Damask Sofa in Carved Teak - 3 Seater Gold with Ivory and Blue

Piercing a Rail That Has to Carry Weight

Cutting openwork into the crest of a sofa back is decorative and reasonably safe, because nothing structural passes through it. Cutting openwork into the apron below the seat is a different proposition entirely. That rail ties the front legs together and resists the frame spreading under load, and every void removed from it takes away material that was doing a job. It can only be done if the member is deep enough to keep a continuous solid path around the piercing, and if the timber is strong and fine-grained enough to hold the remaining sections. Most makers simply carve the apron in relief and leave it solid, which is easier and shows less.

The reason to take the harder route is what it does to the sofa's weight in a room. A large carved sofa with a solid apron sits on the floor like a block. Pierce it and light passes under the seat, so the piece appears to stand on its legs rather than to rest on the ground, and a substantial three seater loses a great deal of visual bulk without losing any of its ornament. Combined with the pierced crest above, the whole sofa reads as a frame with fabric in it rather than as a mass of upholstery. It is cut, gilded and upholstered by hand by master Indian artisans.

Specifications: Gold Pierced Carved Damask Sofa

The sofa as photographed is described below. Since it is made to your order, every line can be changed.

• Frame and carving: solid teak wood, hand-carved and hand-finished by master Indian artisans
• Seating: three seats as shown; two, four or a custom length available
• Frame finish: gold, hand-applied and burnished on raised carving
• Back: pierced openwork carving across the top rail, centred on a carved crest
• Back upholstery: ivory buttoned panels set within the carved gold surround
• Seat: blue and gold damask cushion running the full length
• Apron: pierced carved front rail, cut through in scrolled foliage
• Arms: carved gold scrolled volutes with upholstered inner faces
• Legs: shaped carved legs
• Upholstery options: either fabric can be changed independently, in damask, velvet, silk, linen, leather or your own cloth
• Finish options: gold as shown, or antique gold, champagne, silver or a painted colour
• Size: custom sizes made to order; final measurements confirmed in writing before production
• Warranty: 20 years on solid teak frame and joinery; lifetime cover against termite damage
• Delivery: free across India with guaranteed dent-free arrival

Two Pierced Runs, Packed Separately

This sofa has pierced carving in two places that fail for different reasons, so they are protected differently. The crest across the top of the back is decorative and lightly supported, so it travels suspended: the foam around it is cut so the openwork sits in a void and the padding bears only on the solid frame beneath, with a rigid guard over the highest points. Nothing is strapped across it at any stage.

The pierced apron is structural but sits at the lowest point of the sofa, which makes it the part most likely to strike a doorframe, a stair nose or a loading edge. It gets rigid guarding along its full length in addition to contour padding around each void, and the crate carries the sofa on its seat rails so the apron and legs bear no weight in transit. The ivory back panels travel against clean undyed material that cannot transfer colour, with no strapping over the buttoning, and the damask seat cushion is packed uncompressed. All gold surfaces are faced in non-abrasive wrap. Dent-free, unmarked and with both pierced runs intact, or we make it right.

Free Delivery Across India, Made to Order

Delivery is free anywhere in India with no distance surcharge and nothing added to your invoice for freight. Production begins after your specification is confirmed. On this sofa the pierced work sets the timetable: cutting a continuous run of openwork through the crest and again through the apron is slow, unforgiving work, and a broken bridge means remaking the component from fresh stock. Gilding then has to be applied to both faces of the pierced sections, since light passes through them and the reverse is visible. We give you a realistic window at sign-off and will say at enquiry if a fixed date cannot be met.

The sofa ships in contour-cut crated packing under our dent-free arrival guarantee, and we keep you informed from dispatch to arrival. Our team places it in the room and we ask that you inspect both pierced runs, the buttoning and the gilding with them present so anything you are unhappy with is raised on the spot. Once installed, treat the pierced apron as ornament rather than a handhold: lift the sofa by its seat rails, never by the apron or the crest.

Guarantees on a Pierced Sofa Frame

The solid teak frame and joinery are covered for 20 years from delivery, and termite damage is covered for the life of the sofa with no expiry. The pierced apron is the component that deserves a specific word here. It is a structural member and it is covered as one, because it was designed with enough depth to keep a continuous solid load path around every void rather than being pierced until it looked good and hoping for the best. The pierced crest above the back is decorative and is covered against manufacturing failure rather than impact, which is a fair distinction and one we would rather state than argue about later.

Both fabrics, the cushion interiors and the gold finish sit outside the structural warranty. A damask seat will flatten and soften where it is sat on most, which is normal for any woven cloth under daily use, and hand-burnished gold softens at the points that are touched. We reupholster either fabric independently, replace cushion interiors and re-gild our own sofas at any point at an honest price, and because the carving came from our workshop we can recut a damaged section of pierced work and blend it in. Keep the piece indoors, out of prolonged direct sun, and do not modify the frame.