French Chair Makeover With Down Cushions

I just finished up a pair of these French chairs and wanted to share.  My client, Karen, is a talented Interior Designer and had some fun ideas for her old chairs.

 

Here's the before.  The chair had some cute details like the coordinating fabric used for piping, on the back of the chair and arms.   She was over this look though and they had been in storage for awhile.

 

 

The fabric is natural linen with beige gimp trim.  I like that the trim is just slightly darker than the fabric.  The burlap grain sacks used on the back can be found here.

 

 

The chairs did not previously have cushions.  My client asked if I could add some.   They were a good size for it and I think it really adds to the French vibe.  Underneath the cushion is finished in the linen so they can be used either way.  If you are thinking they look a little squishy it's because they are filled with down.  Nothing says French like a fluffy down cushion.  They are a bit fussy though so you just need to be aware of that.  They will need to be re-fluffed after someone sits on them.  It's perfect for occasional chairs that don't get much use. 

 

 

I painted them with a medium gray, Greystone by Benjamin Moore.  It is a warm gray without any blue in it, although it looks blueish in some of my photos.  I distressed to reveal some of the original black paint and wood underneath.  Then sealed it with clear and dark wax.

 

 

The back detail turned out really cute.  She asked if I could add some sort of button and left it up to me to decide how I wanted to do it.     

  

 

Since I didn't have a pattern to make the cushion it took a little trial and error to get them just right.  I started out with a 4" boxing (thickness) but since down puffs up, it just overwhelmed the chairs.  Then I pinned it at 2.5" but that looked to puny.  Three inches turned out to be the ticket.  

 

Here they are in their new home.   Her home is gorgeous and they fit right in with her decor.  It's always fun for me to see things in their new homes.