Sitting Pretty............

Some time ago I moved my laptop to the dining room table. After the redecorating project early this year, I decided it was the room I most enjoyed sitting in to write my blog, send my e-mails etc. The window is large and looks out onto the front porch and garden where the birds and squirrels come to the feeders. It's a bright room and the French blue grays make it peaceful and conducive to thinking and writing.

I didn't get far with the Christmas decorating last night. The rain came down in buckets, tree branches were snapping and power outages occurred in the area. It was scary, I was here alone as DH is on a business trip.

But, I did have a pretty chair to sit in! I'm thrilled with the way the French linen hemp grain sack used as upholstery fabric has changed the appearance of this aging chair.

We used the dark blue striped sack for the box seat, front panel and cording.....................the section with the monogram MT has been saved and I will make a pillow cover with it.

The textured dark blue-gray velvet was used for the back. This same velvet will be used to re-cover the seats of the regular dining room chairs.

What do you think of this little makeover? I think it looks great and it's very comfy, especially the padded back which the dining chairs don't have.

Sitting comfortably........soon

Remember the odd dining chair (that's 'odd' like in there's only one, bought as an orphan years ago) that sat in a corner awaiting a visitor or an extra dinner guest now and then?

Even Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt, kept looking askew at it stuck in the corner of the upstairs landing.

By the way, this Artemis was another recent great find at the Sleepy Poet in Charlotte, NC. You may remember the miniature bust just like this from ScreenDoor in Asheville, the one that found a home on my mantel. This new beauty is large and was waiting to come home with me...............and at 50% off how could I pass her by and leave her in that booth which was probably going out of business. She may have been tossed aside, chipped and cracked, unloved, with no chance of being admired in a special place. DH sighed, gave me that look, you know........good grief not another Greek moving into the cottage..........then gently wrapped her in a blanket and tucked her safely between our suitcases in the trunk for the ride home.

Anyway I digress, this post was to be about this odd chair. You may remember I painted it and sent it to the upholsterer with French hemp grain sacks and smokey blue-gray velvet. This chair, with fresh paint and a new dress, is now ready for a permanent spot in the dining room.

Tomorrow I'll let you peek.....................tonight I'm sloshing about in tissue paper and covered in glitter as I unpack, unwrap the Christmas baubles, so must away and get going on the decorating.

Ready for another chair makeover?

As promised, I'm back to show more finds at the Sleepy Poet Antiques Mall (from now on known as the Poet, as the locals/dealers call this emporium of antiques and vintage). A thrill ran through me when I laid eyes on this pile of vintage French linen/hemp grain sacks....................so I was already in heaven at one of the very first booths just inside the entrance. I knew there were going to be treasures with my name written on them.

Hemp and linen sacks awaiting a new life at the Poet.

Some came home with me to give this old chair a new look.

This was an odd Thomasville dining chair bought in the clearance room of a furniture store for a few bucks......over 30 years ago! Nice bones and pretty carved details, almost country French! It's moved around with us, always ending up in a corner as an extra chair to pull out when needed. I had it recovered in this rich terracotta damask about 6 years ago during my "Tuscany" decorating phase after a trip to that stunningly beautiful area of Italy.

I'm painting/distressing the chair frame, same color/finish as the bergere chair. The seat and back sections are at the upholsterer, along with my precious grain sacks, and hopefully my chair will soon have a new look......................show you later.