choose your chair

Seating arrangements have a long and colourful history, probably beginning with the Egyptians some 3000 BC. Large-scale use and adaptation of furniture of various kinds emerged along with the spread of Western Colonial occupation and administration along with other relevant materials of convenience for use and utilization. Along with these came the style and texture, innovation and various manifestations of furniture that evolved with the passing of time, and acquired a wealth of shapes, forms, and fashions.

This week, we focus on chairs, and how we can lend full play to our creative faculties by giving our chairs a make over of sorts.

Nowadays, wrought iron is very popular, as are SS pipe and colourful wooden furniture. So, to decorate your home or home office or children's fun club, you can easily select painted chairs, or chairs with different shapes. A wide, flat back, gentle curves, and long, graceful legs, the shape of the chairs lends itself to artistic interpretation. You can paint your chairs in a broad range of styles and a little creativity and innovation can help you blend these into or contrast it with your home decor.

We can use various colours and shades, large and small patterns, different decorative painting techniques. Use the chair's curves and lines to guide the placement of colours, patterns, and motifs. Consider repeating design elements from the room, such as a flourish from a curtain rod or a flower from a fabric. Shown in the pictures are just some ways in which you can dress up your seating arrangements.

Red Chair: The chair is painted with an earthy, brick red base coat, then sanded to lend an aged appearance. An elegant pear and flower motif has been used, which complements the chair's smooth rounded lines and is a perfect match with the shape of the back support.

Blue Chair: These blue chairs are painted using Vincent van Gogh's brushy style. First, ad blue base coating was applied. The hard look was turned into to a soft and inviting one by working green and white paint into the seat. Several different sizes of brushes were employed in a cross-hatch motion for a mottled effect. As a real gerbera daisy was utilized for painting the pink flower on the chair back, this pasted chair blooms with natural beauty. This chair would be perfect for your girls pink of blue bedroom.

Tradition with a twist: A blackish blue was applied as base-coating in the chair. Over this went a metallic gold stencil print, to which was added leaf motifs, also in gold. We can easily fit this unique one in a boy's room.

Use colour to enhance the chair's lines: This chair has a unique shape, with clean lines and pretty curves. A pumpkin base coat, with sheerer outlines in gray on the legs to make them look longer and more elegant. The edges around the seat, the back support, and the rungs were all highlighted in gray to give the chair a more graphic quality. Two finishing coats of an oil-based glaze in dark walnut created a rich look, which feels modern but warm and inviting. We can easily blend it into a living room or a family space.

Try wood-burned details and soft colour: Sometimes less is more. So, sometimes white looks very elegant. Against a snow-white base, the tree and bird were sketched in pencil, then defined with a wood-burning tool, with every detail being carefully outlined. When it comes to colours, simplicity is the key here. The tree trunk, for example is painted with a stain that enhances the natural wood grain. Even the colours of the leaves and the blue bird are transparent, and the charmingly simple way they are drawn is reminiscent of folk art. This chair can add a touch of elegance to any atmosphere.

Home, your sweet home, a priceless possession. You want everyone to admire, appreciate and even envy it. These chairs would be one good way to achieve that.

Nazneen Haque Mimi
Interior Consultant
JOURNEYMAN
For further details, contact e-mail: journeym@citechco.net