Fine chair making

I'de decided to take my furniture making up a notch and have a go at some luxury furniture. So this week I make a Louis XIV style settee and chair set.

I chose an image of a sofa that I liked and copied it. I made the chair base and back from basswood and the legs from match sticks which I carved with a blade. 

For the ornament on the top I used a small bit of laser cut card I can left over.

Rather than upholster with foam I used a clever trick I recently learned which is simply the cut and shape cushions from soft balsa wood. This makes coating them with fabric MUCH easier. I then glued on the yellow silk carefully to avoid staining the fabric. 

Here you can see the upholstered sofa next to the balsa wood cushions of the chairs.

I then gave the wood a light paint with gold paint and rimmed the edge of the cushions with a fine gold thread which finished them very well. 

The final product, ready for a salon which does not yet exist!