FRENCH CHAIRS » Louis XVI

Colorful Upholstered French Chairs

Admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:35:18 +0000

White Upholstered French Chairs Featured In Lonny Magazine

Blair and Alistair Clarke's good taste and outstanding art landed their Park Ave home in the pages of Lonny's September 2011's issue. Though this wasn't the first time their home has been photographed. Habitually Chic posted pictures of their extravagant residence which was featured in the May 2008 issue of Town & Country magazine. Alistair is the worldwide head of English and European furniture for Sotheby's, while Blair, is a dealer of contemporary art. The two tastes combine rare valuable antiques and extraordinary splashy art.

Blair's includes her tips in Lonny for decorating- She tells us to mix periods and cultures. Always have a sense of humor when decorating, and avoid too much clutter.

You can see how sensational their home looks with pops of color. From the color in the paintings to the coordinating colors seen in the upholstery on the french chairs, it all works together beautifully.

You can see how much more valuable their homes looks with antique french furniture. Investing in French furnishings can make your home appear more valuable, and high-caliber, because French furniture is superior in all regards.

In fact, French chairs can be customized. Ralph Lauren has been known to feature French chairs in rustic settings with plaid and leather combinations and other times with floral chintz. French chairs can also be upholstered in bright white with splashes of color. Almost any combination looks terrific on french chairs.

Here you can see how the Clarke's home is centered around pops of color from the art work on the wall to the countless colors of the books on their wall. The chairs, are customized to work with the rest of their home. I think this can be seen from the dark stained wood floors and the black upholstered seats on the french chairs. It is a seamless transition, from the floors to the seats of the chairs. The back of the chairs are upholstered with the splash of color much like the paintings on the wall. It reminds me of a flashy brightly colored cocktail ring. The end result is vibrant and luxurious!

Blair and Alistair Clarke's Park Ave Home Featured in May 2008 issue of Town & Country Magazine

French Chairs Featured in May 2008 issue of Town & Country Magazine

A Close-up View Of These Spectacular French Chairs

Forgive me for the close-up. You can see that many of the chairs are antiques, such as the one off in the corner of the room. The combination of leather and bright fabric on the back of the chair work well in their home, amongst the colorful artwork. As you can see the dark floors really play off of the black leather seats. What a terrific combination. Looking closely at the picture, it appears as though the frame of the french chairs is painted in an off white, and distressed.

A Pair of Stunning Leather French Chairs, and Regence Kingwood Commode, circa 1730 Featured in The May 2008 issue of Town & Country Magazine

A Close Up View of the Spectacular Regence Kingwood Commode, circa 1730

Blair and Alister Clarke Home Lonny's September 2011's issue

As you can see in this picture, they have exchanged the black leather french chairs for this pair upholstered in white.

Blair and Alister Clarke Home Lonny's September 2011's issue.

French Chairs: Striped Upholstery

Admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:35:12 +0000

French chairs can be art pieces all on their own. While many people feel red is a little bold to put on their walls, they might think red would look fabulous on an accent chair. Furniture is one way many people are able to try bright colors without feeling overwhelmed. Designer Brian McCarthy featured a very bold french chair with red and white upholstery on a gold frame that was shown in the Elle Decor 2007 issue. Kate Spade and husband Andy Spade use French chairs through out their New York Apartment adding bright colors to their home with their furniture. In their living room you see a lovely pair of striped chairs in cream and white, while in front of their bathroom, you see a brightly striped red chair with a natural wood french frame. If you are looking for a lovely classic print, striped upholstery fabric in subtle colors can be a very soft look. A striped fabric with cream and beige featured on painted french frame can be a classic choice that will not date over the years. On the other hand if you are looking for a statement piece, consider a stripe in a bold print. Consider using the color wheel with your interior home colors and choosing a upholstery color opposite from your homes interior to make your statement chair pop.

Striped French Chairs Brian McCarthy Featured in Elle Decor

French Chair: Brian McCarthy Elle Decor

Ticking Stripe Periwinkle/Ivory Fabric By The Yard
Ticking Stripe Pink/White Fabric By The Yard
Vertical Stripe American Red Fabric By The Yard

Kate and Andy Spade's Apartment

This photo was originally seen on Habitually Chic Blog

Kate and Andy Spade's Apartment

Faux Fur

Admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:09:57 +0000

Some people are sensitive to using fur to upholster with, and rightfully so. I know for myself, I cannot think about anything else for days if I have seen a video on animal torture. Just to say, I tread on this topic cautiously, because I don't want to ever see any animal abused for the senseless greed of nice things. During the decadent 1850's, womens fashions styles were often very heavy featuring ornate designs which were often made tortoiseshell. The intricate natural designs of these turtles made them the choice material for ladies hair combs. During that time, these turtles almost went extinct just because the natural pattern of these creatures looked nice in the hair and as accessories. You can see the beauty of God's genius hand in almost every creature, from delicate bright colors found in fish, to the zebra, tiger and leopard. So, it doesn't come at a surprise that many people like to upholster with faux fur materials because the patterns are so nice. Keeping that very thing in mind,.......Is it ok to then buy a used fur coat at a thrift store or ebay and use it for upholstery? That is something that you must think about for yourself. Fur can be very luxurious. Animal prints are often seen in classical high end interior design and are used as neutrals. Animal prints are much like striped fabric, they act as a filler in most rooms, either to balance out patterns, or add some interest.

