A Bird's Eye View

09/01/2026

This ginormous sofa was actually designed by my client, and I loved bringing her vision to life.

It was already wearing mohair, a green that had seen better days. The redo is mohair again, in a richer shade of green with a contrasting green mohair welt cord. Every cushion got new foam, the throw pillows got fresh stuffing, and I ordered new legs and stained them myself to finish it off.

Fun fact: mohair goes back to the early days of the automobile. If you have ever sat in an antique car, that soft fabric on the seats was probably mohair. It is luxurious, incredibly durable, and not many people sew with it anymore. Now I can say I do.

Have a piece that deserves this kind of second life? Send me a message. Free in home consultations in the Milwaukee area.

Where forgotten becomes unforgettable.

08/29/2026

Every workshop gets one piece that refuses to be ordinary.

This ornate carved armchair came in wearing a cream damask that had quietly given up. We took it somewhere braver. The frame went deep glossy black, the inside got a midnight speckled fabric that catches the light, and the outside wraps in a silver and gold damask, all finished with rows of nailhead trim.

Three photos of before. Two of after. Zero chance you scroll past it.

DM if you are ready to let a piece of furniture steal the show.

08/27/2026

A pair of French classics just got their spring back.

These carved bergères came in with natural wood frames and fabric that had faded into the background. We painted the frames a soft French cream, dressed the backs in a sage watercolor floral framed with rope cording, and gave the cushions a fresh green corduroy with real texture.

Front, back, every angle, they bloom now.

DM if you have a pair that deserves the full makeover.

08/25/2026

They built this chair to last generations. We just gave it a reason to keep going.

This stately high back came in wearing a dark damask that had gone flat with age. We brought it back in a charcoal grey basketweave with real texture and depth, and kept those beautiful turned legs exactly as they were.

A hundred years of standing tall. Ready for a hundred more.

DM if your family throne could use a new robe.

08/22/2026

Faux leather gives up. Good fabric shows up.

This storage ottoman came in shedding its white vinyl like confetti, the way peeling faux leather always eventually does. We rebuilt it in a crisp gray and white geometric that hides everyday wear, works with everything, and will not flake off in your living room.

Same handy storage. Zero confetti.

DM if you have a peeling piece that deserves better material.

08/20/2026

Underneath a century of cracks, this settee was still a beauty.

It came in wearing tufted leather that had dried and split beyond saving, but the bones, those curving arms and carved claw feet, were as strong as ever. We retufted it button by button in a soft dove gray herringbone, and let the original wood frame keep telling its story.

The cracks are gone. The character stayed.

DM if you have a piece with good bones and tired skin.

08/18/2026

Every rocking chair is really a time machine.

This one came in wearing a plum velvet that had rocked through plenty of years. We brought it back in the softest blush chenille, and now it is ready for bedtime stories, late night feedings, and slow Sunday mornings all over again.

Same gentle rock. A brand new glow.

DM if you have a rocker waiting for its next generation.

08/04/2026

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do for an antique is paint it black.

This Victorian settee came in with tired red velvet on a natural wood frame, beautiful carving hiding in plain sight. We painted the frame a deep glossy black and dressed it in a crisp gray and white cross-stitch check. Now that hand-carved grape cluster on the crest finally gets the spotlight, front AND back.

A hundred years old, and cooler than everything else in the room.

DM if you have an antique that is ready to surprise people.

08/03/2026