oh, and ...

We also got very lucky on a set of Fler SC55 dining chairs ... had never seen them in the flesh before so we had to get them ... what a shape!
Good motivation, as we have a 1955 Fler maple dining table that has been sitting in the shed waiting for restoration for years - will post pics once everyone's had the treatment!

We also need to get on to fixing up our old LC chair - same timber, slightly earlier - lordy but there is a lot of re-finishing to do when we look at the collection.  Here's a pic of Mr Fred Lowen himself discussing the finer points with one of the original Fler team ...

restoration files ... papercord ...

Well hi, been a few weeks since we've passed on any news ... you know, summer, all that.

So over the last few weeks we've been pondering a new take on restoring Fler 64 dining chairs (a favorite we have collected a bunch of - usually we re-web and reupholster, but ... meh ...).  Having seen and admired so many Moller chairs, we thought it was time to try our hand at weaving Danish paper-cord - and the structure of the Flers is pretty right for the task.

This is what we did today ...

 
Our buddy Steve (one of eBay's best stores for retro homewares, rocket2retro - check it out!) long-ago found us a rare footstool from the 64 series, which was the perfect candidate for our first try ... we ordered a big box of paper (yes, paper) cord from a supplier in the northern hemisphere, and here we go!

If you're interested, we've documented the process - just finished today!

So here's the 'before' - such nice shapes, eh?  First step was to strip the stool and remedy some very dodgy restorations from the previous owners (bless 'em).

Since the cording is a big job, we thought it best to dismantle and re-glue the frame too.  And we really can't do the job with those corner-blocks in there, so the frame needs to be as stable as possible ...

We gave the rails a good sanding too - don't want any rough edges or snags where the paper-cord is going.  Next job is pre-drilling and tacking in the L-nails that hold the cord (88 in total - crikey!).

Now, there are several ways of doing the weave - I have read that the masters at J.L.Moller do the whole job with a single strand ... I went with a 3-step technique - first wrapping the front and back rails, with caps for the warp strands ... which took 24 meters of cord!

Then a single piece doing all of the front-to-back runs - 4 strands at each side, with pairs for the rest ... all the wisdom we found on this part suggests it's about 'feel' - not too tight, but not too slack ... so far so good ...

Then it kind of got exciting - the stool is looking OK, but the third step takes the most work, and loads and loads of cord ...

This stage was kind of tricky - everyone who walked past the shop wanted to chat about what was being done, and it's pretty important not to forget what you're up to ... or loose tension in the cord ... or cut yourself on those nails underneath ... let's say I was about 50% successful in all of the above.
But after an hour or two of weaving away, with the cording getting tougher and tighter the further things progressed, there was no room for more weaves, and it was time to knock those nails in properly.

And there you go - job done!  It looks really good, feels great ... very satisfying.

So ... we do have 8 Fler 64 dining chairs tucked away in the warehouse - if you're looking for something special (and definitely unique), email us and we can talk!

lounge love ...

Well, it's definitely getting serious in the furniture-discipline department ...

We bought this great 70's Fler lounge suite about 4 years ago.  Took it to an antiques restorer to get the framework stabilized (he said it was the newest thing he'd ever worked on - by about 50 years), and it became the family favorite - comfiest seating ever.  When we moved and ran out of space, we did the logical thing and replaced it.
But, like the sensible furniture fanatics we are, we put it into storage - just couldn't say goodbye - and it has spent the last 24 months hidden away.  But the time has come ...

So, old friend, into the store you go ... you and we understand - it's because we love you that we want you to move on.  Find a new home and be the star of their loungeroom.  Still, it is mighty comfy - maybe we should hold on a little longer ...

another new year's resolution out the window ...

Well, here we all are - new year, new decade.  Hope yours has started out well ...

This was to be the year when we got our furniture collecting under control. 

We know it makes sense - if you collect swapcards you can go nuts and accumulate - always room for a few more - but if you have a weakness for chairs, a little self-discipline is called for.

We started the year well - were out of town for the first 4 days, and nowhere near opportunity.  Tragically, the next 3 days made up for it somewhat.  A quick mental inventory shows that we have picked up 34 new chairs between the 5th and 8th of January!

Naturally, we did need all of them - a set of Fler SC55 armchairs (see above) - just can't deny their beauty ... 5 very old Fler LC chairs, dating back to the early 50's (below) ... and then the usual assorted mid century dining chairs and stools.

So I guess the plan for 2010 is to build a very big extra room at the farm and give these guys a good home.  In the meantime, you are most welcome to sample their delights down at PRODUCT - they are in-store and available - unless we get too attached and sneak them off to the stash!

um, hi ...

until the momentum builds it will be dribs and drabs of this and that - but i don't think anybody's expecting too much right away, so not to worry.

couple of weeks ago we popped up to bendigo to see a friend about a sofa (you'll love it - a 50's Fler divan - so comfy and so gorgeous, more on her later, for sure) ... so anyway, the friend lives in a 180 year old house with a 120 year old cactus garden ... these guys are so huge it's almost unbelievable ... so why not christen our diary with a snap of them?