Pallet for Home

OK everyone, it's time for the second episode in the Creating an eclectic interior series... I thought I talk a bit about how to create the 'wow-factor' in your home by adding a totally unique reupholstered chair to it. Think about it: you can get a chair for next to nothing at an auction or even through Freecycle, you go and pick your favourite fabric and get the chair restored and recovered back to a perfect new state (or do it yourself if you're handy). You may have to spend a couple of hundred pounds on fabric and restoration, but just remember how much a chair like that would cost if you had to buy it new. The good thing about antique furniture is also that it was built to last, on solid wooden frames - unlike a lot of furniture in the high street stores these days.
And hey - you won't be able to find a chair like that anywhere else!
Design*Sponge is always a joy to browse for its inspirational Before & Afters. It is absolutely amazing how furniture gets a complete transformation just by covering it with new fabric and giving it a lick of paint or oil. Here's a few stunning make-overs:
 



Drop-seats on dining chairs are very easy to recover yourself with some foam, a staple gun and a beautiful piece of fabric. I love how this chair looks with the black paint and recovered seat (as featured on the blog Frilly Details).


These were recovered in antique coffee sacks (via Faded Plains).


Choice of fabric and how to avoid a bad headache caused by bold patterns
 It may be pretty obvious for most of you, but not everyone (including my husband!) can clearly imagine what a bold reupholstered armchair will look like in their home and some may be afraid that it won't go with what they've already got.
Here are some guidelines:

1. For the easy & safe option: pick a fabric in the same pattern/colour as the rest of your furniture, if you want it to be matching and 'calm on the eye'. I know, not rocket science, but it's worth remembering if you get carried away in the fabric department.
2. For the Wow-factor: pick a very contrasting pattern or colour to draw the attention to it. Even better, combine different fabrics on the same chair. This can create a real statement. If you want to use the chair in your living room, make sure the colours still make a good combination with the rest, even though they are standing out. Tip: take a couple of pictures of your room on your phone before you head out to buy fabric, just to remind yourself of your colour schemes.
3. For a focal point: to make a recovered chair really stand out, place it away from your sofa and armchairs, perhaps in a reading corner, the hallway or next to a dresser against the wall.
4. If you are combining patterns: unless you want to create a very busy living room I would keep patterns to a minimum, and not use various busy patterned chairs in the same space (or it may give you a bad headache!). If the rest of your furniture is plain, one bold patterned chair makes a great addition - or two of the same. If you have a patterned sofa already, going for a plain fabric is probably the best-looking option (but hey - it's all up to you!). Combining it with a different pattern but in the same colour scheme could however also work out ok (i.e. black and white stripes combined with black and white dots).
Here's an example of how one bold patterned bench is combined with plain upholstered furniture. See more photos of this interior on Apartment Therapy.

To give a chair the focus it deserves, place it away from other chairs and sofas. A stunning patchwork armchair (from House to Home):


This gorgeous reupholstered vintage chair (featured on Kristopher K) would look great on its own in a bedroom or hallway.

A great combination of a plain sofa and two of the same patterned chairs, creating a very stylish room (image: Studio Nouveau's Flickr):


Have you done something amazing with old furniture? Do share a link in the comments below - I would love to see it!

I went to an auction yesterday at the village hall in lovely Tarland, Aberdeenshire, and guess what - I came back with a chair. The room was full of Edwardian chairs, big mahogany chests, sideboards, hideous pictures and lots of bric-a-brac but this chair caught my eye as it's mid-century and very elegant. Couple of chips in the varnish and a hideous stained seat must have put people off bidding for it, because I snapped it up for £12. Bargain!

Not sure whether to completely strip and revarnish it or to repair it (need to have a closer look at it tomorrow). I do quite like the idea of lightening the wood somehow, as it's a bit too mahogany-like for me (I think the frame is a mixture of maple and teak). I can already picture the end result though: a beautiful modern chair with a nice, new seat. I am thinking black and white fabric, something with a graphic pattern. What do you think? (fabric images Marimekko)





Here's some more images of the auction. Almost bought the leather suitcase (I love those!), but didn't want to bid over £10 for one with a broken lid.


This always happens to me: I end up buying stuff without realizing the size of my car. Amazing how much DOES fit in though. Friends helped me push it in (having to zip open the roof to accommodate a chair leg) and I was still able to drive ;-)