Thursday, October 22, 2009

How to grow a stunning hero piece

First, find one fantastically retro 50's chair abandoned on the side of the road, quite randomly one day when walking home from the train station.


Look around covertly to see if there is anybody nearby who might reasonably claim to own the chair. Act casual. Make sure you don't see anyone.

Go over and inspect the item. Note its sturdy construction, its cute tapered 50s legs. Marvel at its gorgeously tiny height (it will come up to your knees). Observe that whatever fabric was originally used to upholster it, has been thoughtfully ripped off, leaving only the foam padding. How perfect!

Take the chair home. Leave it in your spare room for a few weeks while you think about random fabric combinations in your head.

After many false starts and changes of mind, finally decide on Pressed Flowers in Rose, from Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room collection. Purchase loads of it on sale on Etsy (and maybe put some of it aside for a skirt while you're at it, aren't those colours amazing?).



Take it to your friendly upholsterer, along with the cute chair.

Explain that you need this made up - not for yourself, nor for your children (of which you have none) - but for the pussins, who have decided the tiny chair is the perfect throne for them. Ideally sized. Beautifully rounded. Like it was made for them. Withstand the disbelieving gaze of the upholsterer. Request some piping around the edges.

Return a week later. Hey presto! You've grown a stunning hero piece.


And the pussins love it. That's the main thing.


6 comments:

CurlyPops said...

Its amazing what you can find lying around in suburbia!
I would have picked it up and taken it home too.

Liesl said...

Lucky kitties! It looks beautiful.

Megan said...

your super lucky and spoilt pussins having such a fabulous mama! blackpussins (i can't bring myself to call him fatpuss, so he is blackpuss in my head) looks like he is firmly declaring his ownership of the chair while grimth appears to be woefully telling his mama that blackpuss won't share

Ange Moore said...

What an amazing chair - looks beautiful with the Anna Maria Horner make-over!

Nikki said...

Fantastique! I'm a bit partial to a bit of furniture re-covery....

Amy said...

WHAT A FIND! Well done. There is nothing more satisfying than making something you love from a TOTAl bargain!