My Daily Decorating Fix: Chair Fabric Find

The weather is changing.  The weekend had some crisp cold mornings, and today we wound up with rain.  I get my haircut in Portland, so it was going to be a day of chores.  Whole Foods in the Pearl was one of my stops, and as it happened, there was a parking spot on the street (unheard of) in front of Versailles Interiors about a block away. (My husband would say "isn't that a coincidence, how many times did you circle the block waiting for a spot?")
 
Versailles Interiors were having a sidewalk sale--and had a big table piled with fabric samples and leftovers.  I was in a hurry, but there was a fabric on top that caught my eye.  Even though I swear I will never be a packrat, I must confess I have a closet shelf full of fabric.  A quilt someday when I am too old to shop for fabric?  You can say I'm thinking ahead!
 

Fabric border says Toiles de Mayenne.  $80/yard Retail
Sale $2 small scrap, $10 large scrap

 I dropped the fabric on the chair by the front door when I got home.   It looked fabulous with the carpet there, so I think I will recover the two child's chairs with this fabric.  Is that decorating by default?  (I know that's how the painting got hung to the left of the large painting.  I figured I'd keep it up off the floor until I found a "home" for it.)     I had originally planned on finding a gray silk to put on these chairs, but have never looked for it.  A designer walked through and said get rid of the small chairs and the two side paintings.

Chairs with original fabric "before"

The entryway is the most Federal-looking room in the house.  I like the small chairs with the card table--one with an eagle inlay. The symmetry of the two chairs appeals to the very orderly accountant in me (A past career).   I love small chairs and have others that I use for books and magazines stacked next to the sofa.   The "bow" below is out of Chinese sleeve bands done in the forbidden stitch, a wonderful piece waiting to be turned into a project.

Potential upholstery candidate

 My departed kitty also loved sitting on the chair to the right--you will notice the heater vent right at the seat level.  She would wait there so she could keep an eye out for us coming down the stairs in the morning.   We all miss her, she was such a nice kitty!

Our beautiful Kitty- a Russian Blue

  The charm of the fabric with a basket of fruit and the border really appeals to me.  I've been really hesitant to use print fabrics ever since I used too many Waverly prints 20+ years ago, and I just don't want to ever go there again.  The only prints I have used in the past decade is toiles.

The other plan was a pillow for the coral sofa:

The pillow is gone, sold on Ebay.  When you are a dealer, things just "pass through" the house.  The pillow is by Katha Diddel, still available.  The sofa is sentimental as it was owned by my friend Bev who passed away, so I've not wanted to upholster it.

Toiles de Mayenne

So I got my daily decorating fix with an unexpected $2 piece of fabric.  No, I didn't staple it just yet, I want to see it in all kinds of daylight. (tough to do as we say we have 3 kinds of weather in Portland:  July, August, and Rain)  The delight of a beautiful object can feed the soul.  I'm glad it found me.  I can thank the designer who put together such an artistic print.

Happy September, I love the "change" seasons!