I’ve been noodling around with the idea of what to do with my dining room chairs. Courtney Barnes, at Style Court, is always a good sounding board and patient with my paragraph upon paragraph of indecision. The thought of painting eight chairs is daunting as I don’t even like them. Then another friend presented the idea of slip covers.
I hemmed and hawed with Courtney. Would they be too kitchy? Too 80’s? And she emailed back, “Well, the dining room chairs in Will’s apartment on Will & Grace were not country. They were tailored and chic.” Or something like that. Then she did that great slip cover on her own chair.
Which is why I like Courtney. Because she has a great eye and she remembers the slip covers on dining room chairs in a sit com that hasn’t been on the air for four years. So I’m reconsidering slip covers. But not really doing anything. For the record.
In other Dream House decorating news, a friend recently asked how much input the eldest Blandings boy is getting on his new room. You tell me. And, no, I didn’t paint it. It’s a Fathead; based on my ability to bring my dining room to closure, some would say we both are.
Image from Will & Grace from here. Slip cover images from New Farmhouse Style; photography by Kindra Clineff. Drawer-painting is on the list this weekend.
I've not seen your dining room chairs so I have nothing to add there, but I do love young Master Blandings' choice in college mascots. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Big Fat yes to paint and to slip-cover.
Yes to wash and wipe….seasonal slipcovers are so wonderful. You would have them just in time for summer!
pve
You need a Fathead of yourself. Or several in different poses. What a dining room that would make! I'm joking, of course, I like the slipcovers. Any wall ideas?
Patricia! You found a great shot of Will's apartment. I still loved how those worked in his place. Don't know if they're exactly what you're after for the dream house but it's fun to think about W & G again. Now we need to dissect "Friends."
I can see why you wanted to track down the book too.
Good luck with the paint project this weekend. It's so cool that you're letting him choose.
Paint and slip covers are the two most forgiving decor elements. Especially white slip covers on dining room chairs.
I just redid my dining room. I think there must be something with the coming of the new year that makes us decor geeks redo the dining room ha ha.
At this very moment I am awaiting slip covers for the chairs.
And the paint cost me $60. and a week's work, which included moving things in and out, a major cleaning, and of course the paint job itself.
Just do it Mrs. B!
And report back please!
xox o
I have enjoyed reading your blog, and I have never commented until now. I am pretty sure the W&G chairs are from Phillip Starck's line he did for Target in 2001/2002. They were my first dining room chairs.
The tight slipcover is great looking. Thanks,
Bring them to an auto body shop and have them sprayed so they look like cinnabar red, then slipcover- it will be so beautiful!
Okay, I officially like Courtney, too. Those are some of my favorite chairs. I'll even confess I thought of copying them for my dining room. The price tag on the McGuire chair beneath those slipcovers is atronomical, however. My 6'7" husband refused to entertain my knock-off suggestin folding directors chairs with nice white covers. I bought them anyway anyway bc they were so inexpensive and Cory was right – he can barely get in and out of them without causing them to collapse! We'll see where they end up! So yes to slipcovers but no to cheap ones…
marija
Why not show us the offending chair(s). So all of us opinionated fans of yours could, well, opinionate.
After living with antique dining chairs that were fine for women, not so good for men (delicate, needed understanding, could not take for one minute of any kind of roughhousing), I bought reproduction french chairs with woven seats. I painted the chairs in oil based paint and used tinted glazes/varnish so I built in the inevitable patina and hid my inability to paint with perfection. I had cushions made for the seat—I still like them. There is a solution to be found. Don't despair.
I bought slipcovers for the livingroom sofa and loveseat. The hubby made a disparaging comment on the color choice, and you know what? There they are, still in the package. Who's the bigger fathead here? I like the idea of slipcovers for the dining room chairs, but I probably wouldn't go for white.
I remember your chairs from one the Christmas posts.
Tailored slipcover all the way to the floor would be great. But perhaps that would be swallowing the spider to catch the fly? Remember, perfection is an illusion. Happy dreaming and painting.
C has a mind like a steel trap! Love the idea of slipcovers; that is a much more "doable" project than painting all of them. Or at least it seems that way to me.
I am not sure the style/type of chairs that you have based on the images, but what about a combo. Paint the chairs, then give them a half slip! Enough to cover the seat and still show a little leg.
Tailored and simple.
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, Go KU!
I love the idea of a tailored slipcover. I would like to do that or find a great fabric to recover the seats.
Karena
I love the tailored slipcovers on our Living Room chairs, they are the best. At 15 years old, they still look great & have withstood the 'rigours' of the 5 boys & their Father, who has a terminal case of food & drink dropsy. Just do the Dining chairs in the chic style you have in mind, you won't regret it.
Millie ^_^
I'm not a big fan of slipcovered dining room chairs when they cover the frame (vs. just the seat or upholstery). Tends to look a bit Fun With Slipcovers/Pottery Barn/Benefit where the chairs supplied by the caterer have been dressed up with a slipcover for the party. On the other hand, am a fan of summer slipcovers when used seasonally. I must admit, though, we used home-made slipcovers on the seats of our dining room chairs at Darlington for years before we had them upholstered in budget-blowing horsehair. The antiques dealer we bought the chairs from hadn't re-upholstered the seats, which still had a cringe-inducing old lady "nice" fabric on them…
Maybe now is the time to consider trading in your DR chairs for something you prefer?
i'm in Dining Room chair dilemma too and have a dead-line as photographer is coming to shoot my house in less than a month. Decision must be made by the end of this week. Please make this decision for me, PLEASE! Chair situation is a nightmare considering I need a whole new set but don't have the budget for that because why would I buy just "any" chairs to replace the hodge podge I now have, so slipcovers is where I've landed and I can't decide. And, they aren't cheap to make btw so why am I doing it. Can you tell I'm out of answers and back to slipcovers? Sorry for rambling but frustration is mounting with no other options!
If it's any consolation, Suzanne's first thought was to do slipcovers on my dining room chairs – and this was just last month! She thinks it will soften the look of the room and make it more youthful, less stodgy.
I don't remember anything except the KU thing, oh, dear, while my Brother in Law would be thrilled, my Husband will be wild… K State ya know.
Anyway, will be in Witchita next month, hope to take a run by you! Be well!