Transforming heirlooms

Bringing a new lease of life to a well-loved piece of furniture is McDonald and Hartshorne’s speciality. One such piece of family heritage – a cherished rocking chair – belongs to a client, Abigail.

“My great, great grandfather is believed to be the original owner of the rocking chair, dating back to the early 1900s or possibly the late 1800s,” Abigail says.

“My grand dad eventually inherited the chair and had it re-upholstered, but he kept pieces of the original fabric as inserts because he wanted to retain the connection to his own grandfather.”

When Abigail was given the chair, she wanted to restore it again.

“Respecting my grandfather’s sentiment towards the original fabric, I too have chosen to keep that material and will have it made into cushions. I love the look of the restored chair, but most importantly it represents for me the history of my family, the connection I have to my ancestors and the precious memories I have of my grandparents.

“I have a photo of them next to the chair in my lounge and it feels like they are here with me and present in my everyday life. This provides me with a physical sense of connection. I feel honoured to be the guardian of this chair until it’s time for me to pass it to a future generation.”

If you, like Abigail, have furniture in need of restoration, enquiries are welcomed at McDonald and Hartshorne, phone 03 371 7500.