Shall I call it Murphy's chair?


First I like to say welcome my new followers! I hope you'll enjoy reading here and get inspired by what you see. In this case it's a 1:12 scale model of a regency library chair that i finished the other day. It's got a bit of dynamic because you can alter it into a set of steps by swinging around the top half.



When i decided to make this chair i did a lot of research. It was hard to get technical details (i.e.. measurements etc) and work out a plan because they are a bit rare. In the end I picked out one that was up for sale on the site of an antique dealer. It had 6 detailed pictures and i used those to combine them with the rest of the information i had gathered. And this is what it looks like, set of against the original pictures on the right.

It has a caned seat and its steps are covered with real leather, just like its big brother.


I think I'm gonna call my reproduction of Morgan & Sanders regency library chair after Murphy's law :) Because during the build anything that cóuld go wrong, díd go wrong. The low temperatures in the workshop affected the properties of the glues, so fragile joints gave way numerous times before they were reinforced by connecting joints. Loads of times items fell on the floor and i was on hands and knees almost as much as at the bench. Pieces i couldn't retrieve (?) had to be re-made. One time the whole chair slipped from my fingers, breaking two wooden parts when it hit the ground. I won't repeat what i said back then :O And mounting the hinges was such a delicate job i've redone that a few times till i was satisfied. All in all i think i've build it more than twice? :D So although it doesn't look that difficult, it was a challenge non the less. 


















But I'm glad i pushed through; I love metamorphic furniture and this is such a nice example. I've put up an album you can visit here if you're interested in how it was build.




Thank you for your attention and i hope you liked reading.
Have a wonderful weekend!



update; almost forgot to put on a latch, just like its big counterpart, so i made that this Sunday afternoon.



53 comments:

  1. Your perseverance paid off Debora. It is a beautiful and very interesting piece. No one would ever know how many accidents it had in the making. I love the fact you used leather on the steps. The cane is gorgeous. Congratulations on another wonderful success.

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    1. Thanks Catherine! I'm glad too it turned out such a way you don't see the accidents. And Yes, the leather is a bit odd no? I've seen a few originals that had it on the steps. Doesn't seem very practical to me with cleaning?

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  2. Wow, Debora! What a remarkable and Original piece of furniture! To make it in miniature.... with such a perfection of scale and details.... Just Unbelievable! You have such patience to re-do the parts you are not satisfied with... but the end is worth the struggle! Beautiful Accomplishment!!

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    1. Thank you Betsy! I must confess there have been a few times i thought i'd chewed off more then i could. I guess we all have moments like that, that you think; ooh shoot, this isn't my idea of fun anymore, i'm gonna work on something else ;-)

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  3. Oh to looks like a challenge alright......and such a beautifully made one!!! Your talent leaves me speechless.

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    1. Thanks Linda! I'm glad you like it. I fell in love with this chair too, and just had to make it :) You can play with it :)))

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  4. Wow! You'd never know a thing went wrong along the way. It's gorgeous!!!! :D

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  5. I'm so glad you took all the in progress shots, I has a great time watching the slideshow!! Really fascinating, a beautiful well made piece---

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    1. Your welcome Linda! 've put 'm up for builders alike to explain how it's made. Don't wanna keep a secret ;-)

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  6. Hai tutta la mia ammirazione....fantastica!!! :-)

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  7. Stunning! A fantastic and very unique piece of furniture. Bravo!
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Thanks Drora! You're right. It is a bit unusual, no? But very appropriate if you have a library in your house!

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  8. que buen trabajo!! feliz año nuevo

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    1. Muchas gracias Carmen! Y un feliz año nuevo para ti también!

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  9. Pretty work! It would be great to find a way to hid the hinges, but I guess in our little scale it is much harder than in real life!.:)
    Hugs

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    1. Pooh Gdynia! I thought just the same and struggled with those! They are bigger then the original, but I was apprehensive to make them smaller because of the strain on them. And i noticed if they were mounted further down they'd interfere with their functionality so they are a bit of a compromise.

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  10. Replies
    1. Hi Chris! Dank je wel! Mag ik jou ook gelijk een heel goed 2014 wensen?

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  11. Waow, forgive me for the poor comment. I'm speechless. The chair is very "élégante" !

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    1. Thanks Dominique. But credit should go to the person who designed it back then in the early 19th Century. These sabre shaped legs are a distinct feature in regency furniture. And the way the swirls in the armrest merge into the back definitely give it some flair. Glad you like it!

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  12. C'est un travail fabuleux . Je suis tellement admirative . Merci pour toutes les photos . Vous ne lâchez jamais votre idée même quand tous les éléments se mettent en travers de votre chemin . Cela valait le coup de ne pas renoncer car le résultat est là . Je vous souhaite une très belle année 2014 remplie de beaux projets .

    Catherine

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    1. Merci beaucoup Catherine! A long time ago i read this saying; a quitter never wins and a winner never quits. I guess it's true if you want to accomplish your goals, no matter what they are in life. In the past my box with miniature UFO's was filling up constantly. Each time i looked at it, it nagged me, thinking; yeah, i should get back to them. But then i made a radical decision and decided not to start on something new until I finished what was on my bench. Ooh, yah, I struggle with the set backs and challenges my plans throw at me sometimes, but learn so much from them along the way. I don't say it's easy at times but in the end i'm left with a finished piece too. And that feels like a double win! :)

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  13. fanstastic! Good Lord...what a wonderful piece of art!

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  14. Perfect, as usual.
    Your talent is amazing!

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  15. It turned out beautiful! You are very talented and the chair is a masterpiece! Great photos too.

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    1. Hi Troy! Nice of you to mention the pictures. They were made to show it's a real replica. But i'd sooner see it in a dolls house setting, with books scattered all around it. Too bad I'm a homeless girl, so… if anyone is interested…?

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  16. Elle est vraiment très belle cette chaise! Je viens d'aller voir les photos, c'est passionnant de voir toutes les étapes de sa réalisation. J'adore savoir que vous aussi inspectez régulièrement le sol de l'atelier à 4 pattes!!! Pour le cannage, je trouvais l'utilisation du fil dentaire intéressante, cela me semblait une bonne idée....
    Très belle année!
    Nathalie

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    1. Merci beaucoup Nathalie. Happy new year to you too!!

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  17. Hello Deborah! I have to say that your chair with the woven cane seat with the fold out steps is just INCREDIBLE! Such talent!!!! :D

    elizabeth

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  18. Tja, alles is al gezegd..
    Het is weer SUPER!! Wat een kunstwerk..

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  19. Oh, wow. This is a real feat of furniture scratch building! Making it must have been very frustrating, but it turned out perfectly.

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    1. Thank you Anna. Sorry, I didn't mean to sounds like i was frustrated or anything. Haha, to tell you the truth; I wasn't :) For the most it was sheer fun to see it come together. Just thought i'd mention all the hick ups, to share it's never a straight home run.

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  20. Replies
    1. Hi Lisette, dank je wel! En een gelukkig nieuw jaar voor jou!

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  21. Wow Debbie. Zowel de 1op1 als de 1op12 zijn beiden mokkokkers! Fantastisch gemaakt!

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    1. Dank je wel Marie-Louise. Al heb ik geen idee wat een mokkokker is?! Ik hoop dat het wat goeds bedoelt? :)

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  22. Dankjewel Conny. Jouw werk mag er ook zijn anders!

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