Yesterday we asked How Bold Will You Go with Furniture? While some of you are more daring then others, many readers mentioned that since couches are often investment pieces, neutrals seem to be the smart choice for the long haul. As an alternative to a bold couch, a perfectly patterned or brilliantly bright chair can be the yin to the couch's yang.
Finding the perfect chair with the perfect print can be next to impossible. When it comes time to take matters into your own hands, here are some beautiful examples of reupholstered chairs using great fabric choices.
TOP ROW (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT):
1 - Before & After: Pilar's Vintage Suzani Chair from design*sponge. Pilar used vintage Suzani fabric to help transform $40 craigslist chairs into something marvelous.
2 - Pretty in Patchwork: Turn Vintage Quilt Blocks into Seat Covers via ReadyMade. Anna made beautiful seat covers from her stash of vintage patchwork blocks.
3 - Before & After: A Professionally Tufted Turquoise Chair. A beige chair was brought to life with the help of this beautifully bold turquoise fabric.
4 - Before & After: Jayne's Chair from design*sponge. Jayne's use of a mix of patterns (fabric from Anna Maria Horner) on the seat back and cushion elevates this chair to new levels.
5 - Before & After: Seating and Office Space from design*sponge. Caitlin reupholstered her chair using the sophisticated green and white trellis fabric from Kelly Wearstler.
If a reupholstery job is too much to handle, here are a few bold chairs you can buy off the shelf:
BOTTOM ROW (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT):
1 - Hoop Chair by Corita Rose.
2 - Parlour Chair from CB2 for $699.
3 - Conservatory Chair from Anthropologie for $798.
Images: Pilar Valtierra, Anna Maria Horner, Charlotte Jenks Lewis, Jayne, Caitlin Creer
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Comments (14)
That first one is AMAZING. How do you even recover a chair like that?
As much as I looooove color, I'm not sure I could do a bold couch because I like to change looks so much. But, a chair is an equally cool focal point, you can get away with going even bolder because of the size.
Gosh I really need to learn to upholster, STAT.
I love that turquoise chair.
#1 are great chairs - Makes me want to go get some tattered old wing chairs off CL and have them recovered!
I love rescuing dumpster chairs and re-upholstering them to make them fab. I got this chair off of a curb: http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/rudebega/chairkai011.jpg
I think the biggest mistake people make is going for whats in and not what they like so in the end, they tire of whatever it is and then resort to the neutral beige or whatever.
That said, pick a color you love that can act as a neutral (ie, one that can take on a wide variety of other colors) and create a color palette that works for you.
My color palette is red, yellow and blue, but not necessarily their primary shades, medium wood tones such as walnut and teak for warmth and contrast comes in white and black accent pieces and any other colors that may show up are incidentals from artwork etc and pair it with more of a mod/mcm/eclectic look.
That said, I find that of the two, patterns can potentially date faster than solids so I'd then go with various fabric textures from the sleekness of leather to the rough, nubbly texture of boucle or perhaps velvet to create depth and texture in a room. My couch, BTW, is the red leather klippan from IKEA and I love it.
Eventually I'll get something better, but would maintain that general shape/color more than likely but perhaps in a more mod vein.
I love the turquoise chair and especially the Anthropologie chair. It's gorgeous (and unfortunately way out of my price range.) I'm all about bold and patterned chairs.
ciddyguy, I agree with you in principle... I did my entire house this way (sticking with a palette I loved and changing the emphasized color depending on the room).
But sadly I learned that when we moved, the architectural details in our new home completely clash with our upholstered goods. I have to recover everything. So I would add this to your comment: consider the bones of every piece you acquire. You may need to select new fabric if you change homes (or redecorate), so make sure you like the frame as well as the upholstery when you bring something home.
I WANT THAT CHAIR IN THE FIRST PICTURE! It is the most gorgeous upholstery I have ever seen.
I am now completely dissatisfied with the chairs I just bought......
You have to check out gussychairs.com. She rehabs vintage chairs and I'm saving my pennies for one of her beauties.
Hence, my affinity for white walls...
Beautiful, all of them! I recently 'rescued' a wooden chair from the street, painted it yellow and covered the seat with bold patterned fabric. Everyone loves it, and I have to say it was Apartment Therapy that inspired me to take the leap. I'm eager to do more!
I really need to learn how to do upholstery beyond the stretch and staple variety...