Another Completed ASCP Project - Vintage Balloon Chair

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Color Chart

I have completed over 30 Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) projects - one table and the rest are chairs and other upholstered seating pieces.  I have seven colors in my repertoire;

Old White

Old Ochre

Duck Egg Blue

Napoleon Blue (sample size only)

Chateau Grey

Paris Grey

Coco

Graphite 

I just finished a vintage balloon-back chair with wood detailing that includes tapered legs.

Here is the before chair.  I bought it at an estate sale for $50.  The construction qualities and styling were there but the wooden finish was very tired looking and stained.

Before refinishing the woodwork, I have been using Goof Off link to website, a product that does a good job of removing waxes, stains, spots and nicotine residue.  I guarantee you that if your chair is over 40 years old, it has been in some smoking environment somewhere and it is amazing the amount of stain you will find.  I used a whole clean t-shirt on this chair and it ended up being totally brown when done - only a little of that was actual dirt and most of it was nicotine.  I have used Goof Off for over ten years and believe there has been a product reformulation which I have previously mentioned - see prior blog.  I would no longer recommend using it on wood surfaces that you are not redoing.  In this case, however, it works well to thoroughly remove all dirt and residue before refinishing the woodwork.

I chose to use my newest color, coco, which is a taupe-brown color.  I wanted to use it and see how it worked and thought it would nicely complement the cream textured linen I had chosen to cover the chair.  In one of my earlier lessons learned, I started out applying the paint by tipping the chair over and doing it from underneath before straightening it out.  This technique results in much better overall coverage.

I finished one coat and was not too excited about the washed out look - the second coat didn't add much intensity.  I decided I needed to use only the dark wax (not dark over light as some techniques suggest) to get as dark of a finish as possible.

Ahhh - much better.  I like the results and played with some other fabrics but ultimately stayed with the original cream linen selection.

And here is the finished chair - expertly upholstered by Lee's Upholstery of Norcross, GA!

So that's another project done.  I have two more waiting in the wings.  What do you think of the coco color?

I pay a great deal of attention to what others are doing with ASCP and have a pinterrest board set up just for the purpose - check it outlink

I am linked to the following parties:  Thrifty Decor Chick and Restore Interiors and Savvy Southern Style and Faded Charm Cottage

Check out and "like" my facebook page by clicking here! 

WYDEVEN DESIGNS FACEBOOK PAGE

French Furniture - Five Major Chair Styles

This is another blog in my "French furniture series" - see previous entries city vs country furniture and bergere and fauteuil chairs.  This blog is about basic chair styles - defined on this website link.  The author  describes five basic styles:

·      Ladder-Back Chair

o   A popular chair in the French country style, a ladder-back chair is wooden, sometimes with a cane seat. The chair's back is formed by two wooden posts, connected with arched horizontal slats spaced widely apart.



·      Chaise Lounge

o   A chaise lounge, which translates as "long chair," is an upholstered chair with a extended seat made for reclining. Some styles, with a raised back at one end, are known as fainting couches.



French style Chaise Lounge - pinterest board

·      Le Corbusier

o   Arguably the most famous chaise lounge is a modern, black-and-chrome model created by Swiss-French designer Le Corbusier in 1928.


Le Corbusier Chaise - source internet image

·      Rococo Chair

o   A chair designed in the French Rococo style will feature curving, feminine lines--especially curved legs--and an overall sense of aristocratic comfort.

Curved Lines of French Rococo Style - source pinterest board above

·      Louis XVI Chair

o   Named after the king whose reign this furniture first became popular during, a Louis XVI chair is characterized by its straight, tapered legs, clean lines and delicate carved motifs.



Louis XVI style chair - source pinterest board above

Over the years, I have been able to buy, refurbish and sell quite a few of these great style chairs - here are just some of them!

From 2008 Wydeven Design Collection - French Style Chaise Lounge

From 2009 Wydeven Design Collection - Wingback Chairs with Rococo Legs and Trim

From 2009 Wydeven Design Collection - Rococo Legs and Trim Settee

From 2011 Wydeven Design Collection - Chaise with Rococo Woodwork

From 2011 Wydeven Design Collection - French Chair with Rococo Woodwork

From Current Wydeven Design Collection - Silk Wingback Chair with  Louis XVI  Legs

A Visit to the Museum of Design in Atlanta

The weather in the Atlanta area continues to be glorious and I decided to ask a friend to join me to visit a museum I had only recently heard about through a groupon coupon (half off admission).  The Museum of Design Atlanta is located on Peachtree Street (of course) in the midtown area - directly across from the High Museum of Art.  link to website.  The current exhibit, appropriately for me, is about the "chair":

Stories in Form: Chair Design by Portfolio Center

February 5 - June 3, 2012

This spring, the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), in partnership with the Portfolio Center, presents an exhibition honoring history and design through the medium of the chair. 

Entrance to the MODA - my photo

The museum itself is elegant and the exhibit is well staged.  We loved the unique items in the gift shop as well.  We were told that MODA had only opened in its current location about a year ago but had a presence in the Atlanta area for some time.  We were the only visitors and the exhibit took less that 45 minutes to view including reading about the chairs and taking these photos.  The next exhibit will featuring skateboarding - I may return but probably do so in concert with other plans.  Perhaps to visit the High Museum and see the Picasso to Warhol exhibit which I've been planning to see but haven't gotten to yet!

High Museum across the street on Peachtree  

Gift shop - my granddaughters would love these compact lucite chairs.

All the chairs had designer statements such as this one.

I have a sister named Ellie so had to take a photo of this statement.

