THE CHAIR

LE FAUTEUIL

Those of you who read my blog regularly may remember this image from my post earlier this month. I was going to do something with this piece of very bland vintage furniture. 
Today is the "reveal", as they annoyingly call it with fake nail biting anticipation and a needlessly long drum roll on "makeover" shows when someone or something is to be presented totally transformed.
No need for all of that hullabaloo here. Let me just show you the finished product and explain why you are being blessed with this post...

from that

to this

why?

Because a number of designers were asked by the Furniture Sharehouse in Weschester County NY, to transform donated pieces of furniture to be auctioned at their first annual Furnish a Family Benefit on October 22nd.

I approached this challenge with 2 questions in mind:

1) How to use only what I already had: 

-a piece of silk taffeta  left over from a design project 

-a length of pleated ribbon from my treasure box (I love ribbons), 

-a cast bronze detail bought years ago at an antique show (loved it/bought it, just in case, maybe, one day...), 

-2 orphaned nicely weathered solid brass cabinet knobs.

I did buy the small can of flat Benjamin Moore paint. 

Fabulous Jose of Exclusive Workroom, my favorite upholsterer, did the rest. He is a gem.

2) How to dress a very plain vintage chair to make it stand out in the crowd of surely fabulous pieces that will be "redesigned" for the benefit by the very talented list of designers taking part. 

The point is, of course, to sell the pieces to generous donors in order to raise funds for the organisation, so the pieces have to please and strike at the same time.

I decided to make it look French something (no, I cannot pin down a style either, in case you are wondering...) Let's call it Modern-Vintage-Louis something-Baroque. It is, in any case, French in spirit. My French spirit.

I can see it in an entrance hall or the corner of a bedroom or dressing room. A chair not necessarily there for sitting. Though it is very comfortable.

I hope it sells. For a fortune.

It is for such a great cause!

To donate, please go to their website. Thank you.

au revoir.