Four Chairs – Two Looks

A few months ago I found this fabulous, antique, Baker chair.  No, it doesn’t look so fabulous here, but I could see how, with a little paint and  fabric, it could be just perfect!  The bones are just wonderful!!!  And to my delight, I discovered  that there were actually three  more just like it.  Since I only needed two, I asked the antique dealer if he would split them up and he said “yes”!  I was so excited.

But just as I was leaving the store,  one of my clients came to mind.  The other two chairs would be perfect for her living room!  I immediately texted a picture and asked her to have a little imagination.  You need to know, this client hates blue and, of course, these chairs were painted an awful blue! She trusted me, however,  and I jumped on the opportunity to score these great chairs.

Here is where it gets fun: four chairs, two totally different homes.  My space is full of bold colors mixed with whimsical pattern.   I decided to paint my chairs Benjamin Moore Deep Royal, and I upholstered the seat in this luscious boucle.

My client’s home is romantic, with an antique flair, so as I sat on  the living room floor (as I do at most client meetings… no need for a chair when you can sit on the ground and use the floor as your work space) and imagined.   I wanted these chairs to  be soft and hold up to the gorgeous french antique table that would rest between them.  I chose  Benjamin Moore Linen White  for the base color,  a brassy gold banding, and a light glaze over it all.  For the seat fabric,  I looked around and noticed that one of my most coveted fabrics was getting very little exposure on the sofa as a pillow, so I pulled it out and used it on these chair, as well.

I love the way that just paint and fabric can make the same chair read so completely differently!  Do you have any great finds that you have transformed?