The Rosewood Sofa

A couple of years ago, my mom gave me a true family heirloom - an old- fashioned sofa and two matching chairs. They had frames made of rosewood, and upholstery that had been re- done but now was badly in need of repair.  It took a while to find a craftsman here in Houston to refinish and do minor repairs to the frame.  My friend Julie helped me find the upholstery and a firm that could do the work.  It wasn't inexpensive, and it took months, but the furniture is done and turned out beautifully.

The sofa and chairs were passed down from my great grandmother who we called Tante.  Tante was a part of my life until I was 15 and it was a blessing to be able to share those years with her.   Her house sometimes felt like a museum to me, as I got to play with older, unique things like magnifying glasses and rotary phones.  I've asked my mom to be a guest blogger and share a little history on these pieces.

Thank you, Joan, for allowing me to be your "guest blogger!"  I'm going to try to put some memories about my grandmother's house, and her furnishings, into words. Many happy hours were spent in her home on Calhoun Street, where she resided until, at age 101, she decided to move to a nursing home. The entrance to the house led directly into the double parlors.  One was the Library, with odds and ends of furnishings, surrounded by an impressive collection of old books, some with beautiful tooled leather bindings.

The other parlor was the living room, where we spent time visiting while we sat on the rosewood sofa and its two matching chairs. They were upholstered in a dark red material. As was the style in old southern houses, furniture covering changed with the season. In warmer weather, slipcovers made of green ticking covered the red fabric.

Years later, another generation would visit Tante and my great-aunts, as these pictures attest.
 

Tante and Joan, 1979

Tante, Tante Gladys, Donald and Joan, circa 1980

Tante and Tante Gladys maintained the household that had been in New Orleans since the mid-nineteenth century. And when Tante made her final move,  the sofa and chairs passed down to me.

Now, the furniture resides in Joan and Brian's home in Houston.  And yet another generation sits and visits on the rosewood sofa.

The sofa frame had to basically be restrung and recoiled

The chairs were stuffed with wood shavings and horse hair, which was common for the time

Some of the fabric was placed on top of other fabric from decades prior

Even though the chairs were also re-upholstered, I am using the covers made of ticking from 1970

Cousins Catherine, Logan, and Michael cavort on the sofa

Three generations enjoy the rosewood sofa again!