The red apple of my eye
I am often full of design self doubt, but I try to stay true to my first instinct and hope it all ends up looking as good as it does in my head. In this case, all the pieces came together and I am super happy with the end result, a cool red apple chair.
When it comes to furniture shopping for my own home, I can sometimes be a bit impulsive. But then, as my taste fluctuates and evolves on a regular basis, I am also known for changing my mind - be warned, I really hate the term fickle, I am not fickle! I just like to give everything a chance.
When I first saw this apple green chair, I fell in love with the bright color and retro pattern immediately. But this was before I knew the fine art of good upholstery work.
The saggy seat cushion and weirdly shaped lumbar pillow were just the first signs of disappointment creeping in, then came the flaky paint, which just like dry skin became a source of constant irritation. Finally I knew it was time for a chair flip in my very own home, and my taste for sour green apple turned into a preference for the sweet red variety!
First I found this beautiful, bold flower pattern while exploring the Marche Saint-Pierre Dreyfus in Paris last year - my first shopping expedition specifically for "Ma Chaise Design". I love how it starts as a classic flower print, but then feels a little exotic... even like foliage on an alien planet.
Matching fabric to chair is always such a thrill, but it's even more fun when you find a contrasting fabric to add to the mix. This funky zigzag was hiding in a corner of my favorite haunt - Michael Levine in downtown LA's fashion district.
And there you have another prime example of my French and American sides coming together!
The green trimming is obviously an homage to the chairs original design (original to when I purchased it, though I'm sure it already had many lives even before that), but the red glossy paint was a clean contrast, and actually now my favorite part of the design... who knew red could feel so fresh. This just proves the theory that sometimes all you need is a fresh coat of paint!
Now that it's perfectly ripe, this chair is ready to be adopted and loved, and just in time for lazy summer Sundays reading a book by the air conditioning. And I promise the seat is no longer saggy!