Looking For The Perfect Chair? Upcycle A Dupe.

The family room was almost complete – we had a new sofa and side chair from Kravet, both in rather traditional styles. The sofa was a French roll-arm in a navy blue and the side chair was more of a “club chair”. In the back of the room was the newly reupholstered chair that my grandmother sat in every single day (I feel so fortunate to have it, and every time I sit in it it’s like getting a hug from her.)

We had most of the furniture in place, but I was looking for something with different “bones” for the corner by the bookshelves. It still had to be comfortable, but I wanted a different, but complementary style – and I’d know it when I saw it.

One thing you need to know about me is that while I do have an “eye” and a vision, I am NOT handy in any way. I am not the DIY-type. I follow multiple DIY accounts on Instagram and will watch all their posts in amazement. But I can’t do it. I will be taking whatever I find to my upholsterer, who can work miracles, but it’s not cheap. So, whatever I find is going to end up being less than retail or designer custom, but not a true bargain.

I was keeping my eye open on my travels and first saw this ugly number at a Goodwill store. It had interesting lines, but when I sat down the seat width was too narrow. Plus, it wasn’t as different as I was looking for.

Photo of an ugly yellow chair found at a resale shop

Next, I found this tufted, Edwardian-style library chair at another resale shop. The lines are perfect, and it resembled a designer chair I’ve seen in magazines. I didn’t love the brown of the legs but could live with it or eventually re-do them. After checking it over thoroughly, I purchased it for $75.00.

Photo of a chair with great style found at a resale shop — **The resale find — an Edwardian-style library chair**

Photo of a designer chair from a magazine that provided the inspiration. — **The resale find — an Edwardian-style library chair**

I brought it home and put it in the space–Perfect! This was exactly what I was looking for and it was comfortable.

Search for the Perfect Fabric

The theme of the family room is Blue. And I have different, but complementary fabric on the sofa, chair and pillows. The ultimate fabric that I pick had to be complementary and not compete with the others. Like the bones of the chair, I wanted it to be a little more bold than the others. I was able to take a large sample of my favorite home overnight to really get a sense for it in the space. And, I have to say, it turned out pretty well.