An Oldie But Goodie......

Remember this before and after from an earlier post on recovering furniture? The before picture was a chair a client had found. It was in bad condition, but like Charlie Brown said of his Christmas Tree, "All it needed was a little love", and I added, "and the right fabric!! " I think it dressed up well with a bright pop of color and a flirty little skirt!!

Before -----------------------After
Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised when looking through Horchow's website to find the Nicole Chair (pictured below). It is similar in style and color to our "dressed up" chair. The Nicole Chair is more tailored than our chair, the silk fabric used allows for a more tailored box pleat. We used a velvet, so I thought a more "free flowing" skirt would suit the strength of the fabric. But both chairs are similar in size, color and shape. The original chair did not have a skirt, but I thought the shape called for one - looks like I was right!!

Horchow's Nicole Chair -------------------Our flirty little number
I thought it amusing that I took the picture at almost the same angle as the Nicole Chair. I took the picture over a year ago.

But not in price!! The Nicole Chair retails for $1799 with a shipping cost of $125. The reupholstered chair was a fraction of that cost. The original chair was free, the fabric used cost $300 and the labor was $200 - for a total of $500!! I think they both seem like elegant little jewels for a room. What a luxury it is to recycle a found object into a beautiful piece that people would pay a nice price for. A little imagination and design know how can take you far!!

All they needed was a little love.... and the right fabric!!

Before

After

After

Before

After

After

One thing I love to do is find furniture, with good "bones", and re work it. Doing this not only counts as "green design", but is fun and allows you to have a completely custom piece; as long as you have a good upholsterer and access to good fabrics the sky is the limit!! (A good designer to help you through the process always helps!!) I think a re worked piece of furniture adds personality to a room. Even if I am working with a client who is buying all new furniture, I like to add a piece that has a little whimsy or is completely "one of a kind" to the mix. Chances are you have one hanging around your house that could use a little "love".

The above pictures are from a project I did a while back. The homeowner had the little green chair in her basement, it was in the condition of the before picture. She found it, liked the shape, but didn't think there was much hope for it. When I saw it, I was excited!! I thought it did have a great shape and thought it could be dressed up like a little jewel in the room. The homeowner is a lovely lady, who has a very kind, sweet personality and who also likes things to be fun. I thought the chair could be like her, very lady like, I added the full skirt to the piece, but with a very vibrant color and a rich texture, hence the raspberry velvet, for that pop of unexpected in the room. I think it turned out fabulous!!

The other chair I found at a antique's mall. I thought it had very graceful lines. I had the wood trim painted a neutral color (it was originally white with gold highlights, ugh!!) and kept the body of the chair neutral too, using 2 fabrics with very subtle contrast. The front is a textured beige fabric and the side and piping fabric has a slight sheen and an almost moss green hue. The combo is very subtle and very elegant. I had 5 fabric covered buttons added to the front that add a little interest without being too ornate. I love this chair too, wish I would've kept it for myself!!

Garage sales, estate sales, antiques malls, used furniture stores or even friend's basements are great places to look for pieces that have potential. New fabric, new stuffing and a new design direction can make an unwanted piece a coveted piece. It also lets you have something that is completely custom and truly fits your personality in your home. It is also so much fun to see the transformation!! Green design, the thrill of the hunt, the fun of the process, the luxury of a new piece of furniture that you created, now I think that's a little luxurious!!