Reno Historic Victorian Parlor

Project Overview

Restoration of an 1890s rosewood parlor set — three pieces returned to museum standard for an Old Southwest historic home.

Scope of Work

Three pieces (settee, two chairs) — full strip-down, frame inspection, horsehair rebuild, period trim.

Location

Reno, NV (Old Southwest)

Fabric & Materials

Schumacher silk damask, hand-applied gimp, period nailhead

Frame & Foundation

Original rosewood preserved; bone glue joinery touched up; springs replaced where necessary

Design Direction

Owner with historic-preservation consultant

Project Duration

8 weeks

Approach & Execution

Every commission at Extra Touch begins the same way — a careful site visit, a written scope, and a fabric consultation that takes as long as it needs to. For this project, that process produced a clear specification before a single piece left the home. Pieces were transported to our Reno atelier under blankets, strip-rebuild work was photographed at each stage for the client's records, and the finished pieces were re-delivered and installed by our crew.

Where the original construction was sound, we preserved it. Where it required intervention, we used materials and methods consistent with the original era and quality grade — eight-way hand-tied springs over jute webbing, Dacron-wrapped cushions, and welt cord cut on the bias for clean curves.

The Result

The finished pieces returned to service with the structural integrity and visual coherence the original maker intended — extended, in most cases, by another half-century of use. This is what "investment-grade upholstery" looks like in practice: pieces that outlive their owners' patience for trend cycles, and that pass cleanly to the next generation.