Do you have a special chair?
A favorite chair to call your own on the cold winter evenings.
A cozy chair where you can make yourself comfortable
doing whatever. Reading a great novel or a newly delivered
magazine, the daily paper, knitting, embroidering, sketching,
coloring, watching a movie or TV show, enjoying a snack,
an after dinner drink, or a nightcap as the flames in the fireplace
fade and the logs crumble into glowing ashes.
My armchair has a history as I've had it for many years.
It's a rather expensive, once always a 'Made in America' brand. Sadly it's
hard to find much furniture made here these days. It was just an odd chair
I found new in a local furniture store, and on sale, back when almost all
American furniture was manufactured right here in North Carolina.
Originally upholstered in a marvelous hard wearing muted textured floral,
it never actually showed a speck of wear. Later, it was covered for some
years in white heavy cotton duck slip covers during my 'shabby chic' decor
days. A few years back, warming up this north facing room became a
project. Pulling off, laundering, and pulling back on bulky white sIip covers
became too much like hard work, so I bought a new sofa and had my
chair re-upholstered in this stunning blue-black-cream leopard print.
The pine armoire I painted years before, in Annie Sloane's Paris Grey
chalk paint, and carpeting was removed and replaced with warm greige
wide-plank hard flooring.
Restricted to home for most of the past two years, my chair has been
sat upon almost daily. I've loved it and cared for it as it has for me.
Fortunately these past several months with my back/leg problems
this chair has held me without causing pain. . . . . . . I never expected
to love a chair so much!
Small child's version of a great armchair at SuzAnna's Antiques ~ photo taken some
years ago when I had a booth there.
How about you share a picture of your own favorite chair on
your blog. . . . . . .and tell about its history.
We need cozy stories on these chilly winter days.
Hugs from my chair. . . . . . . .and me.
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Sadly my new Dell laptop and my new camera do not work happily together. But when I broke my hip a year ago, the technician who adapted my bungalow fitted my arm chair, which I had had for many years, with a metal frame to lift it high off the ground so that I could get in and out of it. It was never my favourite but it has to be now. Don't let it hear me say it though because it is being a good and faithfuls srvant.
ReplyDeleteSo glad they were able to make your chair more comfortable Pat. You do so well despite your hip issue. We all need special place to sit, perhaps not a 'throne' but at least a cozy chair!!!!
DeleteI have posted about my armchair a bit over two years ago:
ReplyDeletehttps://librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.com/2019/09/settling-back-in.html
That yellow armchair has been my lunch break spot for nearly every working day since the pandemic began and I have been working from home almost exclusively. It has received a grey-yellow checked Anni throw (from the National Trust) which fits it (and me) perfectly. I love that place; the sun lights it up on a sunny winter's afternoon or late summer evening, and it is cosy with the lamp above it at dark.
No fireplace in this flat, I'm afraid!
Yes I recall your beautiful yellow chair Meike - love that you found such a beautiful throw for it. That's another item we all seem to enjoy during the winter months - mine is the chunky grey knitted one in theses pix - and in warmer months I still keep a lightweight version nearby when the a/c is running!
DeleteI love the fabric on your chair. I don't have a favorite chair here in the condo, but do have a favorite navy blue leather sofa. It has a motorized, push of the button recliner function and is very comfortable.
ReplyDeleteNavy blue leather is elegant - wish I could find Bob a new recliner in that color, it would look so good in the room!
DeleteI love your chair so much. The upholstery is just perfect in your house. I am glad it is comfy for you as your recuperate. Now I think I will need to show my chair.
ReplyDeleteYes, I recall your favorite chair Marilyn - share it again on your blog please - I know you are enjoying it in the colder weather.
DeleteWhat a great upholstery fabric you chose for your chair. When we married 45 years ago, Tim's parents gave us a Lazy-Boy rocker-recliner. We chose a medium blue upholstery for it. It lasted for a very very long time, partly due to being stored at my parents' home for much of the time we lived overseas. In the past 20 years it's been in both daughters' homes, and just returned to us on Saturday. We bought a new LB recliner for Tim a couple of years ago, but for comfort it just doesn't match the old one, so we're looking into getting it re-upholstered. It will need new foam/stuffing. I dislike puffy recliners and this is quite streamlined.
