Do you have a piece of furniture you’ve always coveted? Always longed to be yours? I certainly do. And one such item recently landed in my possession and I haven’t stopped rubbing my hands together saying, “they’re mine, all mine” with a devious grin since.
This is the story of coveted family furniture and how the beautiful world of social media brought two people back together to help make beautiful things happen.
The item in question is a Wing Chair pair (with ottoman). Originally purchased in 1975 by my mom and dad, they played a central role in many family events.
Here’s adorable little me celebrating my first birthday on the chairs. How cute was I? And how totally 70’s is that fabric?!!
The next evolution for the chairs was in the 90’s when my dad and step mom had them re-upholstered with an oh-so-90’s teal and peach flower fabric.
All the while the chairs played a central role in more family events.
my super awesome 90s style matches the chairs perfectly! (me & my little sister in 1994)
When my dad and step mom retired and moved up to the cottage, my husband and I were also in the process of moving house and couldn’t (much to my dismay) take the wing chair pair. My little sister got them and like any big sister, I provided helpful instructions like, “those are MINE! don’t get rid of them okay, OKAY!?” See what a nice sister I am?
A few years later my sister and her hubby were moving house and I got a glorious text message. “We’re bringing the wing chairs to your place.”
MINE! They were finally all MINE!!
I am pretty sure my brother in law thought I was possessed when they arrived. I just kept saying, “mine, mine, mine!” with a look like I’d just won the lottery.
And I did. I won the family furniture lottery.
And my DIY blogger brain almost blew up with the possibilities. What fabric to choose? What to do, what to do!? I spent hours upon hours looking at my favourite online fabric store, dwelling in the possibilities.
so many possibilities!
Around the same time, I started following people on Instagram who did amazing things with fabric and furniture as another source of inspiration. Through a series of random clicks, I started following J&J Made. And then one day scrolling through my feed I saw a behind the scenes of photo of one of the J’s, and guess what?! She was my camper at summer camp!
If you ever went to summer camp, you’ll know camp blood runs thick and the people we meet there are in our hearts forever. And immediately I knew what would happen with the chairs. The family chairs would meet their next evolution at the hands of extended family, my Camp Kawabi family.
The final decision was what fabric to pick. Another wave of inspiration came and I knew what to do. Like me, these chairs would be a patchwork of awesome. They would see their next evolution and be a bright bold statement.
Enter Tonic Living and their remnant fabric selection. Jodie from J&J Made and I made our way to the showroom and went a bit nuts assembling all the various remnant fabrics we liked and seeing how they could work together.
Jodie from J&J Made at Tonic Living
And then my fabric fairy god-mother entered and with a wave of her magic wand (aka years of awesome experience and totally clarity in vision), Janine from Tonic Living reined us in and we settled on six fabulous fabrics for the chairs.
I went home and got to work painting the chair legs black. Once they were finished, the chairs made their way to Jodie’s studio and I waited with baited breath for her to do her magic.
And what magic indeed!!! Seriously. This is why you trust a professional. They do awesome $h!t. Any DIYer worth her salt knows when to call in the pros and with these chairs a pro was required.
I mean, check out the details?! Just perfect!
Not only am I totally IN LOVE, but I am so glad to have worked with someone who I trust implicitly. Who knew a random click would lead two summer campers back together again, and would result in such a great collaboration?! I love you internet.
So now the chairs have seen their third evolution, and will continue to hold a central spot in the life of our evolving family. A history we continue to build one piece (of fabric) at a time.
