This is Jean

She is a vintage 1966 LaZboy rocker recliner purchased for her namesake, Jean, on the occasion of a new baby, the youngest of five daughters. That baby is my client. This was the baby rocking, holding a child with a fever, story time, all purpose “comforting a kid” chair. It also was enjoyed by Dad, likely to kick back after a long day. The chair is named Jean after the client’s mom. This is Jean’s third re-upholstery.

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧

𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐝 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐮𝐞𝐧 (𝟏𝟗𝟔𝟕)

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐰

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰, 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧

When the client told me the name of her chair the 1960s ballad popped into my head. Jean, Jean was written in 1967, went to the top of the charts, and was covered by many singers in the following years. I remember hearing this song on the radio as a kid. I also had an Aunt Jeanne, whom I adored, so this chair gave me lots to think about as I worked.

My client’s mom, Jean, passed in August of 2024. Though Jean’s chair had seen better days, the client could not bring herself to part with something so strongly associated with her mother, or her own birth. She was determined to see the chair restored.

Jean arrived in my workroom in a threadbare, tattered brown woven fabric with compressed and sagging foam and fills. She was last reupholstered in the 1970s, so it’s been at least 50 years since the last upholstery job. The client wanted Jean to look like she remembered, so she chose 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝟐𝟐𝟑𝟖, a highly durable, Crypton chenille fabric featuring small gold slubs in the color Chocolate. Brown is back, and it’s easy to find beautiful brown fabrics like this one. Elle Decor called brown “the color of quiet luxury (2024).”

Every ounce of Jean’s fill was replaced with brand new quality materials and high density foam. In her brand new fabric, Jean looks like herself, but better. The one change the client made in Jean’s design was to swap the original 4” pleated skirt with with a traditional straight skirt. It’s a cleaner look, and just a little less fussy.

Now, before I get a thousand requests to upholster recliners, please see my previous post by 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘜𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺, “𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴,” I have reposted the link in the comments. 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘜𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 wonderfully explains why many upholsterers balk at recliners, especially those built in the last thirty years. Unlike modern, overstuffed, “disposable” recliners you find at big box stores on sale for $400, this chair was made from solid wood. No overstuffed pillows with cheap pillow fluff, no particle board, no pressboard, no junk. The solidity of the frame made it approachable once I figured out how to take it apart! I was lucky to find an expert upholsterer, 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞, who previously serviced LaZboy for years. Without 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬’ guidance I would have been stuck.

Jean and I bonded over the time she inhabited my workroom. The 1960s was a decade marked by social change and unrest: the civil rights movement, political violence (JFK, MLK, and RFK assassinations), Vietnam, protests, riots, desegregation, bussing, Woodstock, and the space race. Amid the tumult Jean, the mom, welcomed her last baby girl, and rocked that sweet child in this chair. Mama Jean grew old in this chair. This chair is evidence of a loving family, a life well lived, and remains a tribute to Jean.

𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧.