After I graduated from nursing school I moved to Paradise, California and went to work at Enloe hospital for critical care training. Paradise is a retirement town and I met a lady named Bonnie. She lived close by, was 95 years old and had no family other than a brother that lived in Texas. I spoke with him several times on the phone and he himself was in his 80’s. I was really concerned for her well being and she wasn’t doing all that well on her own besides she was very lonely. I took her under my wing for several years and helped her with her shopping, errands and cooked her meals. She became a really great friend as time went by. She lived in a retirement trailer park which was really nice and neighbor’s looked out for each other
…show more content…
Her cat went missing and she told me she wanted the old cat chair hauled off. I looked closer at the chair. It was covered with cat hair and really dirty but I could see that it had potential. So she said I could have it if I didn’t want to haul it off. I told her of my plan to recover it and she just laughed. I took it home and luckily took some pictures of it. I had never done any type of upholstery work so after calling around and getting prices to have it done by a professional, I decided I could figure it out myself. I went to an upholstery shop and got as much information from them as possible and all the supplies. The springs had sprung under the chair so the guy at the shop gave me a quick lesson on repairs. When I tore all the fabric off, I found it was actually stuffed with horse hair. I know that sometimes refinishing antiques can actually ruin the value but as the chair stood it was nothing but nasty and worthless. So once the horsehair was gone, I retied the springs, padded it, covered it with muslin and then reappusltered it with a nice tapestry material. The wood had years of grime on it so I refinished the oak and it turned out really beautiful with tight grain, not like …show more content…
I took some before pictures because it was such a mess and I’m glad I did. I had Bonnie over for dinner and showed her the chair as she was so happy to see how the chair turned out and loved sitting in. She couldn’t believe it was the same chair. I’ve have had it now for almost 26 years and have hauled it around with me over the years. Every time I look at or sit in that chair I think of Bonnie and what a sweet lady she was. The funny thing is I have a cat that loves to sleep on the chair. I guess it is destined to be a cat chair, although I have a blanket on it to protect it. Bonnie was a retired school teacher and was really sharp for her age. The chair is something that brings back memories of a great lady that I once knew and considered her a great friend. It has beautiful scroll work below the arms, the arms curve back slightly and I think it has beautiful lines. It is very comfortable to sit in and I found a little ottoman that matches quite well and covered it in the same fabric. It does have the old roller casters that are original for the legs and you can slip them out. I have hardwood floors so they are out right now. Anyway I love the chair and I
Her cat went missing and she told me she wanted the old cat chair hauled off. I looked closer at the chair. It was covered with cat hair and really dirty but I could see that it had potential. So she said I could have it if I didn’t want to haul it off. I told her of my plan to recover it and she just laughed. I took it home and luckily took some pictures of it. I had never done any type of upholstery work so after calling around and getting prices to have it done by a professional, I decided I could figure it out myself. I went to an upholstery shop and got as much information from them as possible and all the supplies. The springs had sprung under the chair so the guy at the shop gave me a quick lesson on repairs. When I tore all the fabric off, I found it was actually stuffed with horse hair. I know that sometimes refinishing antiques can actually ruin the value but as the chair stood it was nothing but nasty and worthless. So once the horsehair was gone, I retied the springs, padded it, covered it with muslin and then reappusltered it with a nice tapestry material. The wood had years of grime on it so I refinished the oak and it turned out really beautiful with tight grain, not like …show more content…
I took some before pictures because it was such a mess and I’m glad I did. I had Bonnie over for dinner and showed her the chair as she was so happy to see how the chair turned out and loved sitting in. She couldn’t believe it was the same chair. I’ve have had it now for almost 26 years and have hauled it around with me over the years. Every time I look at or sit in that chair I think of Bonnie and what a sweet lady she was. The funny thing is I have a cat that loves to sleep on the chair. I guess it is destined to be a cat chair, although I have a blanket on it to protect it. Bonnie was a retired school teacher and was really sharp for her age. The chair is something that brings back memories of a great lady that I once knew and considered her a great friend. It has beautiful scroll work below the arms, the arms curve back slightly and I think it has beautiful lines. It is very comfortable to sit in and I found a little ottoman that matches quite well and covered it in the same fabric. It does have the old roller casters that are original for the legs and you can slip them out. I have hardwood floors so they are out right now. Anyway I love the chair and I