A second life for an old armchair

When John found the armchair at a market, it looked fit only to be thrown away. The velvet was frayed and moth-eaten, the legs were worm-eaten, and the whole thing was so rickety that nobody dared sit in it. Yet beneath the dirt, he could see a mahogany frame of real quality.

He began by pulling off the old fabric, which came away in shreds. Then he glued the loose parts and strengthened the legs until the chair was sturdy again. The varnish had peeled in places, leaving dull patches, so he cleaned the wood carefully and gave it a glossy finish. The hardest part was finding the right fabric.

His wife Mary suggested a dark green velvet, soft and silky to the touch. John, who prefers natural materials, would have chosen linen, but he admits that she was right. He padded the seat with fresh wool and fixed the fabric with small gilded studs. Not a single stain remains on the wood. The armchair now stands by the window, and the cat has already claimed it as her own. John says that it took him three months, and that he would do it all again tomorrow.