ReplyDeleteI have a winged chair that I enjoy sitting in. What a great idea to do a post about a favourite chair.
Know what you mean about newer furniture Lorrie - not made like it was back in the day! Often it's so worthwhile spending the money on re-building and re-upholstering instead of a new one if you can locate a good upholsterer! Love the story of Tim's recliner "doing the rounds" in the family - a well-traveled chair for sure.
DeleteYour chair looks utterly cozy (and beautiful)!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I have a favourite chair - in Bavaria "a chair with a view" - an original Lloyd Loom chair (the parlor is not so big, thus I wanted to evoke comfortable holiday feelings), and a huge Danish padded rocking chair in Berlin - so big that it only fits into the library with 4m high walls. It is elegant and unusual - you can even lie on it and take a nap!
....... lucky you Britta with an original Lloyd Loom, beautiful wicker chairs and becoming hard to find.
DeleteA rocking chair can be so comfortable - yours sounds awesome if its size allows a nap, wow! Sleep dreams!
Oh what a lovely comfy chair.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo dear. So glad to hear you are doing so much better and hope the rains cease soon so you can get out and walk etc.
DeleteI love your chair - it is precisely the kind of chair that calls to me to sit and read for hours. I feel like I could have met you, since my sister lives in Rolesville, and we frequent SuzAnna's shop every time I visit! It's one of our favorite places to disappear into, for hours. When we need just the right thing for a gift, or for decorating, she has it. Thanks for sharing your North Carolina life with us! I pine to go home to North Carolina. I was born in Mt. Airy, and much of my family is still there. I live in Illinois, and have since 1980, and I long to move back home. We will have to see what Life holds in store.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we have met at SuzAnna's Antiques - I spent a lot of time there over the years, had a booth for a while when they were here in Raleigh, and granddaughter worked there part-time. Know how it feels to miss home so much - hope you can return here some day
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Karla - stay warm and all the best for 2022.
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteLove your chair. It looks so inviting. I can see that you can spend many hours happily reading a new book. You, dear Nary, have sat in my favorite chair drinking champagne. Did your Dr visit help you?
. . . . .best glass of champagne ever! Just sitting there with you in that beautiful room of your gorgeous home is one of my favorite memories dear Gina.
DeleteStill awaiting relief from the steroid injection - sometimes it takes up to a couple of weeks to work! Patience is required - plus yesterday during my annual Wellness visit, my PCP said I need to cut out sugar and dairy which helps relieve arthritic pain! Her words were "you need to eat like a diabetic", even though I'm not one! Oh my, soon I won't be able to eat anything I enjoy, especially my cheese and wine, sigh!
Gina dear, take care, stay well and warm.
Dear Mary, I posted a photo of my favorite chair. Hope you are feeling better.
DeleteJust took a look on your blog - lovely memories dearest friend X
DeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteSure, you live right at the furniture region of the USA. No doubt you can have a favorite chair re-upholstered. Happy for you and yes, for comfort we need a good chair.
We have brought from The Netherlands all our solid French oak furniture and as for seating comfort, in our living room, that is superb. Most American made chairs/sofas are too deep for our posture and they often sink also too low, making it hard to get 'up' again.
Our living room you can see here: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-living-room.html
And as for superb comfort when my back has issues, our office chair is the BEST. https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2013/05/our-smaller-office.html
Hugs,
Mariette
Looked up your older posts Mariette and enjoyed the tours around your rooms, especially the great chairs.
DeleteGood thing you purchased such sturdy furniture when it was possible - today's offerings wouldn't make it across the pond more than once I'm certain! Much of it even arrives in the US, from where it's just glued together, already damaged, and it's a poor excuse for 'real wood'.
Oh for the old days when quality was so wonderful!
Hugs - Mary
Thank you Mary and we both sure are glad we did bring it all over and held onto it.
DeleteYour doors look a lot like the solid French oak doors I used to have at my Dutch home... of course left behind when we sold it.
Now we only have the solid oak indoor shutters... they don't make them anymore in Virginia, guess the maker retired.
Hugs,
Mariette