The Wicker Wingback

 

 

This is a little business venture I've recently embarked on. I reupholstered this chair.
It was in pretty rough shape. Firstly, the mauve pattern was heinous and secondly, the previous owners had painted on the actual fabric. Yikes! So, I dismantled the chair and recovered it. I even made new buttons! What do you think? Here are some previous chairs I have refinished. Red Chair, Telephone Chair, White Chair  Wow, you'd think I could come up with more clever names than "Red Chair and White Chair."

I had this whole vision of matching a coordinating dress with the finished chair for a picture. Unfortunately, my camera is on the fritz and the majority of my pictures didn't turn out, including the pictures of the back of the chair. Hopefully, I can find a great deal on a new camera!

If you know of anyone who needs upholstery done, please send them my way. I would be very grateful.

Have a lovely rest of your weekend!

Loves,

Jana

After 2.0

Here's the picture of the chair with upholstery tacks. For some, it makes a world of difference.

After

I still have to add the uphosltery tacks, but I was too anxious to share my progress on a project that has been in the making for 2 years. Plus, I get to cross off two items on my 2011 New Years Resolution list at once. This post also signifies my 66th post of this year which was another goal (The goal was to have 30 more post than last year. The number 66 has no significance to me. 666 on the other hand...jk)

Here's the before picture:

You can view the process here. Let's just say there were 4 layers of this onion to peel away.

And here's the after:

I'll definitely post a picture once the tacks have been added, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's comfy too!

If this has placed you in a 'chairy' disposition, perhaps you would like to browse through my favourite paintings of chairs found on the web.

The prolific artist's name is Kimberly Applegate. She paints chairs in the style of classic artists and often features one of their masterpieces on the wall in the background. She even imitates their style in order create the perfect habitat for the model chair. Her blog is called joie de vivre. Please allow for yourself at least 45 minutes to peruse her work. It's phenomenal.  Here's a teaser:

I love this for more reasons than I can list.

Here's the original Edward Hopper: A Room in Brooklyn.  I don't think she could have picked a more fitting companion painting for that chair. Yet that green light is impossible to recreate. It's legendary.

 

Why do I expect to see Calvin and Hobbes everytime I see this one?

And doesn't this make you want to be part of Christina's World?

Go ahead. Take a seat.

The Telephone Chair

Land-lines may become obsolete, but this telephone chair which was once in my uncle's dumpster can hopefully be brought back to its glory days. The first picture in the series was taken after several hours of sanding & several days of removing staples. It was also covered in spider webs. I had my work cut out for me. After it was primed, I waited 2 weeks for the foam to go on sale at Hancock Fabrics, but found fabric in the clearance section in the meantime. I also had to find a back board and upholstery tacks, so there was plenty to do until I could get my foam brick for 52% off.

First I painted it a straw yellow, but felt it resembled mustard too closely. So to counter the bright yellow I covered it in a white wash. The foam was attached by merely stapling the fabric to the base. I was later told that I should have placed burlap between the foam and the springs, but will have to make this adjustment when I update the fabric someday. (ooh and that's my little helper, Snickers...well she doesn't help, but just stops by to see my progress every now & then... or whenever I have lunch.)

Voila! I added the lily pad lamp and a handmade journal I picked up at my recent visit to the Renaissance Festival as well as a bejeweled frame of Snick. Now all I need is a vintage rotary telephone.

"Will you not sit?"

I often frequent rummage sales and friends can attest that I can't pass by a disheveled chair without considering its potential. I intend to post current and future projects for the fellow chair-enthusiast. Here is a recent find. Inspired by Miss Austen and an issue of Victoria magazine, I chose to cover the seat with a delicate worn cornflower blue & white toile. I was especially drawn to the chair solely because of the harp design its back. Once I primed and painted the chair country white, I sanded away portions to reveal the original finish, thus creating a shabby chic effect.

Below: I painted the finials on this little oak seat metallic gold, plum, & magenta to complement the velvet striped cushion cover. It was originally outdated 70's burnt orange pleather. The envelope pillow was made from an upholstry sample and features a collage of antique buttons.

Below: This chair was purchased for $6 at my favourite Antioch, TN boutique, Alabaster Box. I did nothing to alter this particular chair, although I did fashion the costume rubies to the square senorita floral pillow.