November 9, 2011

Restoring a cane daybed

I've got a couple of old cane daybeds, and while they are quite comfortable, they were looking a little the worse for wear. The cane binding that wraps the joints was disintergrating, and the cane slats were weathered and discoloured.



I thought the larger one would make a good addition to the new cottage, as a single bed suitable for a child.

I replaced some of the broken cane binding, and we painted the whole thing using a spray gun (by far the easiest way for something so fiddly). A new 40mm foam mattress replaced the three existing cushions. I made covers in a tapestry fabric from Spotlight, and covered over the padded base with a pleated valance in the same material. The cushion covers are removable and the valance goes on and off using velcro strips on three sides.






 







The daybed is about the same size as a folding bed, but more comfortable and much more attractive. It's been used by a couple of youngsters, who have given it the thumbs up.