Sustainable chairs with character and history: The Encore Collection makes its debut
The Encore Collection is a collaboration between Stephanie Sarris of Bellehaven Designs in Hinsdale and Maribel Weisz of Antique Resources in Chicago revitalizing heirloom antique chairs by replacing dated upholstery with luxurious and durable fabric.
Previously, many Antique Resources customers had difficulty envisioning reupholstering and hesitated to make a commitment. The Encore Collection solves this indecision with beautiful chairs ready to purchase and is a game-changer.
Antique lovers have many reasons for collecting and preserving antique items. The most common reasons include historical significance or the aesthetic value it has.
The field of interior design has always considered antique items as artforms that lend themselves as unique items that add individuality and interest, even to the most modern surroundings. Most designers use a few antique items as conversation pieces. The useful artforms of furniture have withstood the test of time due to the fact the designs are timeless.
Definition of antique
Antiques are at least 100 years old; not to be confused with antiquities or artifacts are at least 300 years old. The longevity of the antiques is testament to the part they have played in energy efficiency and sustainability through the years.
The chairs from the Encore Collection and other furnishings from Antique Resources were made with preindustrial woods. That means that continuing to preserve these historical functional artforms will not only save trees in the present but also the future.
What makes them long-lasting?
Antique chairs are all wood, without pressboard and well-constructed. Much of today's mass-produced furniture is made of pressboard, which will end up in landfills, similar to fast fashion clothing.
That is why even today's higher-end modern furniture is still made of wood. But not the beautiful living woods of these 200-year-old chairs. It is simply no longer available. The trees from which they came were allowed to grow naturally and slowly, yielding tighter growth rings, thus denser timber that has withstood the test of time.
High-end furniture of today is still made of wood, but due to the demand of lumber, trees are cut prematurely and not developed to maturity causing modern timber to be less dense and sturdy.
Increased demands for lumber in other industries also makes timber more costly. If the process by which these chairs were made was replicated today, that cost would be exponential.
A caveat to the longevity
Antique Resources is committed to educating its clients about how to care for the pieces so they can last at least another 100 years. For example, the wax used to buff the wood is made of beeswax. Waxing the wood protects it in proper environments for a couple hundred years.
Mere dusting is all that is required. The condition of the wood will be stable provided that a balanced temperature and humidity level in the space is maintained. Wood can warp or crack with extreme temperatures. So making sure the consumers understand the conditions and care of the chairs prior to deciding to purchase them is crucial to ensuring a long life span.
The techniques for maintaining and fixing antiques will be the same in the future.
If there is any mishap; other than a fire, the antique chairs have joints. If they loosen with time, they can be reglued. Antiques will always have a place in our surroundings and the sustainability they have provided will carry on.
They can also be updated with modern fabrics as was done to create the Encore Collection. The fabrics were manufactured in the U.S. and other countries using fair labor practices.
We need to continue to support antique business, conservators, and the interior design professionals that understand the merits of antiques. The dealers, restorers, and interior designers work in symbiosis.
If antiques are not encouraged, the conservators of all things antiques will dwindle and become endangered species and the ecological role they place in our lives will be diminished.
• The Antique Resources showroom is located at 1741 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are requested by calling (773) 871-4242. Bellehaven Designs is located in the Hinsdale Design Center at 110 S. Washington Street in downtown Hinsdale. Hours are by appointment only by calling (312) 620-8061.