Nancy's chair: Decisions to make about the chair innards

When Lizzie and Amanda peeked inside my chair, they found the sturdy original stuffing, coils, horsehair and down, all in great shape.  They told me that the down cushion can be washed at a laundromat and tossed into a dryer with a few tennis balls to fluff it up again.  The coils look great and they give the piece good structure.  But the decision to keep or toss the horsehair was left to me, so I dove into a research project on the pros and cons of horsehair and here are the highlights.

While some people are allergic to horsehair, others say the allergies are either to horse dander on actual horses or contact allergies where skin makes contact with the hair.  Many mattress makers promote horsehair as the finest material anyone can have in a mattress or piece of furniture.  The hairs are stiff and hollow and provide unparalleled firmness while acting as insulators and keep the stuffing dry.  And apparently, Angelina Jolie sleeps on a $65,000 mattress made of horsehair.  Okay, that last bit of info just proves that Google can lead us to too much information on any topic.

So in the name of historical integrity, the awesome weirdness of having furniture containing horsehair, the green bonus of not disposing of the old stuffing, and totally buying into a claim that horsehairs act as "little air conditioners," I'm going to stick with the original innards.  Next, I'll post pics of said innards as we begin to take the chair apart.  Fun!

  

Nancy's chair: I found it!

I found the most amazing chair this weekend: 

After I bought it (at an amazing price of $59 at Corner Collector's Market in Austin) I realized why it seemed so perfect when I saw it: it's almost identical to one of the chairs in our Room Creator.  Weird coincidence?

The shape is great, the details in the wood are similar to some of the scrolling motifs in some of my designs, and it's incredibly comfy.  The fabric is worn but overall, the chair is in good condition.  

It will be perfect in the raspberry colorway of Wee Jubilee, don't you think?

 

Nancy's chair: update!

Just thought I'd post an update on my chair reupholstery project.  

For the past few weeks, I have been to several of my favorite vintage shops in town and found a few possible candidates, including a sleek Danish modern piece and a fussy, tufted Victorian number from the late 1800s.  Both were almost perfect, but I'll take another pass through the same shops this week, knowing that they are constantly restocking with their latest finds, to see if THE chair has arrived yet.

Once I have a chair, I'll be turning it over to the pros at Spruce for the reupholstery job.  I've been in their gorgeous shop and seen their work in person and I'm really impressed.  Lizzie and Amanda have agreed to let me document the process for the blog and I can't wait to begin working with them.  Together, we hope to demystify the process of working with an upholsterer. 

In recent years, I've had a few other things reupholstered by Under Cover Upholstery (phone: 512.371.7815) in Austin and am SUPER impressed by their work and can definitely recommend them, as well.  Co-owner Sabrina Stewart did a fantastic job on this chair using Mod Green Pod's Atticus print:

This actually brings up an interesting question that we occasionally hear from our customers:  How do I find an upholsterer?  Mod Green Pod plans to add a listing of upholsterers, by region, on our website at some point, but until then, my best advice is to ask around for suggestions in your area.  Start with friends who have reupholstered pieces that you admire, or inquire on a neighborhood listserve.  Call a local home textile shop and ask if they have any recommendations.  If you have some names and are not quite sure about that shop's reputation, see if you can drop by and have a look at the upholsterer's work.  

If you have any questions about how to work with an upholsterer or you are an upholsterer who is interested in working with Mod Green Pod, please email me at info@modgreenpod.com.

TO-THE-TRADE: direct ordering now available on our website.

Cherished trade customers, you may now order direct through the Mod Green Pod website!  After filling out the easy sign-up form here and faxing (610.602.2765) or emailing (info@modgreenpod.com) your resale certificate to us, you will be able to purchase direct from our secure trade site, where we offer a trade discount on all fabrics and wallpaper.  

Of course, if you'd rather, you may still place your order by phone, by calling us at 512.524.5196 (9-5 CST, M-F).  We're always very happy to talk to any of our customers, so give us a holler with any questions or concerns!  

More etsy goodness from Spruce!

Acorn Chair Set using Mod Green Pod's Bloom fabric.  Stunning!  

On etsy: Mod Green Pod upholstered chairs by Spruce

Our Austin neighbors, fab upholsterers Amanda and Lizzie of Spruce, have been burning the midnight oil covering vintage chairs using Mod Green Pod organic cotton.  They lovingly paired two of our patterns with vintage chairs, transforming them into one-of-a-kind works of art.  The chairs are absolutely gorgeous and are a real steal on on Spruce's etsy store:

Spruce's Monarch Silhouette Chairs using Mod Green Pod's Butterfly Jubilee in Licorice and Earl Grey:

Spruce's Vintage Martian Chair using Mod Green Pod's Atticus in Basil:

Please browse Spruce's beautiful site and if you are in Austin and have "learning to upholster" on your list of new year's resolutions, check out their class schedule!

spruceaustin.com

spruceaustin.etsy.com

Treat from TreeHugger.com!

One of the best holiday treats Mod Green Pod received at the end of December was Collin Dunn's fantastic post about Mod Green Pod on TreeHugger.com:   

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/green-home-mod-green-pod.php

TreeHugger is an amazing source for a wide range of green news, so if you aren't familiar with it, I highly recommend joining their mailing list. 

Re-imagine 2009

I can’t believe that we are already one week into the new year. What are those resolutions again? This year, to give my resolutions a theme (and to help remember them) I added new “re” words to the old green mantra, “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

reinvent
rejuvenate
re-imagine
revive
reinvigorate
reorganize
REDECORATE
REFURBISH
REUPHOLSTER

Each new year, after I pack away the holiday decorations, my house always feels awkward and lacking, so I enthusiastically throw myself into a redecoration project. Sometimes it’s just a matter of reorganizing furniture or artwork, finding a prominent spot and therefore reviving an old knick knack, or refurbishing my ever-changing assortment of brightly colored throw pillows.

This year, after accomplishing all of the above, something still seemed missing. Looking around at our furniture, my husband pointed out that we lack a great reading chair. That’s it!

Reinvigorated, my 2009 redecoration project will become a quest for the prefect vintage chair (back to the mantra: reuse and recycle) then I will reupholster it in my favorite Mod Green Pod fabric. I will be posting before and after photos as soon as I chose my chair. Join me by sending us photos of your Mod Green Pod projects, too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Nancy