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The project:
This silky oak chair was reclaimed from Salvo’s for $10, July 2026 and caught my eye for a save because it had beautiful hand carvings, a golden dark honey-hue and prominent “lacewood” medullary rays in the wood grain, very classic and characteristic.
The hand-carved design is of an Art Nouveau, Federation/Edwardian Queensland dining chair, circa 1900–1915. Perfect for the Cosy Cottage heritage. Silky Oak was one of Queensland’s favorite furniture timbers widely used for dining chairs and joinery because it is robust and carves beautifully, especially for decorative carvings.
The olive green/sage fabric and trim featured in the upholstery (making a big come back), was a popular colour of the William Morris, Arts & Crafts Movement that encouraged a return to natural materials and colours inspired by nature, forests, leaves, the countryside and landscapes in the Edwardian era.
Tucked discreetly inside the back left leg we found a small piece of aged masking tape bearing the handwritten inscription “R&R” (former repair and restoration) and “1 of 4” in lead pencil, suggesting the chair originally once formed a matching suite of four small dining chairs.Â
We removed the old fabric trim, lightly sanded back the chair back, and finished it with Gilly’s 100% Natural and Australian bees wax to give it a silky soft touch and natural sheen. Lastly, cleaned up the fabric and applied the new Passementerie decorative braid trim. The gold and emerald braid restores the chair’s authentic Edwardian-era appearance while framing the upholstery with a complimentary refined period detail.
Very happy with the results. Good for a little DIY weekend project! Recycling and restoring discarded furniture that’s well made is much more affordable than buying brand new and very rewarding. More than a century later of craftsmanship and history allows this little chair many more years of appreciation.
- Materials:
- Face mask
- Sandpaper Discs 80 medium grade and 120 fine
- 250ml Gilly’s Liquid Beeswax Furniture Restore 100% Natural Australian Beeswax
- Paint Partner 1.5kg White Rags
- 2m Passementerie decorative braid trim (Spotlight gold and emerald green $5.50)
- PVA Fabric glue
- Tools:
Orbital sander
- Step 1:
Steps included:
- Firstly, give the chair a clean over and remove the old worn trim.
- Wearing a face mask lightly sand back the chair - crest, rails, back and legs of the frame with the orbital sander to remove the old varnish and bring it back to the grain and then go over it with the fine grit (intricate details and grooves need to be sanded by hand).
- Once all sanded back use the Gilly’s bees wax, follow the directions, and rub it in generously using the rags to polish up the timber.
- The final stage; steam clean the fabric and secure the new Passementerie Gimp Braid trim around the edges of the upholstered seat using a line of PVA fabric glue and sewing pins to hold in place until dry.
