I must say that I am really enjoying playing with pattern on the chairs I’ve been upholstering. For the past few years, I’ve been stuck in the grain sack/hemp sheet/nubby linen rut. While I still love those and you’ll see them a lot in my work, I was ready to break out and stretch my design legs. I have lots of pretty fabrics in my stash, mostly remnants I’ve picked up through the years. Remnants are perfect for the French chairs I’ve been working on, because they don’t require a lot of yardage.
Part of the fun of putting together a booth for Lucketts is designing things that go together…a little snapshot of a potential room. They may not be purchased together, but they create a nice vignette in a booth and give customers an idea of how each piece can look in a home setting. So, after finishing the “Swedish” blue secretary desk, I was inspired to design a chair to coordinate.
This is how the chair started. I have had it in my guest room for a while. The yellow velvet wasn’t bad, but I knew it could be even better, so we set to deconstructing it. Kriste, Megan and I all worked on this one, which was soooo stubborn. It was stapled and glued and stapled yet again. Whoever put this chair together was thorough. As Kriste was working on it one day, she said, “I feel like I’m ripping apart Winnie the Poo.” The chair has since been referred to as “The Winnie the Poo Chair.”
I finally got sick of looking at it, half torn apart (poor Winnie), so I finished taking it apart on Monday and set to reupholstering it. As you may have noticed, I’ve been into checks lately, so I selected a bluish green check and paired it with a small piece of a yellow toile. I love how the fabric combo looks cheerful and casual, but the ornate frame and warmth of the wood add a touch of maturity and formality.
Yeah, yeah. I know all of the detail oriented people are going to notice right away that the checks on the back are slightly askew. I did my best and thought I had them all lined up, but obviously, I didn’t. The seat is perfect, though! And I can live with the imperfections on the back.
I took a bit of a chance with this woven checked fabric. On its own, it looks a little like it could’ve been stripped off a 1980’s oversized, rolled arm sofa, but on this chair frame, it gives off a more Swedish/French vibe, I think.
The details on this chair are so pretty. I love the arms.
…and I’m really proud of how the detail around the base of the arms turned out. (Someone asked a few days ago about gimp trim vs. double welting and I’m planning to write a post about that…how I chose which I use on a piece.)
The back makes me smile. I mean, how can you NOT smile at that pop of yellow toile?!
If you want to know how I did the upholstery, you can check out my six part video series on upholstering a French-style chair like this HERE and a video on reinforcing the chair back HERE.
As with everything else I’ve been showing off lately, this chair will be for sale at the Lucketts Spring Market, May 15-17, 2015. It’s priced at $225.
Coming up soon…how to make new wood look old, a Lucketts Green dresser, and the chicken incubator I turned into a side/coffee table. Yes. A chicken incubator.
You have really brought “Winnie” back to life. He was cute before in his natural yellow color, but now this he just lights up a room. I really like the combination of fabrics and you get a surprise when you see the back. Someone will be excited to take it home at the Lucketts Spring sale.
Darling friend, love you more ‘n my luggage, but that chair back is not your best work. You know it, too. How long would it take to fix it? Can I come help?
Sending you love and admiration,
I agree. Great chair. Great fabric choice. Great photo styling. You’ve put a lot of time & energy in the project but the uneven checks make the chair look like it was upholstered by me and the dog. (Obviously he tugged the fabric harder on his side.) In your effort to get ready for Luckett’s, you might be rushing and sacrificing your work integrity on a couple of projects. Please don’t. You are known for better.
The uneven checks on the back are what I first noticed in the photo even before I read Marian’s explanation. It’s probably the spirit of my high school home ec teacher who taught that the quality of a garment and the experience of a seamstress could always be judged by whether or not stripes and checks line up at the seams and are straight. That chair would so bug me if I had to look at it daily!
Very Nice. And I’m in love with the little desk!
I have a quick question. I have a matching pair very similar to this one, and struggling with how to price them. Did you price this one according to the age/make along with the new upholstery, or is it just a good range for these chairs?
And you are so right. Much of the fun is finding that “just right” combo of fabrics. So many choices, not enough chairs!
Thanks.
Miss Mustard Seed, I just want to thank you. Not only are you posts super inspiring, I have discovered that you are a teacher-at-heart. I have learned so much from your instructional tutorials…things that I would have never learned on my own, unless I paid someone to teach me! But, no…I am learning and doing and feeling very excited about creating beauty in my home. I cannot thank you enough. And, that chair…adorable!
Can’t wait to see the incubator and share your post! I have sold two and one more fabulous green on in my antique booth that so far no one has claimed to love on their own. I think it’s fabulous, but then, I’m a little weird! 😉
Marian, you should really put more value on your time. You told us what a pain this chair was to deconstruct and how you, Kriste and Megan all worked on it. and to sell it for $225.00 is way too low! You know you could not touch that chair in a furniture store for less than $600.00. And no, it’s not perfect but it is worth more than $225.00!!
Love, love, love the chair!
It’s adorable. I love it with the back showing with the desk and I love it against the wall. Where do you shop for your fabrics. I have always loved everything I ever see with buffalo check.
Hi Marian, kudos to you for making it ok to not be perfect or obsessive in decorating. You continue to inspire! I don’t think I would have been brave enough to subject myself to critiques for wonky stripes. But then, that’s why I follow you. You go girl & forget the haters.
