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mpoulsom I think I would just take the back cushion off and buy fabric for the bottom cushion. Some kind of really funky print. Not sure I would paint the wood though. They look pretty nice. You may be able to get some fabric and do the bottom cushions yourself. If not, go to an alterations shop. I bet they could sew you a bottom cover to fit and not be quite as expensive as an upholsterer. Thye could use a zipper on a seam or even velcro! May be worth asking about. I love the chairs btw. :)

pipsqueaky Thanks for your reply. Yes, the chairs look good, but the color of wood is walnut and its soooo dated over here in Germany. I thought of stripping and staining a lighter wood or even a darker color wood. But its walnut English Walnut that is. its got nice patterns on the wood. I love the chairs. Have been looking on this site for months to see if ther are designs with this particlar style chair and I cant find any.

the idea of removing the top cushion is good but if you sat on the chair without it you feel as if you are falling thru the back. So its meant to have a back. I wonder if the tailor or the seamstress will do this for me? i will surely call one of them in my neighborhood or take the cushions over there. The top cushion has a kind of semi heart shape so its not an easy thing to just slip a cover over. Can take that part as well. I have never tackled anythign quite like this, but have been on the look out for these chairs for about three years. I saw some but they wnated 150,00 each and I got both for 11.00 heehe. But now the expense. the upholster man was here and he even said why dont I just clean them.

mpoulsom well I agree that the fabric needs updating. that alone will make a huge difference. I totally know where you are coming from. I bought a matching couch and chair from a junk store for nothing one time. very cool looking, but the fabric was beyond looking decent. I eventually got rid of the couch and DID get the chair upholstered. The upholstery cost me a fortune!!!! I could have gone out and bought a brand new chair for less...lol! live and learn!
the thing about the little heart pattern shape is this....any seamstress can take the existing fabric off and use that as a pattern for new covers.
maybe you could barter something with a seamstress...for a lesser price out of pocket. And, I don't know about over there, but we have some trade/technical schools here that teach uphostery. You could take a class, or go to a school and ask the teacher if one of the students could use this as a project piece, or pieces! You provide the fabric and they do the sewing.
If you stripped them (the wood) I think that would look pretty as well, but how do strip the caning on the back? I think that would be tricky!

judyg Basement Living Room

You could have them spray painted (although I, too, really like the natural walnut.) I have a friendly auto body repair man, who will spray furniture for me for the price of his hourly wage. I buy the paint. That is not expensive at all.

Try a couple of sites for pre made cushions. Ballard Design, Hayneedle, Frontgate and this oneSage Green Dining Chair Booster Cushion

pipsqueaky I am actually from Oklahoma. I just live over on this end. No, the school is not like back home at a Junior college etc. You actually have to go to full school. Many rules and bullcorn regulations :). Good idea tho. Heehee.

How can I strip the cane? Hummm, have been online on youtube and have found nada about that. So I am considreing leaving the cane part the original stain and stripping the arms and legs etc. Sort of two toned stain? Whatcha think? I also had a love seat from a junk heat eons ago reupholstered it cost me two months salary and in the end I chucked it. So somebody got a beautiful piece of runiture for nothing. I didnt know about antiques back then. It was an antique love seat.

If you were me, would you have these chairs reupholstered by a professional? Or you would DIY or find a cheaper method? the cushion backs cant just be taken off. Its a complicated cover. I was tempted to take stitch by stitch out and see if poor pittyful me couldnt cut an exact pattern? This may be on going since I just moved and have no intentions to have this place in order before spring. Too much to doo and not enough time.

pipsqueaky I LOVE your chairs. Are they cane back? did he put primer? Or just cold turkey sprayed his life away? they look fantastic.

pipsqueaky I cant tell if they are cane backs. The chairs look small the ones I have but they are large arm chairs when you sit in them. And incredibly comfortable. If only I could finad a cost efficient way to fix them. What color should I go with that will match all things over time? I dont want to do something that is trendy.

houssaon I like the chairs and the wood. You could go darker for an updated look. If you are handy you could recover the cushions. I don't think they will be as comfortable without the back cushion. If you recover them you could mix solid and print. See:


How about fabirc paint?

herblady I would definitely paint the wood and then use a stain to give an antique look. MPoulsom's suggestion for the fabric is a very good one. I'd just keep my eyes open for a good deal on the cloth. Another option is to paint the fabric. (I know...weird) There is a medium you can add to acrylic paint that turns it into fabric paint. I've heard good reviews. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try. At worst you have to do what you were already planning and reupholster. Here is a site where someone did it and they give information about what products they used.

http://www.designsponge.com/2012/02/before-after-painted-sofa.html

judyg He will do anything I want him to do…start with a primer and then a paint color of my choice and the finish I want. Those above are not mine, just a suggestion for you. He painted 8 early 20th century dining chairs for my client in a high gloss Chinese red. She paid $50.00 for the chairs ***and he charged her $200.00 to paint (tinted) primer and two coats of paint. Once you paint them, you can always repaint should you want a different color.

pipsqueaky Thanks Houssan. I have these two needle leg chairs I bought. So they already have a pattern then I have a big antique floral corner chair that will be paired with these four chairs. I have no place for a couch and even the four or five arm chairs is pushing it cuz I have only 90cm space between the living area and the dining whcih is in one rroom. These are the other chairs I bought last week. the upholstery is in perfect condition and clean. The girl I ´bought it from was using it mixed with ultra modern. But i dont have ultra modern at the moment.