(Picture- Lovely French Louis XVI Fauteuil Chair From Stylized Design Blog)

Tip 1- Stay Away From The Typical Cheap Furs at Your Local Fabric Store Unless it is Real.

I have upholstered my own french chairs in faux fur, and to be honest, finding the right fur that looks realistic is the main challenge of this project.

There are a lot of cheap looking furs out there which could diminish the worth of a nice looking french chair. Even in the biggest cities have a lack of quality fur fabric, which cause most people to look on ebay. Even then, I would suggest ordering a small swatch of the fabric before proceeding to purchasing several yards.

Longer fur isn't the best for upholstering. In fact, rarely does long fur look nice upholstered. Longer fur works best as rugs in baby rooms, or Hollywood Regency styled homes, but not for upholstery.

Fur should always kept short on furniture giving the opportunity for a person to see the lovely frame. Fur also shouldn't be plush as if it was cotton based. (I am trying to discribe the cheaper fur fabrics that are sold everywhere.) Fur should flow in one direction such as what you would find on an animal.

Finding a fur that replicates the real thing with hair that is trimmed and short is ideal because it looks realistic. Try to find something as close to the real thing as possible.

Tip 2. Conisder Only Using Fur on Choice Decorative Accent French Chairs

Real Fur upholstery isn't the greatest material touse on a daily basis. If you think of children crawing on and off furniture, the fur can be pulled in the wrong direction over time, causing breakage.

When considering upholstering with fur, think of only using fur with a pair of accent chairs that wouldn't normally get used, but are there for display only.

I have picked up several real fur items in the past through thrift stores, and I have noticed that over time, the leather does deteriorate with a lack of moisture. What happens is the leather becomes quite brittle, and the fur susceptible to breakage. Over time the use of a real fur chair will cause damage to the hair, causing bald spots in the most used areas such as the seat. So if you are going to use real fur, consider the chair that you upholster to be a special chair for display or minimal use only.

Using fake fur, works much the same way. We have a faux fur Regency chair. The fur was quite short, and for decorative purposes, I sprayed down the chair with hair spray to get the grain of the hair to stay put in one direction. The hairspray gives it that real fur effect, and since I never sit in them, they hold up really well.

Tip 3: Use Bigger Fur Patterns

After looking around you will notice like I did, that most faux fur are sold in small patterns. The problem with this is the overall look can be imposing and look fake. The last thing you want is your french chair to look as if it has faux fur. You do want to buy something close to the real thing. The best fur, would be fur that features a large pattern, because this is more realistic. The cheaper looks often have small scale patterns which tend to look very fake. Consider bigger patterns for a subtitle luxurious look.

In addition, there are many upholstery fabrics with an animal print pattern which look just as nice.

Look at the two outside chairs in the picture below to view a nice looking upholstery pattern. The middle chair is fur, and the subtle pattern gives a hint of luxury.

French Chairs Upholstered with Fur

Some additional Maintence Tips:

Having fur in ones home can attract a lot of dirt over time, so do keep this in mind when selecting a fur. It is a necessity to vacuum the fabric regularly to keep dirt, dust and soil from accumulating. If you have a sofa with faux fur, be sure to remember to rotate and turn the cushions to prevent uneven wear.

Fur should also be kept out of the exposure to sunlight. Keeping fur out of the sunlight will allow its colors to remain vibrant for longer. Do not place any furniture in direct sunlight, as the sun acts like bleach over time.

I have a lovely leather circular tapestry that I found at a thrift store, and it was already folded when I bought it. I have found over time that the folds have further deteriorated because the natural leather is not soft anymore, from a lack of moisture. When storing real fur, it is best to store any fabrics on rolls rather than folding them to prevent difficult creases from forming.

If you find a fur that you love, don't be afraid of asking for a sample! Many ebay sellers would love to send out a sample for the possibility of selling a few yards of fabric. Once you get an idea of what you like, chances are, you will have a keen eye to figure out what you like and what you dis-like.

Decorating With Fur- Ancient Modern

French Chairs and Footstools- Decorating With Fur From Wild Chairy on ebay

Neiman Marcus's French Chair Upholstered in Fur

French Styles Decorating With Fur From Designer Suzanne Rheinstein Originally Featured on Cote De Texas

Louis XVI Rounded Back

Admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:01:53 +0000

Louis XVI chairs are often oval, rectangular or shield form. The cabriole legs of the Louis XV had been replaced with straight legs and are fluted legs imitating the columns of ancient Rome. Most of the furniture and chests were retangular, or square than the obvious curves such as the Bombe chests of Louis XV. (Picture to the left- House Beautiful, Style Court Blog)

Louis XVI style fell between 1774–1793, which was at the time the tale end of Rococo and the beginning of Neoclassicism. Neoclassicaism was reflected in the architecture, painting, and sculptures, so the styles gravitated towards something opposite than the ornate rococo. Styles took a dramtic turn when the excavation of Pompeii, which was a roman resort distroyed by a volcano. Through uncovering roman artifacts, people drew a new light on the ancient style incorporating the roman elements such as urns, columns and classical motifs.

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