…upholstered chairs

I knew when I bought my chairs that I wasn’t crazy about the color. They were brown. I don’t have an issue with brown, but if I had the choice I much rather something a bit more interesting. We were building our home at the time and a)I wanted DH to agree that we NEEDED the chairs and so I had to make a quick choice and  b) I really didn’t know what colors I was going to use in the family room.

Upholstery is a little bit of freedom. You can walk into a fabric store and look at about a million different colors and patterns. It gives you the ability to create a feeling in the room that you are going to place the newly upolstered piece. It gives the old new life again. It is also cheaper than buying new furniture…sometimes.

The caviot to all this is that fabric can be expensive and it can also be overwelming. If you are like me and want everything done yesterday, then don’t be like me. Take your time and try your best to visualize. Select some samples and swatches and live live with them for a few days.

Here’s how they looked when I purchased them.

I loved them, but needed to breathe in a bit of color. Here is what I whittled it down to.

I’ll tell you right now that I did not end up choosing any of these. I went into the fabric store convinced that I was going to go with the geometic Ikat that you see here on the left. I really loved the bold colors. The problem was that everyone at the shop said it would not wear really well with 3 kids, 3 cats and a very large dog. I was willing to sacrifice fashion for function.

Then I saw a print that I had had glazed over a few times during my many shopping trips. I asked the shop clerk what she thought and I quote, “This fabric will wear like cast iron.” You may have heard me say that patience is not my virtue. It’s not. The colors were right on so I said, “Let’s do it.” I was sick of thinking about it. Here’s how they turned out.

It took me a while to adjust to pattern, but now that I have I love they way they turned out. The colors are perfect and they add a brightness to the room. The brass nailheads and casters still make the chairs look classic & timeless.

We LIVE in our home. We do not tip-toe around furniture and rooms and rugs and decor. That’s the way I want it. I want to enjoy & use our spaces. The chairs are no different.

Nothing better than a cat a nap time. Well, this is a close second. Sorry – I had to post this picture below! Don’t think me too crass. I made him remove his finger after shooting the picture.