some putty epoxy to fill in large voids and strengthen aged joints, and these chairs will have another 150 years in their future.

Ever wonder what the inside of a button-tufted chair looks like? This is it! Done traditionally, with hand knotting and pieces of fabric (or, in this case, bits of welt/piping), as opposed to more modern versions I’ve seen. This always feels more secure to me. I’m taking the upholstery off this chair (and have already done its mate) before attacking some hefty restoration needs on the frames, refinishing, then attempting reupholstery! #labouroflove #staytuned

Another project completed! Beautiful antique-style table from 1959. I bought this off of Craig’s List years before I ever had training on restoring furniture. It was $55, and honestly, with what I now know, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to take it on! It’s had many, many hours of love put into it and will now last for another 60 years at least, probably a lot longer.

And she, too, is now ready for the stripping process! (Taking the wood’s finish off is called stripping, taking the upholstery off is called ‘tear down’). Man, when I saw the innards of this poor couch, I’m almost ashamed I didn’t tackle it sooner. But this is literally why I’m learning how to upholster. It’s a pricey venture to send pieces out for reupholstery, and one that’s almost always out of my financial reach. Sourcing beautiful but inexpensive material and learning how to do it myself saves me so much! And adds to my skills. Something interesting in the last photo - while animal hair is most commonly used in traditional upholstery, it’s not uncommon to also see straw used as a filler! #neverstoplearning

Welcome to Sunderland Restorations, where we specialize in the restoration and repair of antique and vintage furniture. Call, text, or email for a free estimate on the revitalization of your favourite pieces, and don’t forget to check out our gallery of past work in the photos section. Thanks for visiting!

My mum has a fancy sewing machine that does embroidery. She needed some help learning how to use it. (Think CNC machine for sewers - seriously!) I’m thinking you all might see more Sunderland Restorations embossed on things. Like, ALL the things.

So, if any of you have ever been to Casa Sunderland, you’ve seen our lovely, red, antique couch. Lovely but in great need of some TLC. Tired and saggy upholstery (actually broken in a couple of places), a bit of a wobbly frame and loads of dings and scratches. With Covid slowing my customer work load, I’m taking the time I find I have to learn. And my own house has an abundance of projects! This one is a daunting one. I’m not even sure how my husband and I got it out of the ...house and into the garage!! (It was close, but nobody died.) Here’s the crazy part - when I started to really tear down the upholstery I found something strange. The upshot? THE ENTIRE BACK COMES OFF. Like, held on with a half dozen screws. I’ve done a lot of reading and video watching about upholstery and NEVER yet seen this. LOL. I’m definitely learning!! #mighthavefreakedmeoutalittle #cantdecideifitsgoodorbad #learningopportunities #dontwasteyourwaiting See more

And there it is! All ready for its next step of restoration: stripping the finish, regluing the joints, repairing any breaks, and most significantly re-structuring the frame. This is done by filling it with an epoxy to give added strength to a frame that is essentially falling apart from many nails and also some dry rot. Pictures to come!

These forlorn chairs were in dire need of some love. They were given some light restoration on the frames and then reupholstered in this rich, emerald green. And got a matching bench as well! #upcycle #mostambitiousupholsteryprojectyet #happywiththeresult #neverstoplearning

Turns out this white chair has had a couple of other lives. I love finding the history of a piece when I take it apart. This one must have had the seat rebuilt before being upholstered white. But obviously the padding of the back was considered to be in good shape (and indeed it was still), so new fabric was simply tacked over the old. Twice. Fascinating.

Did a quick little upholstery job for an old friend from high school! Lovely to catch up and very special to be able to bring some new life to these two little stools her dad made for her and her sister when they were little. #nostalgia #goodfriendshipsneverend

And a few finished photos of the chairs from the dining suite we just delivered. Love how these turned out! Such a rich colour. #teak #midcenturymodern #mcm

Finished photos of the dining table from our most recent delivery!

Finally have a moment to post some before and after pictures of the dining suite we just delivered! Amazing transformation to a family suite that will now be enjoyed for another generation or more.

Just a sneak peak of a piece of the dining suite that’s currently getting lacquered. It’ll be finished soon!

Did a quick upholstery job last week for a lovely customer. He didn’t want to have the seats fully re-sprung, so there was little jiggery-pokery done to try and minimize their lumpiness. They turned out pretty well!

Meanwhile, at the other end of the shop.... Had to replace this piece of dowel on the underside of a draw-leaf table. It got knocked off somewhere along the line and is necessary to keep the table top in place. In this type of design the top isn’t fixed to the table base. Easy to move around! (But also easy to break, unfortunately.....). We’ll fill the remaining void space with Bondo and it will be as secure as if it was new.

Sometimes I fix things other than furniture. #myfavouritesummerpair #pleasedontaskmetofixyourshoes #ihavenoactualideawhatimdoing

Another weekend project finished! This serving tray was my grandmother’s. And while it wasn’t a particularly valuable piece, I used it all the time. It was reglued and refinished, the brass was cleaned (what a difference that made!) and it was given fabric under the glass to match our footstool and chair in the living room. To finish it off it got a new sturdy bottom piece and some felt pads. Love the result! And I love that this baby has some life in her yet. #reuse #hiddenbeauty #thanksnana

Here are a couple of before and after shots of our newest item for sale. No refinishing here - truly just a combination of elbow grease and finesse to bring this worn finish back to life.