Ugly Furniture Series: Blue Chair

Take a look at this blue, floral monster I picked up on Craigslist a few months ago for $50:

Ugly little beast, isn't it?

But I have to admit, I liked it's bones, and those extra wide arms are swoon-worthy. It's not a designer name, but for a moment I thought it was an Edward Wormley piece. It does kinda look like it would be one of his, doesn't it?

Anyway, besides desperately needing new reupholstery and cushions, it was very short...I mean get-low-and-squat short! The top of the arms are maybe 22"- 24" off the floor. Not to mention the old legs had seen better days:

The front legs do look like they have brass ferrules (that's what those caps are called), but I wasn't sure of the back legs. And surprisingly, it is hard to find replacement ferrules, plus there's the whole height thing, so I ordered brand new, custom made, black walnut legs from ThirteenColonies on Etsy. 

The old legs were only 5 1/2" long, so I ordered new legs at 7" and they are the perfect height. The new ones are solid genuine black walnut that were finished with a clear coat for natural color, then waxed and buffed to a beautiful finish. I mean, take a look at these sexy legs, will ya'?:

ThirteenColonies is an American-owned company in Vermont that makes custom-turned wood furniture legs and feet. From what I've seen so far, they do EXCEPTIONAL work. All I had to do was contact them and tell them what I wanted for my chair and they pulled through like true professionals. I wouldn't hesitate to do business with them in a heartbeat. 

Now, what to do with this little beast? I'm thinking of staying in the blue color scheme, but definitely a warm blue like one of the three examples below. Which one would you choose?

Ugly Furniture Series: Sexy New Chair

After I had my ugly Duncan Phyfe couch reupholstered last year, I was hooked. Since then, I'm managed to snag a few other ugly, sad pieces of furniture that were in desparate need of some magic. For example, I grabbed this sad, faded, brown mid-century chair a few months ago for $89 at an antique mall.

Yes, he's ugly, but MAN look at those lines! Very masculine, no?

So, I took him down to my favorite reupholsterer and NOW look at him.

RAWR!

Yes, that's an animal print fabric you are seeing. Snake-skin to be exact. Could this previously ugly, sad chair be any more sexier?

The fabric itself has a khaki-colored background, so I had a khaki contrast welting/cording sewn into the sides and cushion. In fashion, animal prints are used as a neutral, so this was my line of thinking. I think the pattern gives the chair interest, definitely plays into the masculine lines of the chair, and it's neutral enough to be used with other furnishings. The teak legs got a polish with some English Leather, and now they glow.

Even my husband, who normally doesn't give a rat's behind about my interior design adventures, liked it! I had a lot of fun doing this and when I saw it for the first time, it was like the feeling you got as a kid when you opened a present on Christmas for something you really, really wanted, but didn't expect to get. To say I was thrilled is an understatement. It made me think that maybe I should be doing more things in my life that bring me as much joy as redesigning this chair did.

It cost a couple of hundred to have done, but definitely cheaper than a very high-end designer chair you would buy from a designer. I spent less than $700 total.

Ugly Couch: Before and After

I have a confession to make, I love ugly furniture. Not just ANY kind of ugly furniture...it has to be furniture with potential to be beautiful. Lately, I've been following Emliy Henderson A LOT and she has inspired me to buy this ugly, neglected, chintz Duncan Phyfe nightmare:

I found it on Craigslist for $150. It weighed a ton (mahogany), it smelled, it was torn up in the back corners from someone's cat using it as a scratching post, and the frame was wobbly. I had a vision. I knew it had the potential to be something exceedingly wonderful.

After 5 weeks and $2K, we picked it up from the upholsterers last Friday. It is now drop-dead GORGEOUS! The material I selected is a light camel colored linen that really shows off all of her sexy curves. I know $2K is a lot of money, but it was worth every red cent. They basically had to redesign the sofa into a new style, and I dropped off little more than a pile of wood for them to work with.

I probably would have spent $2K for a nice, brand new sofa from a furniture store, but instead, I spent $2K on a sofa that would now sell for twice as much as that in an antique store and will outlast ANY brand new sofa that I could buy. Not to mention, I have something that is totally original from anything else I would have ever found in a store. Go me!