An exquisite chair is one of the best ways to bring character and flair to a room. I must admit I am addicted to the blog Chair Whore, which is chock full of high-concept chairs, many of which are truly works of modern art. But there is another path to getting a chair extraordinaire: Antique and vintage chairs that have been reupholstered in funky, contemporary fabrics. These chairs are the best of both worlds, the epitome of eclecticism captured in a single piece of furniture. A confluence of old and new, traditional and modern, elegant and whimsical, these chairs lend a burst of energy to any decor.
FIRST ROW
• 1 Wonderful bold reinterpretations of classic furniture at Le Tramac. (England)
• 2 The Blue Leaf Channel chair from Mend Etc on Etsy, $500. Looks like something from Anthropologie for more than half the cost!
• 3 Reclaimed balloon back chair is painted with highly durable eco friendly paint and upholstered in off-cuts from a variety of high end designers. Greener Abode.
• 4 Jessica Guerra on Etsy, $800.
• 5 Vintage slipper chair. Jayson Home & Garden, $2,395.
SECOND ROW
• 6 A vintage mini egg shaped chair upholstered in a funky vintage fabric. 20 Age. Found via Chair Designing.
• 7 Anthropologie, $1,698.
• 8 Dirty little story wingchair. The Old Village Hall.
• 9 Grey Maggy on Etsy, $198.95.
• 10 Black Jacobean chair with Thomas Paul fabric seat. Grey Maggy on Etsy, $219.95.
THIRD ROW
• 11 Glory B Designs at Etsy, $349.95
• 12 LJ Industries at Etsy, $425.
• 13 A pair of French "Cabriolet" or Louis XV style, with a duo of velvets from Designers Guild (U.K.) and Maison Dorset (Paris). La Grange de Silvermine on Etsy, $1,775. Etsy.
• 14 A 70s armchair renovated with a grayish wash painted effect and new upholstery from Joel Dewberry's Ginseng home decor collection. Chair Chill on Etsy, $640.
• 15 1950s vintage side chair reupholstered in a blue medallion Ikat fabric. Atlas Home on Etsy, $295.
FOURTH ROW
• 16 Fran 6 Will on Etsy, $100.
• 17 The Kantha chairs are upholstered in vintage Indian Saris, finished with traditional Kantha hand stitching. Complete Pad.
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I'm in the middle of a chair overhaul myself, so this post is just perfect timing!
Does anyone have any good resources for DIY re-upholstery? I don't want to spend the money to have it done professionally, but don't want to make a mess of it!
The title of this post definitely was accurate.
Nothing wrong with funky, except that it is going to look dated more quickly. I'm lazy enough that if I going to put effort into redoing furniture, I want the color pattern to last a long time.
I like love the colors, though I'm not sure that all the combinations on the photograph work.
love the ikat print!
Love these.
Your link to Chair Whore doesn't work.
The chairs in the first one could only be english!
some great chairs on etsy for reasonable $$$
I love those first chairs - they would look great in a hallway flanked by a console table, mirror and lamp.
I reupholstered my chairs a while back - however, now I wish they were brighter and funkier:
http://typearamblings.blogspot.com/2011/04/diy-chairs.html
You can always come to one of my 3 Day Upholstery Bootcamps. See www.modhomeec.com