I love this combination! I have a similar chair….you have inspired me …planning to add a little yellow to my chairs back. =)
Happy Day
Thanks
I do love all of your work and have learned so much from you. I think you should redo the back of the chair though. Both the checked side and the toile side are off center. Not up to you usual fabuluous standard.
Well, I was going to say that i didn’t even notice the off center top part until you mentioned it. And then it bothered me. Really bothered me and I knew if I bought it and brought it home it would make me crazy every time I looked at it. I know it would bother you too, if you kept it and walked passed it every day- eventually you would say you can’t stand it anymore and re-do it. I don’t think the back is terribly off. But I do agree with the others- this is your brand. Don’t let it go out unless you are 100% proud of it. And if it means raising the price because of the extra work it required, then I think that is fine, because I agree- $225. is way to low! Between what you paid for the chair itself, the fabric the gimp, the thread, the glue the new foam you probably put in there AND your labor? The idea is to make some money while you are it, I would suppose. I would think $400. is quite reasonable. If it is the perfect chair the right person wouldn’t even bat an eye. Ever heard that expression,” Don’t sell yourself short” ?
I agree with some of the others, you may be letting the Lucketts pressure affect neatness standards. “Going with it” can start looking more like an excuse to mass produce i.e. sand scratches that look sloppy, chipped veneer thats not sanded correctly to accent it or patched properly and crooked, bunchy upholstery will only last so long. Please, please don’t shortcut your standards! I paint too, but have found if you sell less pieces for more $ it’s a win, win. Is it quality or quantity? Have loved your style in the past and read your blog daily, but please don’t lose your touch!!
I’m not a big fan of all the burlap/feed sack that I’ve been seeing everywhere. I LOVE COLOR and I love the colors you chose for the chair. They’re so bright and cheerful and made me smile just to see them. I do agree with some of the other comments though, I think the chair is worth more than $225, even for just the labor.
To avoid crooked lines when upholstering you can measure from your center line to each side. I also find it helpful to work in front of a mirror if you don’t have an extra set of eyes to guide you. I personally wouldn’t be able to live with the lines off. It doesn’t take that much more time to take it out and re do it. I know that in your tutorials you cut your pieces from the previous pieces. You need to allow an extra 2-3 inches per side so that you have the play….
I believe you should redo the back. It won’t take much time or fabric. I do upholstery and could never put something of that caliber out in the marketplace with my name on it in that condition. Your gimp is off on the seat front also. the lines are off in the back of the seat also but that might not get noticed by the untrained eye.
Oh, Marian, you have got to re-do the back of that chair. Honestly, I would not buy the chair with the checks so off-kilter, not even if your price was lower. And I tend to think that anyone who would truly appreciate the beauty and exquisite design of the wood would not purchase it either. We all respect and love you and the work that you do and don’t want to see either compromised by a less than professional job on an item. If you feel that you can’t take the time to re-do the chair, then don’t take it to Lucketts. Or re-do it and don’t take something else that you were going to spend that time on. I think you will be glad, in the end, that you didn’t leave the work as it is.
I hope that the criticism of those of us who feel the same about the chair isn’t too harsh, but I think that all of us love you as a person as well as love and respect your work, so I hope you will take our comments in that spirit and know that we don’t want you to compromise yourself or your work by putting something in front of the public that isn’t worthy of who you really are and what you are capable of. And that if we didn’t care, we wouldn’t bother to tell you what we think.
I am sending you a ton of confidence and calmness to carry you through these hectic days til the show. All will be well. Hold that thought, dearie.
I am sending you a ton of calmness and
Oops! Please disregard the last line. Don’t know what happened.
Hi Marian- Don’t think twice about all the “expert” upholstering gals critiquing your work. If your ok with it then someone else will be too. I didn’t even notice it until I read the comments. Now that it was pointed out so generously by those “experts”, I like that it is a little wonky and has character. Stay true to your “Perfectly Imperfect” attitude. After all ladies, were talking about a chair 🙂 Your snowstorm friend from Ohio.
Uneven checks? Not you best work? Really? I ain’t got time for that! Those damn chairs are fab! You’re fab! You’re site if fab!
Your tutorials are wonderful and much appreciated. I love your eye for color and paint combinations.
If your projects were here in the Seattle area, they’d be priced two to three times higher. You know the prices for your area of the country so I’m not questioning you. I just left a shop that had a similar china display cabinet to the one you posted a few days ago, only they hadn’t done anything to it except clean it. They were asking 1199! Your things are lovely. I’d buy that cabinet in a heartbeat!
Center those checks if you must but have the price reflect the time, effort, and talent you’ve put into it. I love reading your blog and about your projects. You are a real inspiration to me.
I love a pop of yellow! And although previously NOT a blue person (seriously) I am liking it more and more…..and I can’t stop myself! Ha ha Great job, as usual, and I will be watching your upholstery tutorial video and trying my hand.
How much will the blue secretary be?
Cathy
LOVE the fabrics and the check toile combination on the chair but I noticed the checks being crooked and the toile not centered right away and that would deter me from purchasing the chair! Please redo the back of the chair and I think the chair would be your usual fabulous work! Love your blog and would love to visit to your workshop and Luckett’s booth!
I’d toss a pretty throw over the back & nobody would notice the ‘crooked squares’.
Dear Marian, where did you buy this blue and white checks fabric? Thank you!! Piera