decorative tacks

[gene]

Hello furniture upholsterers extraordinaire,

I would certainly appreciate any resources, such as books or web sites, that would help answer my questions. And resources may be the easiest way to respond.

What is the history of decorative tacks on furniture?

Maybe more specifically, I see furniture with ant trails of decorative tacks, neatly touching each other. I see furniture with decorative tacks that are spread out - sometimes this looks really good, and sometimes it looks like there weren't enough tacks to make an ant trail.

I am having more and more interior designers have me replace decorative tacks with double welt cord. These are not antique pieces.

Is there a rule of thumb for antiques? Does a certain time period or style tend to have ant trails and another time period or style tend to have spaces between the tacks?

I know I'm mixing up a lot of things here. Maybe I can break it down into two areas: 1. What about antiques and decorative tacks? 2. What about non antiques and decorative tacks? Are there any rules of thumb for when and how to apply them? d

Is it nothing more than a matter of taste and style: whatever the customer wants?

I know that I haven't even asked about the styles and sizes and shapes.

Thank you.

Gene

[alge]

Hello Gene,

I dont know how it works in the states but here in the uk, when it comes to antiques there are two main approaches (1) Conservation - which in essence is preserving as much of the original as possible and using techniques that are not invasive and dont delete any historical value. (2) Restoration - which is more about trying to maintain what is there but not getting too bogged down in preservation entirely and more about giving the look and feel of the original but may use more modern processes.

There is this more recent trend over here which i personally dont mind at all which is Upcycling or Retrospective Design which is taking old chairs and doing new things to them changing the form and structure putting all manner of fabrics on to update the look and ultimately save them from Landfill sites or the bonfire. Not a new concept by any means but if giving it some swanky Magazine friendly title means upholsterers can charge more to interior designers and the public then i'm all for it.

Getting onto your questions about Decorative Nailing, I'm pretty certain its origins are linked with leather upholstery as it is so difficult to sew onto/ fix to a frame. there are clearly intrinsic links between Cordwainery (leather working)/ Saddlery and Upholstery there is still evidence in the Guild structure here in London. If you go to our museums you will see examples of domed headed tacks being used since year dot of Upholdery (around 600 years) thats long enough for patterns and all sorts to be done. close nailing 1inch gap nailing, big nail little nail, round nail square nail ............................ you name it someone probably has done it.

Designers here love double piping too, I wouldn't worry about changing the look of an Antique by using it, The old tack holes will still be in the frame so the changes you make will be 100% cosmetic if you glue the piping on but wont necessarily matter if you prefer to staple it on. Its good to think that you realise the value asking these questions, American Antiques are only get more numerous as the years roll on I cant describe the thrill of working on furniture that is 150-200 year old as a normal day at the bench.

As a matter of principal I photograph everything at key stages and if i remove old covers and change filling i put samples in a bag and fix it into the chairs i work on so there is always a record of some kind kept inside the chair. If its a really nice chair i include some photos too.

Ultimately, Yes to the customer wants question.

Best wishes

Alex

[sofadoc]

"Well, when you get right down to..........."
Is it "Brass TACKS", or "Brass TAX"?
I could see either one working in that expression.
In the days before currency, citizens were taxed based on their possesions, such as gold, silver, and BRASS.
And "getting down to brass tacks" could mean that the job was near completion.

I'm also doing a lot of double cording instead of nailheads. I generally steer the customer in whichever direction will behoove me the most. If it's a fabric that will be workable for double cording, I strongly urge them to go that route. If it's a fabric that's real thick, and/or ravels easily, I steer them back to the nailheads.
So my advice is always pretty "self-centered". ME,ME,ME.....that's all I care about. :D

[ragtacker]

I frequently try to steer customers away from the decorative nails - over time, they will destroy the edge of the frames.  They are, in fact nails, and leave holes.  I often get chairs that have been redone several times, and I have to repair/reconstruct the edges where they have been trashed.  You often  can't use the original holes ( assuming you can find them after the upholstery is attached), because they are too large to hold the nails.

[Alonso]

Fresh and conceptual furniture designs  are new life into your home.I read out your interesting and informative post,nice.