Louis XVI Sofa, Armchair and Side Chair circa 1780

Supplied unfinished in kit form. Very easy to assemble the metal kit.

May 2023 I am working on the mdf and card inserts for the upholstery. These should be available around mid to late May. If you do not require the inserts then please email me and I shall not postpone your order.

Within the Suit there is a sofa, and armchair and a side chair.
I have shown in the images a picture of the original chairs.

Measurements are approximate:

Side chair Without arms:

Height 9cm

Depth 5cm

Width 5cm

Armchair (with arms)

Height 9cm

Depth 5cm

Width 5cm

Sofa

Height 9cm

Depth 5cm

Width 11.5cm

Upholstery

Supplied with each chair are mdf inserts which you can upholster. Use a poplin or silk as they work well for upholstery. If you use a thicker fabric such as velvet then you will need to sand the sides of the mdf inserts to make them small to accomodate the extra fabric thickness. The MDF pieces insert into the frame of the chair. For the base, depending on whether the mdf is solid or frame like, try use embroidery canvas (possible 14 to 18 count) to represent webbing or similar. Cover your insert in padding (foam is fine) being sure not to stick any of it to the sides of the insert. Cut out a suitably sized piece of fabric to go over the foam. Apply decorators glue by Deluxe to the edges of the mdf insert. Allow this is dry slightly (about 1 or 2 minutes) then lay the fabric central onto the foam pulling down the front and the back of the fabric and gluing to the insert. Do the same for the sides. Stretch the fabric until it is smooth and the corners are unpuckered...it takes a bit of skill and time to do this and you may need to revisit that pot of glue!

You can now cut away the excess fabric so the underside is clear of fabric or you can apply glue to the outer edges of the underside and fold the fabric under the insert then cut away.

For the rear of the chair simply apply evenly a layer of glue to the back of the mdf, leave to dry for a minute then stick the fabric to the back cutting away the excess at the edges. You do not fold the fabric over the side.

Piping

Depending on how handy you are with a pot of glue and fabric you may want to finish the edging of the chairs with a braid or piping cord. If you would like to make your own piping cord use a fine cord, cut a narrow strip of fabric about 1.5cm wide the bias (diagonally across the fabric). Apply glue to the edge (I like to use Decorators glue by Deluxe as it does not bleed into the fabric if left for a few minutes before working with it). Lay the cord along the edge and carefully rollround the fabric. Once fully covered trim off the excess fabric. You will have a raw edge showing but glue this against the side of the chair so that it is not visible.

NOTES

As with all my metal designs the pieces will require a little cleaning using a file and/or sandpaper. The metal is very soft so this is a simple and satifying part of the build process.

I tend to use superglue (Hafixx being my favoured choice) with a super glue activator to speed things up.

To paint the item I strongly recommend a metal primer. Spray primers are the easiest and just a light coat with give the paint something to 'key' with......then the choice is yours. I use all types of paints from acrylics to cellulose spray paints. All have their own merits and so I choose according to the finish I wish to create.

After applying my coats of paint I will always add an aging layer of raw umber acrylic (water it down and then paint and wipe off to leave the dark paint in the recesses). Aging can be very rewarding and there are many options for this. One little recommendation is to use rotten stone/pumice stone powder to add what I like to describe as "dust" to the piece. It is a powder and will always be a powder unless mixed with a binder such as glue. The powder is a soft grey and if it is brished on then off it will leave a slight dusting in the recesses of the design.

A final flourish of splatter (very subtle brown/grey applied with by splattering the paint from a bristled brush such as a toothbrush) adds a little more interest.

Louis XVI Sofa, Armchair and Side Chair KITS circa 1780

Fra £27,50

MVA ekskludert

Antall

French Trumeau Mirror approx. 7cm wide x 12.5cm hgh

Ladies wasp waist mannequin total height approx 4.5" to 5"

Gentlemans desk = 6.5cm high x 15.5cm wide x 7.5cm deep.

Torchere = 10cm high x 4cm widest part x 2.6cm diameter on top.

Ladies desk = 12cm high x 10.8cm widest part x 5.5cm deep.

Commode by Francois Linke = 7cm high x 11cm widest part x 4.5cm deep.

Small French Console table = 6.5cm wide x 7cm high x 6.5cm wide

Small French table = 6.8cm high x 6.8cm wide x 3.9cm deep

Large french Mirror = 9cm wide x 12.5cm high (the actual oval mirror is 7cm x 5cm)

Large Girondelle Mirror 12cm x 6.5cm
If you do not like your purchase and wish to return it to me then please let me know within 14 days of receipt. The items will need to be returned within 30 days of receipt. I shall refund the carriage costs to you and the cost of the item but the return carriage will be covered by you. Please email me.

Faulty or damaged?

If you receive an item that has been damaged in transit or is faulty then please inform us within 14 days of receipt. The items will need to be returned within 30 days of receipt. I shall refund in full thel posting fees and the original invoice value including the postage fee. Please email me.
We send all parcels on a stardard parcel service which is the cheaper of all options. UK deliveries usually arrive within 1 to 3 days of despatch and most USA, Australian and Japanese deliveries arrive within 10 days.

Europe takes about 5 days.

I package well and try to keep postal costs to a minimum by ensuring that I use light weight but effective packaging - however on the off chance you receive something damaged in the post please let me know - and I shall send a replacement if and where possible.

If goods are delayed in transit this will be due to the courier or postal service. Apart from tracking and possibly contacting the courier I am unable to "speed" things up....However I shall always aim to despatch your item within 48 hours of receipt of your order.

Spain and Japan and Itlay - all orders are sent tracked due to lost parcels using the postal service.
Cleaning up - if buying a kit

All kits are supplied in a state that I describe as "fresh from the mould". The moulding processes create little spurs on parts of the castings. These can easily be removed with a knife or snips but be carful not to take away important location pins or door nodules....it is always best to look at the assembly before removing them. Some of the spurs will require sanding with a needle file or emery board. There maybe some feathering which is where very small amounts of fine resin escapes through the gap where the mould joins - simply brush them off.

Assembly

Most kits are easy to assemble but the buffet and the small french cabinet have doors which are hinged by ball and socket joints. I find using a slower setting glue helpful as super glue does not provide you with enough working time.

Super glue options that I like are Deluxe Cyano Gel glue and Hafixs professional super glue both available on line.

Painting
The resin does not absord stains easily so if you are planning on wood finishing you will need to create layers of translucent colour and texture and finish with a wax.

If you are using paints then all paints are fine - I have not yet met any paints that will not adhere to the surface. You could use paints in a can, emulsion, acrylic, oils and so on.

Gilt

Gold leaf can be applied directly to the resin surface. First paint any areas you want to gild with gold size (acrylic for easy use), allow to go tacky and then gild the surface with dutch metal (an imitation gold leaf).

Alternatively try using a gilt paint such as liberon or bristol paint. I find the gilt waxes can oxidise and go green unless they are sealed.

Aging

If you wish to age your paint finish try one of these two methods:

Annie sloane makes a wonderful dark brown wax which works well over acrylics and emulsions. Paint it on and wipe it off.

Raw umber is a brilliant colour for aging (use acrylic for fast drying) - paint on and wipe off- to increase the drying time add a small amount of scumble glaze to the paint.