2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

Sponsored by Dawson’s

CARING

FOR ANTIQUES

How do I

care for

a sun

lounger?

Afeatureincountless

familyphotos,thehumble

deckchairhaslongbeen

regardedasoneofthe

essentialsofsummer.

Portablefoldingseatswere

madeinancienttimes,but

thedeckchairthatweknow

andlovewaschristened

inthe19thcentury.Made

initiallywitha singlepiece

ofplaingreencanvas,a

simplefoldingXstructure

andanuprightstruttohold

it open,lilehaschanged

intheirdesignthrough

thedecades.Keepinga

deckchairintip-topshape

willenhanceitsimpact

anda fewsimplestepsare

allthat’sneededtokeepit

lookingitsbest.Whennot

inuse,it’sa goodideato

storeyourdeckchairfolded

andatina dryplace,as

woodenjointswillexpand

if exposedtodamp.Atthe

beginningofthesummer,

oilthemetaljointsandtreat

thewoodtoa lightsandand

a coatofDanishoiltoreturn

it toitsformerglory.Canvas

seatscanbeprotected

withwaterproofspray,and

spillagesshouldbemopped

upandwashedo, thenle

todrybeforefoldingaway.

Where to buy

If you’ve been inspired

to invest in a deckchair

or two, you’ll nd some

of our favourites

• antique and new –
  on page 37...

1

Turn the deckchair

upside down on

a table.

2

Remove the nails

securing the old

fabric at either

end and pull away the

fabric, noting how it

is fixed.

3

At the wide end,

feed the fabric

through the bars,

and fold over an edge

of 2-3cm.

4

Roll fabric

over the bar to

which it will be

fixed and, starting at

one end, attach with

an upholstery nail.

5

Hammer in a

nail to attach

fabric at the

other side, then one

in the middle.

6

Fillin with

nailsat regular

3-4cmintervals.

7

Feed the rest of

the fabric under

the bar at the

narrow end. Trim

any excess, allowing

2-3cm for turning.

8

Fold over

the bar and

secure.

To replace your deckchair canvas, you will need

1. 1.5m deckchair canvas (try The Stripes Company thestripescompany.com)

2. Pliers 3. Upholstery nails 4. Hammer 5. Scissors

WORDS JANET GLEESON

Fred Archer/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Khamron Siriakaralap/EyeEm/Getty Images

Aug 019 Homes & Antiques 119