I dropped by a month or so ago with a question regarding a rocker someone had given me. I reupholstered it a couple days ago and it's finally made it's way into the house. Looks pretty good but it's lonely. I've discussed it with my better half and she's game with continuing the A&C decor. Original stuff is simply out of my league but well crafted repro's would do nicely.
I'm just at the beginning of this adventure so please bear with me and my simple minded questions.
1. I'll be doing the upholstery myself(my trade for thirty yrs)and want a sofa and a couple chairs with loose seat cushions as opposed to the cone style springs in the orignal seats. In other words..I want to simply unzip the covers and change up the decor. Zig-zag springs in the deck will do fine by me.
2. Are quality kits available? All the bits and pcs ready for assembly.
3. Any manufacturers of the assembled variety?
4. A price range for custom?
Thought this would be the best place to get started. Just throwing around some ideas and very open to suggestions. Custom is likely out of my range, I know, I do custom upholstery. Can hardly afford it myself. Not out of the question though. You do get what you pay for.
Thanks so much for your help with the rocker and hope the forum members can get me headed in the right direction with this new series of questions.

Hi Flash,

Custom or well built A&C furniture is expensive - there are a couple of guys on ebay that sell custom, and/or quality pre-built pieces, that would be cheaper than buying from stickley.com, but still pretty pricey (deservedly so).

There are kits available, a few here (google for others):
http://www.vandykes.com/subcategory/401/

But if you are willing to build kits, it seems to me, and since you've been a upholsterer for 30 yrs, that you should just build your own from scratch. That way you'll get exactly what you want. It is a popular style, there are many quality plans available, A&C style furniture it is not that hard to build. There are some excellent woodworking forums available for advice and commiseration.

It does take an investment in tools, you can always start with small projects -- but think how satisfying....and, you'll be carrying on the A&C tradition.

Cheers,
John

Hey John. I could probobly pull off making it myself. I've dabbled in wood working and really enjoy it. That would be my preference BUT time and space are a factor. Spend most of my waking hours stretching rags for a living. I work in a uph. shop and have my garage set up as an uph. shop as well. On a good day I can fit a sofa in there...AND I just cleaned it out. Not out of the question altogether but from a practical point of view there's the reality of it which disturbs me.
Thanks for the references/links, I'll have look. Also appreciate your vote of confidence.

Hello Flash and Johnnie,
Welcome to the wonderful world of The Arts and Craft Society and I am sure that I might be of service to either one of you but, not wanting to violate our terms of policy, please email me at Ralj7@AOL.com and see what I have to offer.

I have pieces nationally from sea shore to sea shore and border to border.

Respectfully,

Ralph

Thanks for the welcome Ralph.

Following the Stickley philosophy and tradition - I make A&C furniture myself.

Cheers,
John

Ralph, sorry for violating the terms of use policy. I'll hit your site then send ya off an email in a bit. Thanks.
Had the good fortune of anothers misfortune concerning one of the furn. frame manufacturers to my trade. His first hand experience is enough to convince me that's not the road I want to go down.
Most interested in a bowed arm version with no uprights between the seat frame and the bottom of the arm. Ever had occasion to configure one with zig zag springs?
Respectfully, Bern

Hello Fellows,
I am going to try to post a picture of an entertainment center I made and let's see if you can see who I patterened it after and it all matches a window in the clients home.

Respectfully,

Ralph

Ralph, very well proportioned, first rate all the way. I'll have to decline a guess on who you might have patterned it after. Just not familiar enough. Do you have a picture or two of some chairs your willing to share? Bern

Ralph, I've tried twice now to send you an email but it just won't go. I'd really like to talk further about this, do have another email address maybe?
Regards, Bern

Good Morning Flash,
I did receive your last email and replied to it and would be honored to work with you and anyone else with different items that when broken down as Gustav Stickley did I can send furniture all over the continental US via UPS Ground or Fex X as I can break them down in smaller packages that they will accept and then on arrival all that is needed is to put the tenons through the mortises and insert the pegs.

So in the end you have a piece of the period and no one any wiser as to the fact that it is an authentic reproduction.Now Let me see if I can find a chair.

Respectfully,

Ralph

Ralph, that is a really handsome looking chair. Don't know why I've been having such a hard time sending you email with the above listed address. We'll work around it for now.
Bern

Hello Bern,
Is it coming back as a mailer daimon or what?
Maybe my McAfee security intercepts it. As I stated in my last post I did receive one.

Respectfully,

Ralph

Bern,
I just checked my spam mail box and there was nothing in it from you.

Ralph

Hi Ralph. I'm able to send a private message through the forum but the two times I have sent a message directly to your email address it stays in the 'sending' mode. I'll try another short test message and in the mean time try and shoot one off to me at this address bbbriden820@aol.com. Sorry to get all caught up in this little glitch. Bern

Same goofy results as previous attempts. Guess I'll have to hide my kids car keys and get him to help me solve this. Bern