On Friday, I mentioned that I took a road trip with my three kids to visit my parents at their new house north of Toronto in Blue Mountains on the Georgian Bay (yup, my husband couldn’t come because he had two in-person fantasy football drafts so I drove 9 hours by myself with three little kids!!) So pretty up here–the (now empty save a few brave mountain bikers) ski hills roll down to the beaches along the bay. The same people who planned Whistler and Mont Tremblant poured a tone of money into the village here so it’s a great tourist destination. Looking forward to the kids coming up here during the winter to ski…and for me to enjoy apres-ski which is my favorite part! It’s fun to introduce them to things that I remember as a child in Ontario–like Beavertails!
So, one of the reasons that I came up was to help my mum work on the redesign on her new house. It’s a great place in a beautiful neighborhood with a perfect layout for them, but it needs a LOT of updating. So, we’ve been spending hours every day talking paint, countertops, tile, appliances…. and the list goes on… so many decisions to make. It’s been relaxing. 🙂
One of the things we’ve been looking at is how we can repurpose their existing furniture–injecting it with a more contemporary feel. One thing i really want to do is reupholster two wingback chairs. I love the look of traditional wingbacks and love seeing them reupholstered in unexpected fabrics. It’s such an easy find at a flea market or second hand store and can look so good after a little TLC.
How fab are these chairs in (Canadian!) designer Tommy Smyth’s home done in black Les Touches fabric–I’m actually considering this fabric for a chaise I have in my family room that is in dire need of a little update. (And adore that coffee table!)
A graphic fabric choice is always an easy way to provide contrast to the traditional shape of a wingback
The fabric on these head chairs is so pretty–the watery color.
The ikat fabric mixed with the graphic David Hicks pillow has a perfect boho flair.
The orange painted legs on this chair are so fun with the teal fabric.
There are lots of tutorials online if you’re feeling brave and want to take on the project yourself. I got one recovered a few years ago and labor was around $300.
Check out this tutorial by blogger Modest Maven who used a Dwell Studio fabric on the reupholstery of her rescued wingback…
So, head out to your local resale shop and pick up one of these classics!
