some soul

When decorating for the holidays, I try to push myself a little and not do the same thing every year. I like to remix some key pieces that I've acquired over the years, switch up my color schemes, and showcase something different without feeling obligated to buy something new. This year I was inspired by the pillow covers that we've been collecting since spring to create a black and white Christmas.

Giving a nod to the vintage furniture company Chairish and their "What do you 'Chairish'?" campaign, I decided to feature one of the most sentimental pieces in our home, a vinyl Mid century modern chair that belonged to my late maternal grandmother. After she passed away, I remember our family going through her pieces and my mother asked me what I wanted to take home with me. Hidden underneath a few articles of clothing was a chair that looked to be in almost perfect condition. Somehow I had never seen it before, but my family said it had been there for years. My mother, sister, and aunt looked at me with confusion when I said that I wanted it. I had just finished design school so I knew what a gem it was. They thought I was crazy, but who in their right mind leaves a Mid century modern ANYTHING behind, especially if it's part of the family? The chair went home with me.

Flash forward a handful of years... after keeping my grandmother's chair in our office for so long (due to the fact that I didn't quite how to work with its avocado vinyl) I finally felt confident enough in my style to make it work. I decided a few months back to take the leap and integrate it into our living room along with all of our brightly-colored furniture and accessories. The pillow covers I chose for our mini holiday makeover embraces the avocado vinyl and the chair looks right at home.   

How perfect is that leopard pillow? Also, the blue sequinned one gives a nod to the star of our room, our movie sofa. 

Notice how the top of the arms are a little lighter than the rest of the frame. After I acquired the chair it went into my parents garage where it resided for a full year. When I Brandon and I finally got our own place, I took the chair home and began to wipe down the frame. To my surprise, the stain came right off to reveal the wood grain underneath. Instead of re-staining, I decided to keep it that way. I think it gives the chair more character.

One day I may have it re-stuffed and recovered. But for now I think it looks just fine. Because my aesthetic is very modern, and I often find great deals on brand-new items, I don't own many vintage pieces of furniture. There is however something to be said about adding one to your space. It gives a room some soul. It gives the room a story. I'm glad that I was able to make it part of our home. I'm sure my grandmother would approve.

Bright and delightful...