Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A Re-Upholstering Adventure in Several Acts: One

New Craigslist find: this beautiful telephone table for $30 (flowers courtesy of my guy, TS). It may be a little rough around the edges, but it's gorgeous... except for the fabric covering the seat. That's a cheap-looking faded red, tattered at the edges. TS pulled the wonky orange cat off it yesterday citing unauthorized chewing. Eww.



Detail of the rosette carved into the back of the chair:

 The seat is removable with four screws (three, in reality) and I assumed that re-upholstery would be a breeze, because I fancy myself crafty: cotton batting, staple gun, beautiful fabric. Well, I wandered around G Street Fabrics for over an hour, looking for a fabric to speak my name. I originally planned on a blue or green velvet, but all the velvets were either boring or gaudy. The brocade I liked was $60/yd, which is absolutely out of the question, even if I only need one yard. Finally I found a green silk dupioni for $30/yd. I demured, because an hour of fruitless searching can weaken one's resolve (that, and the look from the salesperson after confessing that you want something that seems luxe, and yet relatively cat-proof), and took home a swatch to hold up against my chair and consider:


Gorgeous, right? That's exactly what I think. It's stunning, and it matches the green wing chairs in the living room. It's looks amazing against the wood. I'm going back tomorrow, and also buying a staple gun. And stapling any cat that so much as looks at my green silk dupioni.

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