This stunning Victorian cabriole “camelback” style couch was an absolute joy to restore. And it is wonderful to know that this experience has been shared by others in the history of this piece; notecards found stapled inside the frame revealed this was the third time this couch has been reupholstered—once in 1976 in Fisherville, VA at the Wilson Rehabilitation Center and again in 1986 at Clark’s Hobby Shop in Council, NC. These handwritten details were preserved by digitizing the cards and laser-cutting that handwriting onto a small plaque placed inside the frame, along with the details of this most recent reupholstery.

The entire couch was torn down to its bare frame which was reinforced with new ambrosia maple to match what was originally used. The springing in the seat and back were re-strung with staywire, webbed tightly, and the back given a thick new layer of foam. The original cushions were supplemented with new foam and padding. New batting was applied to all the edges, rolls, tucks and nose to fill any gaps and provide support.

To call back to the prints that characterized a great deal of furniture in this style from the late 17th and 18th centuries, a beautifully modernized chinois print from Regal Fabrics was selected for the main covering, and this was paired with a durable canvas for the decking and undersides of the cushions. A perfectly complimenting gimp trim finished the edge with a touch of intricacy and color, and a new olefin lining was placed on the underside to keep the inside of the couch closed and dust-free.