This chair was actually made of dominos painted and glued together - clever!

The chairs featured were very esoteric - not too many actually looked comfortable.  I thought I would highlight some of the chairs featured and provide a view of MODA and their mission.  While brief, I enjoyed this visit and think the museum deserves community support!

My Love Affair with Wingback Chairs!

Classic  Wingback Chairs in Black and White Patterned Fabric and Painted Black Legs (source Pinterest)

I have had a love affair with wingback style chairs as long as I remember.   I remember seeing them in old (and newer) movie sets and have often been as mesmerized by the furniture in the background as I have by the action and dialogue.   What I really like about wingback chairs is their structure and shape.  They are truly classic and look good in just about any fabric.  They can also be very contemporary.  I have been refurbishing upholstered furniture for almost eight years (excluding for personal use) and have sought the wingback style chair more than any other style.  It is just hard to go wrong with a wingback.  More recently, I have been "modernizing" the look not just with fabrics but also painting/refinishing the legs - some of the results have been amazing!

Classic Wingback Chair - Clean Lines and Queen Anne Legs (source Pinterest)

In addition to showing (and showing off) some great wingbacks in this blog, I wanted to review the history and "pedigree" of this great style.  From my research it appears that the wingback was first used in the 1700's and became widely used in the 1800's - many of today's styles are very similar to the looks of these early chairs.

Modernized Wingback Chairs (source Pinterest)

Wingback Chairs used as Dining Chairs (source Pinterest)

I found the best information on this site link to eHome News and will summarize some key issues here.

High-backed upholstered armchairs that we now call wingbacks first appeared in the late 17th century. Their most striking feature was side pieces that projected forward from the back at a 90-degree or wider angle. These projections functioned to protect the user from cold drafts and to shield the face from intense heat when seated next to a fireplace.

The tradional wingback chairs of the 18th and 19th centuries were fully upholstered. English wingbacks had more curves to the arms, and wings and were often upholstered in leather with brass nailheads. French styles exhibited more angles on the wings, with exposed wood trim on arms and back and luxurious fabrics as covers. 

Traditional wingbacks were not skirted. Legs were straight or cabriole, depending on the period and country of origin. Classic hardwoods like cherry and mahogany were most often used.




  

Modernized WIngback Chairs - Modified  Wings and Straight Legs (source Pinterest)

Like the earliest versions, the wingback chair is still often used in front of the fireplace in a living room or den. Sometimes a pair of chairs creates a cozy seating area with a small table between them. One or two wingbacks can be found in many master bedrooms and sometimes large guest rooms. One of the modern versions of this chair makes an ideal piece for a young person's bedroom.

Some of my favorite Refurbished Wingback Chairs (source link to website

Queen Anne style furniture emerged in the 18th century as a reaction to the more elaborate French designs of previous centuries. The Queen Anne wingback chair features a horseshoe-shaped cushion for the seating area of the chair. The back of the chair features fluted upholstered wings that encase the shoulders and head of the seated person. One of the most distinct features of the Queen Anne style of wingback chairs is the elegant cabriole legs. 

Classic Wingback with Deep Wings and Cabriole Legs (from Wydeven Designs Archives)

Classic American Style Wingbacks with Straight Legs (from Wydeven Designs Archives)

An American style of wingback chairs emerged at the end of the 18th century. American wingback chairs were inspired by Queen Anne style wingbacks with a few notable distinctions. Rather than the curved cushion, American wingbacks featured a more subdued flat cushion. The decorative cabriole legs were swapped out for simple straight legs. 

Modernized Wingback Chair - Love this Fabric (from Pinterest)

Contemporary wingback chairs draw inspiration from the dramatic wings of the chair but add a modern element through fabric, color or shape. A majority of contemporary designs forgo the elaborate legs and details of the traditional wingback chair; instead newer designs feature simple lines, straight legs and subtle stitching. Some modern designs introduce a dramatically arched back in addition to side wings; other chairs add a pop of color with unexpected prints like orange white damask or black and white toile.

Modernized Wingback Chair - Modified Wing and Painted Queen Anne Legs (source Pinterest)

 

 

 

Before and After - Martha Washingtons (with some History)

I always thought that Martha Washington Chairs were English in origin but didn't know what they were called there - assuming that the Brits were not adopting our egocentric naming convention.  Wikipedia offers the following:

A Gainsborough chair (also known as a Martha Washington chair in the United States) is a type of armchair made in England in the eighteenth century. The chair was wide, with a high back, open sides and short arms, and was normally upholstered in leather.

BEFORE - Hickory Chair Martha

The American furniture-maker, Hickory Chair, describes their  model "A Classic Martha Washington chair features fluted, straight Chippendale legs, hallmark receding arm posts, and characteristic shaped crest rail."  

The model they were talking about is in fact the one I just refurbished - having purchased this pair from a nice couple in Buckhead who were selling their aunt's furniture.  The chairs were in almost perfect condition so the refurbishing process was not as dramatic as others.  For this pair, I chose a fabric I still had from last year's Kay's Kovers Fabric Sale (see previous blog) - a VERY heavy linen with an embroidered velvety cranberry oversized pattern - I think they turned out just beautiful!


In addition to the Hickory Chair transformation, I picked up two Hancock and Moore Chairs as well - one a more traditional Martha Washington while the other a shorter version (with some interesting fretwork on the base).  It's Martha Washington time at Wydeven Designs!!

AFTER - Hancock and Moore - Shorter Version

AFTER - Hancock and Moore

AFTER - Hickory Chair Marthas