Wingback Chair Transformation

I just got this pair of wingback chairs back from the upholsterer on Friday and I am so happy with the way they turned out. The upholsterer did an excellent job. And, the fabric turned out to be a perfect pick for the chair style. I used a chocolate and winter white houndstooth by Ralph Lauren. It's a supersoft woven blend of wool and cotton (a customer this weekend asked if it was cashmere; no, but very soft indeed).

Here are the horrid before pics when they had grandma-pastel-stripe fabric and faux tufting...not pretty. But, they had great lines and potential which was finally realized.

If you're interested in these, you can find out more at my website sequelliving.com.

Furry Chairs

Disclaimer: I am totally against using real animal fur that harms animals. I believe the spirit of these designs can be reproduced using faux fur or sheared wool from happy living sheep (like a flokati).

Now that I've covered that, I've been seeing a lot of furry chairs lately and I'm really loving them! I'd like to try this on some Sequel finds that need reupholstering. Don't these chairs have a magical fairytale quality? I envision Alice in Wonderland sitting atop the french one. I bet they are very comfy too.

French and Square chairs by Sue Rohrer

Teddy Bear chair by Joe Kish

Fur chair with metal frame by Antonio Citterio

Ode to Trashy Diva

Trashy Diva is a hip store in New Orleans that designs vintage inspired clothing. Their patterns and fabrics are based on real vintage pieces, yet they're modern and fresh. My bridesmaids wore Trashy Diva dresses in my wedding this past April (the dark green silk one below). I think they were all very happy about that decision (no pink taffeta)! Trashy Diva dresses make you feel very glamorous when you wear them...like you should be on the cover of a pulp fiction book or Vargas catalog. They are ultra-feminine, figure flattering, and many of them are made of the smoothest silks! They've got some adorable red ones that would be perfect for holiday parties!

Ace Hotel

Pictures of the edgy Portland Ace Hotel are cropping up everywhere. This one of their lobby wowed me (it's from the November issue of Cooking Light). Love the mix of modern and traditional elements...saarinen stools with tarnished brass candlesticks (or whatever those tall things are). I also love the fresh green hues and mossy planters. I like the obscure feel of it all.

Fall Colors Contest Favorites

Apartment Therapy is wrapping up their Fall Colors Contest and I've been amazed at many of the entries. Here are some of my favorite pics from the contest and links to the original entries where you can find more photos and lots of comments...

Nathaniel & Keith's Blue Period
Teu's Antidote for Rain
Dan and Amy's Chinatown Loft
Derek's Earthy Blank Canvas

Rya in Dwell

Picked up the November Dwell (it's their Green issue) and spotted this cool blue and green Rya rug on page 76. Love it in this clean modern space...