I am incredibly excited about a chair that my wonderful upholsterer, Andres Dubuk, recently finished for a client of mine in Hillsborough. She was searching for fabulous new chairs to add a special touch to her recently purchased home and asked me to keep my eyes open. I happened to have a petite channel-back antique chair that was staying in my workshop temporarily while I looked for new fabric. I came across the most vibrant, amazing modern floral material and took it immediately to my upholsterer to be recovered. While I kept the feeling the same, I asked to delete the tufts (fabric covered buttons placed here and there to give furniture a quilted look) from the channel back and take away all the crazy nail head trim that was overpowering the dainty chair. We made it more sleek and fun to be around.
I’d like to digress for a moment to talk about my upholsterer. I was introduced to Andres via my good friend Donna, previous owner of She Sells Resale in San Mateo. A true craftsman, Andres has been doing upholstery since he was a teen. For 40 years he has meticulously crafted double welts, fabric covered buttons and tufting to exacting European standards. He is a true artisan with a wealth of knowledge and expertise that far surpasses any I have come across. He can change anything and making magic is the way he rolls. I am honored and humbled to benefit from his services and look forward to every new project I can bring his way.
Back to my gorgeous chair! I just knew that it was destined for my client’s home despite never having seen the room it would live in or the colors of the walls that would surround it! When I brought her a swatch of the material, she loved it. A modern young mother of two small children, she appreciates feminine touches in furniture but despises the “grandma frilly floral” look.
This bold choice of both color and print is now installed happily in the new home’s Master bedroom. It mingles unexpectedly well with deep yellow, hand-painted, tall Korean chests (used as night tables), vintage crystal side lamps, crisp white bed linens and a sumptuous amount of hot pink colored Bougainvillea that surrounds the exterior windows.
In a word, it’s lovely!
What does my client think of her new chair? She said, “When I first saw it, I screamed! I was so excited!”
Now that just feels good! 🙂
We encourage you to take a second look at furniture that seems tired or out of place in your surroundings. Possibly all it needs is a fresh, new color (yes, I do paint wood to the horror of all purists!) or to be completely revamped with contemporary fabric. Feel free to send me a few pictures or stop on by. I love to give advice and we all know I’m chock full of opinions!
All our best,
Melisa and Miranda
