A Chair Affair 2: An Upholstery Story With A Happy Ending

It’s mad to think that it was nearly four years ago that we discovered our little wooden chair – read the full story here – and we’re so excited to announce that it’s finally had a makeover!

It was the first piece we purchased together for a mere £10 at a charity shop in Tooting and it’s since been our staple item, travelling with us around our rented flats in London.

However, as much as we love the little thing, it was rather tatty. We loved the tapestry floral fabric but it needed some love and the inside had become hard, bumpy and uncomfortable to sit on. The wood on the arms was damaged and had been bound by string to keep it from getting ruined further. Yet the design, what seems to be 1920s, is beautiful. We love the carvings on the bottom and the way it has an original wooden reclining mechanism – a little push back and you’re tilted, ready to pop your feet up and enjoy a cuppa.

We didn’t want to update the chair until we found the right fabric so as soon as we spotted this material we knew it was all hands on deck to give the chair a lil’ bit of love.

Floralism Peony Pink is a velvet fabric from Angel & Boho, a beautiful online emporium full of whimsical designs, luscious wallpapers and beautiful trinkets & gifts.

We fell head over heels for the sumptuous feel and large moody blooms. The design, inspired by a Dutch still-life painting, depicts peonies, tulips and delicate little insects. It felt like the perfect way to update the chair from the worn tapestry fabric to something that still has a classic feel but with a contemporary twist.

The next task was to upholster it. Now, we’d love to say that we became experts in the art of upholstery, however we did have the next best thing – David’s step-dad, Jono. A recent graduate of a local upholstery course, Jono has become a pro at upholstery, revamping chairs with William Morris fabrics and restoring vintage theatre chairs from the stalls of Drury Lane Theatre to their original centre stage glory. The perfect man for the job! So after asking very, very nicely, Jono kindly agreed and as a Christmas present, we got it back!

To say we’re thrilled is an understatement. We’re over the moon with the result and think that it’s given the chair a completely new lease of life. We mean, just look at its journey…

From crusty and mangled springs in the inside, Jono completely deconstructed the chair. New cushions on the back have been made creating refreshed, squidgy seats. The wood has been buffed and shined, making the carvings really standout. Where the wood has been damaged on the arms, Jono has sanded them down and made them look as good as new.

The fabric is so beautiful that deciding the positioning was tricky as we wanted to make sure that it looked as best as possible. The back panel features a large bloom in the corner and the back of the chair a glorious bunch of peonies. The bottom cushion, a tulip on one side and leafy greens on the other, so we can easily flip it over if we wanted.

The result? Just see for yourself…

We did spot a little sticker on the bottom of the chair which perhaps gives a clue to its origin. If anyone has any ideas of the decade/source of the chair, we’d love to hear.

The greatest challenge? Making sure Kiki doesn’t go getting her paws on it!

We’re off to have a sit down,
David & Mark x

A HUGE thank you to Angel & Boho for working with us on our chair revamp and of course to David’s step dad, Jono for taking time in creating something we’ll cherish forever.