I always thought that Martha Washington Chairs were English in origin but didn't know what they were called there - assuming that the Brits were not adopting our egocentric naming convention. Wikipedia offers the following:
A Gainsborough chair (also known as a Martha Washington chair in the United States) is a type of armchair made in England in the eighteenth century. The chair was wide, with a high back, open sides and short arms, and was normally upholstered in leather.
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| BEFORE - Hickory Chair Martha |
The American furniture-maker, Hickory Chair, describes their model "
A Classic Martha Washington chair features fluted, straight Chippendale legs, hallmark receding arm posts, and characteristic shaped crest rail."
The model they were talking about is in fact the one I just refurbished - having purchased this pair from a nice couple in Buckhead who were selling their aunt's furniture. The chairs were in almost perfect condition so the refurbishing process was not as dramatic as others. For this pair, I chose a fabric I still had from last year's Kay's Kovers Fabric Sale (see previous blog) - a VERY heavy linen with an embroidered velvety cranberry oversized pattern - I think they turned out just beautiful!
In addition to the Hickory Chair transformation, I picked up two Hancock and Moore Chairs as well - one a more traditional Martha Washington while the other a shorter version (with some interesting fretwork on the base). It's Martha Washington time at Wydeven Designs!!
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| AFTER - Hancock and Moore - Shorter Version |
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| AFTER - Hancock and Moore |
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AFTER - Hickory Chair Marthas
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