One of the three big initiatives for our dining room refresh with Calico {which is done by the way!} was refurbishing two host chairs.
The transformation ended up so remarkable, I felt they deserved an entire post to themselves.
GET 25% OFF AT CALICO’S SEMI-ANNUAL SALE
Before I jump in, you must know Calico’s Semi-Annual Sale is in full swing right now. BUT HURRY! Only a few days left to take advantage of this rare savings (up to 25% off) through March 27th. {Note some exclusions apply}.
Calico can do just about anything – sofas, cushions, pillows, drapes and MORE. See how they transformed our family chair and how these cushions and shades gave life to our breakfast nook.
But back to our chairs…
WHY HOST CHAIRS
When Melissa {our interior designer} and I initially talked about updating our dining room, my mind thought along the lines of the typical…wallpapering, new drapes or a table. But I never considered refurbishing chairs.
By the way if you are unfamiliar with the term “host chairs” {like I was} let me enlighten you. These are the two “end” chairs on either side of your dining table. They can look different from the others and traditionally a bit more grand, if you will.
I actually didn’t take Melissa’s initial suggestion of refurbishing seriously. But after she showed me some images and explained how chairs alone can give your room an instant refresh – I was sold.
Now that they’re complete, the room just SHOUTS custom.
Let me show you!
BEFORE
We already had four matching dining chairs, so Melissa said to go with something unique and fun – like a Louis style. Believe it or not I found these beauties on Facebook Market Place!
You can see there’s a lot of fabric happening. So that gave Melissa plenty of opportunity to work her magic of mixing prints and playing with scale.
Like how can you not love that bow and arm pads?!
Calico carries such a wonderful selection of brands and options – it was a match made in heaven.
So much thought and time went into every detail.
The great thing about working with Melissa is she’s meticulous in making sure your project look good BUT also your entire house flows from room to room. Calico enhanced this experience even further by acting as a personal assistant to Melissa.
Here were just a few expert tips I picked up by watching them both during the selection process.
- Paint can do WONDERS. So think beyond just fabric. Changing the frame color from brown to white made the wood work just POP! PRO TIP: For a cohesive feel, Melissa suggested using the the same white paint as the trim in our dining room. I literally brought our exact can of Benjamin Moore so Calico could match it.
- Function Matters. Remember the durability of certain fabrics should dictate where they go. For the seats, we knew a performance fabric was the only way to hold up sticky hands and spills. The arm pads should be durable enough to stand resting and rubbing elbows over time. As for the back of the chair? Go WILD. A more delicate option is completely fine in this location.
- Pattern Play. Mixing pattern and playing with scale are important in the over all look of your chairs. So take advantage of your interior designer or Calico’s in house designers.
AFTER
We are just over the moon how it all came together so beautifully.
The white paint makes all the intricate details of the wood stand out. And I just LIVE for the double piping {the orange ties in with the drapes!}.
Pretty remarkable huh? They don’t even look like the same chairs.
SO…HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
I got asked this question A LOT after sharing a sneak peek on Instagram Stories. So I wanted to address it here.
Since reupholstering is custom, there is no “general ball park figure”. Pricing falls on a very large spectrum due to so many factors. For example {prepare to be amazed}…
Things like mixing textiles {the more you mix, the more yardage is needed}, piping, painting, repairs, the type of fabric, the brand and how much fabric your chair needs in general – allllllll play a part.
If you are looking to get a quote on anything, START HERE. Calico’s quoting option (you just send in photos) is truly the best way and no strings attached.
Now stay tuned for the full dining room reveal with Calico next week! I can’t WAIT to show you.
Photos by Chicago Andrea Creative
A huge thank you to Calico for sponsoring this post. And Melissa for her diligent eye for detail.
