Duncan Phyfe Style Dining Chairs ~ Billie Top Interior

Duncan Phyfe Style Dining Chairs

A client of mine purchased this brand new wooden chair from a small furniture manufacturer in Toronto. This chair is among a set of french provincial dining chairs she purchased, had finished and reupholstered to exactly what she was looking for to put in her newly refinished century home in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

This golden Duncan Phyfe Style dining chair is also going to sit in her dining room. She wanted it to be different than the others that she has in her room. She wanted it to stand out in one of the corners next to a window towards the front of the house. The reflection from the light in the window against gold gilding will certainly stand out.

I'm just so excited to find out that this type of furniture is still being manufactured and sold to create an old world feel but with brand new materials. You can tell by looking at all the fine joints that have been put together so lovingly. The chair has even been numbered for authenticity.

The first step to creating this look was to sand the surface down with 220 grit sandpaper by hand to ensure a smooth finish. I applied a coat of General finishes Gel stain in a combination Antique Walnut and Java. Using a chip brush to ensure all the stain goes into all the nooks and crannies was a must. I then used an old sock to whip off the excess. This alone made this chair stand out! Absolutely gorgeous!!

The next day I began with the tedious job of applying the gold gilding by hand. This step took me about 3 hours. Slow and steady. It's amazing how far the gilding wax goes. I've had the same pot for the last year and still have about a third of it left. My client wanted it to be a gold chair with dark accents. I think I've achieved this. I don't think she has picked a fabric just yet but I don't imagine there is much that would not go with this beautiful chair.