My husband tells the story of purchasing this set of wicker furniture in Minnesota for some ridiculous price (maybe $25??) from an elderly woman who was having a yard sale. He dragged them to Arizona in the 70s and stored them in a friend's garage where a dog chewed on them and they were subjected to other indignities. Needless to say, they were in rather rough shape. They are lovely, however, and I could see that they had great potential but they were unsafe for sitting and needed quite a bit of work. I've done some chair caning and basket weaving in the past but I felt unqualified for this job so I took them to a local wicker furniture repair shop on Fourth Avenue to have them repaired. I can't tell you how much this cost because I'll end up having another panic attack. Let's just say that it was far from cheap. The owner of the shop also talked me into buying another little chair that matched our set pretty closely. The wicker is so old that they no longer make the same size so the guy in the shop had to use a slightly larger size but it's really hardly noticeable. I painted the chairs white and made some custom cushions for them. The paint is not staying on the chairs very well, unfortunately, and keeps chipping off. I had to use spray paint since there are so many little nooks and crannies in the design.
I thought they might be Heywood/Wakefield but I've never been able to verify this. I purchased a book on their wicker furniture and there is some that is close in design but not identical. What do you think?
When choosing wicker furniture, it is important for a woven material that is close to choose. Wicker light is often dangerous and unreliable. It 'also important to find furniture, built on a frame of wood or rattan. Wicker Good quality does not crack or peel, but cheaper versions are often divided.
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