Restoration Hardware's spring catalog just came in the mail, and I couldn't help but notice the new featured line called "Deconstructed". It's furniture made to look like it's from the 1700s, with parts of the upholstery torn away to expose the old world artistry of its inner workings, complete with faux nail holes in the wood, and bits of worn fabric still clinging to random tacks. It's an interesting concept, and much more affordable than a real piece from that time period.
I have a few worn chairs of my own. Maybe I'll go ahead and rip the upholstery off the back and sides. Sounds fun, but something tells me it won't look quite as chic or Napoleanic.
I love that chair!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan to me.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Chatterbox and I moved into a hundred year old house eight years ago because we were infatuated with the shabby chic concept. Four years later the scales fell from our eyes and we realized we were just living in an old dump of a house. No more shabby chic for us!
ReplyDeleteLovely chair, lovely photography...but what in the world was Restoration Hardware thinking when they sent out catalogs weighing over 5 pounds!!?? I think they could have thought about saving a few trees!
ReplyDeleteGail, I thought the same thing! The poor trees and the poor postman!
ReplyDeleteStrange. Very strange.
ReplyDeleteThe chair does have a certain «je ne sais quois» to it. But I'm somehow suspicious.
I've got a chair in my bedroom that has parts of the upholstery torn away...the cats did it, and didn't charge me anything for the job :-)
ReplyDeleteAre they going to make ripped chairs as popular as ripped blue jeans? If they start selling stacks of papers for table decorations, let me know. I'll always be in style.
ReplyDeleteI like my furniture "constructed" thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a lot of similar looking chairs in antique shops, being sold as 'ready to upholster'. You've made me wonder now if they haven't come direct from your catalogue!!!
ReplyDeleteNever quite got my head around 'shabby chic', but it's very popular, all the same.
ReplyDeleteGday Tess, an interesting observation you make. I was just reading that our modern obsession with the past is a palpable manifestation of collective fear, fear of mortality, of death. a retreat to these reassuring monuments and objects in an age where we are bombarded with millions of images which "trivialise beliefs and deify the superficial " . We seek reassurance , some kind of certainty. Like we have never been so afraid as a civilisation. No doubt the marketers have noticed this, too. It expresses as a desire to visit ancient ruins, as well. "voltaires bastards"- john ralston saul. Fascinating stuff!
ReplyDeleteI have an old chair on the balcony outside my room. The resident squirrels must work for Restoration Hardware as they have deconstructed it in a similar fashion.
ReplyDeleteI love shabby chic. But not sure about this look. It would depend on the room and what else was in it whether it could be pulled off, no pun intended. lOL
ReplyDeletemy comment was similar to another commentators liking this to the torn jeans concept.
Saw a recliner sitting on the side of the road this morning. It didn't have a price tag on it, lol, but it did have a certain...look...about it, like someone's old friend. Not as cosy, though, as the matching couch and chair I saw on one of the back roads last year...just sitting there on the edge of a corn field. I've got pics around here somewhere. Interesting concept!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite catalog, bar none. Just about the only one I get that is worth the dead trees for!
ReplyDeleteI am afraid this is not for me Willow - it is in the same bracket as furniture which has a distressed look. There is a fine line between distressed and downright scruffy and I am afraid I can't necessarily tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteMs T.
ReplyDeleteMeet me at the dumpster at 4:30.
AM that is - don't want the good stuff to get away!
Anon...your dumpster...or mine?
ReplyDeleteyours of course - i wouldnt want to ever make it hard for ya
ReplyDeleteI love a good dumpster dive...
ReplyDelete...I can only think my husband will think I have gone mad if I did something like this to our furniture. ha ha. Fun catalog to look through, that's for sure. I also love my 'Architectural Digest"
ReplyDeleteI detest fakery. I'm sure you could buy one at auction for a fraction of the price. Oh and I agree with Stephen Hayes. My shabby chic house is now just shabby.
ReplyDeletegood grief...can't say that I like it...and I agree with the other folks here..the operative word in shabby chic is CHIC... Restoration H. missed the mark.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete