The Chair from the Graveyard

This chair has been seen in my dreams... I have been dying to restore it and waiting for a lull in the schedule to get to it. 90 degrees outside...bright blue skies...light breeze...perfect weather to finish stripping and putting the paint on this one.
She has a sketchy history... found her way into my garage by way of my friend Cassie, who had at one time access to a treasure trove of old furniture she referred to as "the graveyard." One look at this chair and I was smitten. She is getting the turquoise velvet...once I finish distressing her exposed wood.

Back In Town

Wow- what a whirlwind! Our great American road trip has sadly reached its end... and I am looking at my workshop and thinking- what next? A few additions to my fabric collection were purchased on this trip and are impatiently awaiting their transformation, including this luscious turqouise velvet.

There were many highlights to this trip...among them a lengthy visit with a third-generation upholsterer whose shop is located on the fabulous Union Street in San Francisco. Fascinating gentleman with lots of little tricks up his sleeve. Come to find out, we have worked with the same sewing machine for many years- the stalwart Singer 16-188. He recently replaced his with a newer model and was lamenting the fact that he had far fewer issues with the older one... this was good for me to hear! Although- thanks to the IRS I have a new sewing machine in my very near future!!!



Sometimes I find looking back to be highly motivating... here are a few pictures of previous jobs done.





These photos are pieces I did for a gorgeous little bed and breakfast here in Sedona- El Portal. They have a beautiful property and you can view their website at elportalsedona.com. All told, I upholstered several chairs, made many pillows and the suede drapes in the third photo for the owners. One unique challenge (for which I lack a good photo, but can be seen peeking behind the bed in the third photo) was a Juniper chair for which we fashioned a seat and pillow back.

Before photos of the sofa. Yes- I realize I really need to focus on photo quality.

Whew! One more for the books- the purple sofa is finished! And not a moment too soon- as my daughter and I are leaving on our great road trip adventure to San Francisco and then up to Oregon to meet up with the rest of the family.

We delivered the sofa last night and in my client's house she is a beauty! As mentioned previously the sofa is a sleeper- something new for me to work with. Definitely a piece worth redoing. The owner has had this piece for many years and it is a solid little thing. I have always loved the contours of the camelback sofas and the channel tufting sort of ups the ante. Particularly in such a deep bold color- who knew purple was a classic- right up there with navy? The rich purple is just gorgeous and alongside that fantastic chair it is a winning combination. I had no idea just how lovely a rich purple can be... particularly paired with an orange/terracotta. She intends to paint the wall behind the sofa a lighter shade of terracotta. Can't wait to see that finished and show you pictures!

Progress in Purple

It is nearly done...but a sofa generally takes me a bit longer to complete, so in lieu of showing you the completed project in all its glory, here are a few pictures of our work in progress. What would I do without my minions to help me feed channel back foam through my ancient trusty Singer?

This beauty is a sleeper...things started going much smoother once we got the bed taken out! Isn't this going to look amazing with the Ryan Seacrest chair? Should I stop calling it that? I hope to deliver this early next week so stay tuned for the finished piece!

Ryan Seacrest Chair

While working on this chair, I was pointing out its fantastic proportions to my good friend Steph. It is a throne of a chair, big enough to curl your whole body into... masculine in size but with feminine graceful lines. She aptly named it the Ryan Seacrest chair.

This chair was a joy to work with... it belongs to a friend of mine who is very conservative. The chair had been covered in a traditional floral damask and she wanted something DIFFERENT! Her choice of fabrics knocked my socks off! While shopping for fabrics she began gravitating toward bold colorful prints and textures (my favorite!) The terracota fabric on the seat and arms contrasts so beautifully with the mod print. The best thing is- her sofa will soon be draped in a gorgeous purple that pulls the purple flower! Can't wait to reveal that finished project. And yes, this time I will take before pictures.

Kudos to Cassie!

FINISHED CHAIRS RESTORED BY RESTORATION HARDWARE AND RECOVERED BY MOI AT THINGS WITH SPRINGS!

This is a shout out for my good friend Cassie- to whom (and we are still laughing about this) I owe my current renewal of zeal for recovering furniture!

The story goes... Cassie (who can do nearly anything, and more beautifully than just about anyone- check out her blog: designstocker.blogspot.com) had a chair she wanted to recover and knowing that I had spent years doing just that kept asking and asking if I would help/teach her to redo her chair. Finally I gave in, knowing she might never stop asking if I didn't. Big smiles here! We had a ball doing it- and when the project was finished I was filled with such enormous satisfaction! I stepped back a moment and asked myself: why am I not doing what I know how to do and love to do?

So for the thousandth time, thank you so much Cassie for the inspiration and for introducing me to blogland! And thank you for mentioning me on your beautiful blog!

Pick one!

THE CLUB CHAIR
This boxy beauty is the quintissential perfect chair. Perfect in nearly any decor or room- endless possibilities.

THE MAN CHAIR
This chair belongs in the lounge of the hotel in The Great Gatsby... can't you see it with a scotch on the rocks, and a carnation in his pocket? All it needs is a little TLC and an amazing masculine fabric- the brown ikat????

LADY SLIPPER
This little lady is a gem with clean classic lines. She is feminine and graceful and ridiculously comfortable. I could see her in so many different clothes- perhaps the blue chain link for a modern twist? Or the bird cages for a touch of whimsy? She deserves a string of pearls....

FEIGNED INNOCENCE

Don't let this little darling fool you... so she has been draped in a blue country
floral- it's not her fault! You know she is aching for the zebra print! This chair when finished will have a fully upholstered back and inside back, although she is pretty pared down right now. I intend to paint her black and show off her wild side! Every girl needs a little animal print in her life.....

THE COUCH

Be prepared to swoon- this beauty is the piece de resistance! Her original clothes are a bit tattered, albeit gorgeous vintage damask....all she needs is a smart makeover. Have you seen the sofas like her on Anthropologie? Have a lookie and come right back! We can do all sorts of things here...black paint, white paint, weathered grey....Fabric choices are limitless although I am drawn to the heather and charcoal grey colors that are all the rage right now and look stunning on this design. Deep charcoal velvet anyone?

The world of fabric is rich and ever-changing. A trip to a large textile store can feel like a fall down the rabbit hole for me.....

All furniture pieces are for sale... each one slated for a makeover. Please contact me if any piece interests you for fabric ideas and pricing. Feel free to get involved with your favorite piece before I take matters in my own hands!!!! Thank you for looking!