Those metal folding chairs you refuse to throw out? Not sexy. That classic Eames plywood chair you bought from DWR? Okay, that one's got some swagger, but really, how long is it before your rump shaker (yes, I'm resurrecting the term made famous by Wreckx-N-Effect) starts hurting from the lack of cushioning on that bad boy? Exactly! Any chair that makes its way into your living room has to look good and treat you right.
Where can you find such an exquisite chair? Well, I'd suggest you familiarize yourself with Blu Girl Art, a Boston, Massachusetts-based company that specializes in customizing vintage fabrics and materials to create new, artful chairs. Blu Girl Art was just added to the Vintage & Modern Inc. listing of forward-thinking design companies (an honor in and of itself). They lovingly reconstruct old chairs, painting them in bold colors, re-upholstering them using eco-friendly fabrics, and adding hand-painted designs by Max Rudolph to create repurposed, reinvented and yes, reincarnated pieces of furniture. Each chair is one-of-a-kind (just like you).
Here are three of their latest pieces. First, there's the Mod Mischief, a slick, wicker-back chair measuring 29" in height, 23" in depth and 20.5" in width, which is made contemporary through the usage of semi-gloss lacquer paint and the addition of a 1960s-inspired, hand-painted cushion featuring geometric shapes in vibrant yellow, magenta, turquoise and dark blue. Second, we have the African Inspiration armchair, which stands 40" tall, 23" deep and 21.5" wide and features a hand-painted hemp upholstery covered with tribal designs in bronze, black and terracotta hues. And lastly, we have the Rock on Rocker, a red rocking chair measuring 35" in height, 35" in depth and 24" in width and boasting a whimsical hand-painted cotton seat with a '70s-style floral pattern.
These chairs have a bit of history already, which only makes them more precious in my eyes. After all, don't we all deserve a chance to start brand afresh? Well, here's your chance to give your home a whole new look.
Mod Mischief chair, $1200 per pair; African Influence Armchair, $1800; Rock On Rocker chair, $950. Visit VintageAndModernInc.com or BluGirlArt.com
