How do I clean the original upholstery?

Use a soft brush attachment on your vacuum first. This pulls out decades of dust without damaging fragile silk or wool threads. Avoid liquid cleaners on old fabrics. If the cover is heavily soiled, a specialist textile conservator can advise on dry methods.

I recently inherited a chair with small porcelain wheels on the front legs, but the back legs just have plain wood resting on the floor. Was it always like this?

Yes, that is normal practice for this period. Makers usually fitted expensive ceramic castors only to the front legs where they bore the shifting weight of the sitter. The back legs sweep downwards and simply glide on the floorboards. Adding back castors would alter the pitch of the seat, making it uncomfortable.

Can these be recovered in modern fabric?

Any good upholsterer will strip the old cover and apply modern fabric. Velvet or plain linen suits the frames well. Just ask them to keep the original horsehair stuffing. It holds the firm shape much better than foam.

The back of the chair feels slightly loose when I push on it, and the wood gives a little creak if someone leans back too far. Should I worry about this?

A slight flex is common with seating from this era. The frames were built to be lightweight and the slender waists of the balloon backs naturally have a bit of give. However, a sharp creak usually points to dry joints at the seat rail. Animal hide glue becomes brittle over a century, allowing the dowels to rub. Have a cabinetmaker check the main joints. Injecting warm hide glue usually secures the frame without needing a full strip down.

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Antique Ladies Chairs

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Smaller than standard seating and often built without arms, antique ladies chairs were designed to hold wide skirts and provide a comfortable posture for needlework or reading.