Help Me Figure Out How to Make This Chintz Chair Work!
This old chair is a favorite of mine (has a matching ottoman) and was in my grown daughter's childhood room. I need to decide if i can incorporate this into a blank slate guest room or need to recover both pieces to make it work. The rest of my home is neutral with BM Linen walls, wood floors, seagrass rugs, antique pieces and with most of the color coming from art, accessories and oriental rugs. So this is an outlier.
Before I rush to spend $1000 on reupholstering, I am looking to see if you all can help me see a way to keep it as is (fabric in excellent condition) and fashion a guest room around it that isn't full on cottage but reads more traditional/new traditional. If that is possible.
What do you think? Thanks in advance!
Comments (30)
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Comments (11)How about building something around it that will look like a closet....open in the back, with a door in front that you can open to put things in out of sight. Would not need to attach it to the walls so you can take it with you. Failing that, I would say, put the dog food elsewhere and put a coat tree in the corning for caps, coats and maybe a low shelf for shoes. Polish the stove and use it for seasonal decoration....See MoreNeed help figuring out how to make my house feel less "busy"
Comments (23)I feel like lighting will make a HUGE difference. Usually when people say "busy" I imagine cluttered, but your decor looks intentional and your house looks lived in but not like a completely kitchy mess. I think it's just the light/contrast letting you down. So don't be so hard on yourself! I'm a photographer and the think that always stands out to me in houses that are really beautiful is how much light gives the spaces texture, definition, and brightness. Because you have darker floors and some darker pieces of furniture in some spaces they all kind of blend together and look really heavy even though they aren't packed too tightly. It's super easy to just plug whatever lamps you have into outlets and flip a light switch that turns on some lights on your ceiling and stop there, but I think the big difference between really put together living spaces and those that don't quite feel as polished is often the intentional use and choices of light. Layering lights at different levels, paying attention to task lighting, and being selective with fixtures can really make a huge difference. I've no where near perfected this in our house yet, but the few changes we've made in some rooms have really had a big impact. I think the right lighting in your home can do wonders and really help establish the ambiance you are going for....See MoreHelp me figure out what to do to make this look good!
Comments (12)I think the design flaw was floating it like that on the wall with no hearth or surround. Something like that could still be added, but a quick fix would be to choose your favorite dark, saturated color to paint that wall so the fireplace is less conspicuous. Dark blue, green, charcoal or black would be good choices. Other choices could be brick, stone or wood feature. Another treatment is a stunning wallpaper - those are endless! The asymmetry will not be so noticeable with one of those choices. You can further soften that asymmetry by adding something that obscures the corners. A tall plant, a coat tree, reading chair with a floor lamp, etc....See Morerubyclaire
5 years ago
PRO4Heidesign
5 years agorubyclaire
5 years agorubyclaire
5 years ago
cat_mom
5 years agorubyclaire
5 years agoJust an update - here's a photo with the matching ottoman (retrieved from attic storage). Too much of a good thing?
rubyclaire
5 years ago
Elaine Ricci
5 years agoThis photo is better (shows more of room and shows bedspread pulled down properly).
rubyclaire thanked Elaine Riccirubyclaire
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoElaine Ricci
5 years agoElaine Ricci
5 years agoHere is a picture from another angle, with the optional (admittedly not very matchy) ottoman that normally resides in the guestroom closet.
Elaine Ricci
5 years agoHere's another angle to give you a better idea of how the chair fits into the room.
Elaine Ricci
5 years agorubyclaire
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoYes, I believe my chair will fit in the room with a queen bed but not with two twins. I am working with the current twin bed in there for now as it has a matelasse cover and dust ruffle like I will eventually use on a queen - so a good stand-in. I am focusing on window treatments next and looking for inspiration.
This room, while not a bedroom, is kind of the overall look I'm trying to achieve;
Of course, it offers no window treatment inspiration :(Elaine Ricci
5 years agoThanks for posting a clarification of the look you're going for. I like the wicker chairs with the chintz -- kind of a classy lakehouse kind of look. I agree about the queen bed vs. the two twins; the bed in my guestroom is a queen, and I don't think the chair would look as good if there were two twins in there instead. Looking back at the pictures of your chair, I see that the fabric contains what looks to me like a very pale yellow that might complement the chair well as a wall color (although I agree with others that you don't need a strong color on the walls, I'm thinking just a subtle tint might showcase the chair to good effect). As far as window treatment, I have both blinds and curtains, allowing my guests to control the light as they see fit. Admittedly, both were left by the previous owner (I moved the curtains from another room, which is now our library, as I thought that that room should be lighter and the guestroom should have the option of being darker to ensure our guests' sleep quality). Something like natural-toned wood or bamboo shades coupled with white sheers might work well for your guestroom, based on your inspiration photo.
rubyclaire
5 years ago
Anglophilia