The backs will definitely stay as mentioned earlier. The old upholstery gotttaaa get going. :) on the pink chairs that is.

mpoulsom well....this is what i think...
how about buying some decent big cushions. toss the horse hair and springs and start over with all brand new? this may or may not be feasible..but I used to work for a place in SF. They actually made down and feather custom cushions, any size you would like. Not sure if they still do that, but somebody has to. I live in "hooterville" now, but my gosh, you ARE in germany right now, right? they are the kings of down and feather products. Go to a place that makes feather beds, and maybe they can make you brand new cushions in downproof cotton fabric...yes it will be white, but you can have covers made for them later!

pipsqueaky Ni Mp, no can do with new cushions. Look at the pics there is no bottom to the chairs once the original seat is removed.

Houssan your chairs looks stunning. I love the dark stain with the cream or light upholstery. I wished my chairs had a bottom but they do not which makes it impossible to just slash on a new cushion :(.
Yeah we have down flying all over the place but unfortunately it cant work cuz of my bottomless chairs. Gruhhhh

pipsqueaky Paint the fabric? I dont know of such a thing here. Where can I buy this over there and what is it called? Does it reall work? So the old upholstery stays and the paint covers and is binding to the old fabric? I have never heard of this before. Would love to know more.

mpoulsom Herblady, i have heard of this fabric spraying.....i need to look at the video. I am very curious! That may be the best cheap alternative for her right now.

The Interior Touch I love the chairs , I'd remove the back cushion and show off the cane back . Prime and spray in a high gloss black . Have your local seamstress sew up a cushion for the seat in a wild animal print with an accent kidney shaped pillow for the back.

pipsqueaky Thanks interior touch. But the back must have a cushion or its uncomfortable and feels if you wil fall thru. Sitting will be an uncomfortable experience as well. Its a good idea with black. my intentions were to strip and restain in black and clear vanish them giving it a high gloss look. -did you see the other two needle chairs I will pair them with? those will remain in that style. I love the upholstery from those they are in really excellent condition in real life.So what color upholstery or seat covers should i do? my walls are green, have not put up curtains yet cuz i doint know what to do and then I have to reupholster the dining chairs those are chippendale as well but cream at the moment, in good condition but looks dated.

mpoulsom Paint the fabric then...what do you have to lose??? nada! It looks like you have texture on the old fabric and that is exactly what you need probably. One color but with a hint of pattern with the texture.
If you ever need to add a bottom, that is easily fixed though. Just cut a piece of plywood to fit in the opening...just for future reference! :)

pipsqueaky Hi MP, no the chairs do not have a place to fit a bottom. Its cut funky and so I looked at that as well. No can do. If you put a bottom where the seat rim will usually fit then it wont work. the space between rim and empty space is less than 1/4 of an inch. May end up warping or damagaing the tiny rim. Nice idea tho. Let me post you a pic of the fabric close up. it sis embossed antique velour or something so.

pipsqueaky So is this paintable? I am only finding Batik paints here. Is that what I must use? If not what exactly is used on such a fabric?

lefty47 HI -- Those are beautiful chairs and so worth recovering in the future but for now the easyist thing to do is just get two matching faux fur throws and tuck them over the cushions.I have done that with one of my chairs until I have the money for recovering and it looks pretty good. I think the wood and caning is fine but you could darken it to even out the tones. Shaded stains are not in style anymore. Or if you decide to paint , then they could be sprayed but get this done by a pro for a better finish. I would not alter them too much , the cushions are the only thing that needs to change as far as I can see. If you do too much ,then you can't go back . For God sake DON'T paint the fabric ! I wish people would get that out of their heads.

pipsqueaky Hi Lefty, thanks for your comments. I am here to get ideas as I am so green at this. I think the throws are a good idea, how to dou get it to sit put tho? Or do you mean covering the entire wooden part an all like a slip cover? What do you mean by shaded stains? Like black or dark brown? If you mean like what I have now where you see the grain in different shades then I dont like this cuz that makes it look dated. I would love to recover them professionally but money is not to waste right now. So that is why i am looking for anything that can help me save a buck or two until I can one day recover them. If was not for the springs I may have opened up the bottom, but yikes, springs? what do i do if one falls out? the back cushions are quite heavy cuz of the filling seems like fiber of some sort, upholster man said its coconut husk. I am afraid to open it up cuz it may all fall out and then what? If i was cut at cutting form the exact size I might have ventured there for a back seat.

pipsqueaky I just now went and removed the back and sat on the chair again. Horribly uncomfortable and feels as if you are falling thru the back.

missymo You bought well built chairs for 11 Euro. Pay yourself the true value of the chairs, then send them out to be sprayed correctly and recovered and they should last a lifetime. Better than new since they have a story.

pipsqueaky I want to recover them, but 1,000 plus Euros 1,300 US dollars at this time is hard for me. I just dont have the money to spare at thsi time. Not saying I might not have it next year but at this time I dont. If I can at least do the bottoms myself then I can hire out the tops to the upholsterer guy. The bottoms is stapled below, so I have been looking at how to reupholster a chair seat and it does not seem diccifult but this one has springs.

pipsqueaky I want to recover them, but 1,000 plus Euros 1,300 US dollars at this time is hard for me. I just dont have the money to spare at thsi time. Not saying I might not have it next year but at this time I dont. If I can at least do the bottoms myself then I can hire out the tops to the upholsterer guy. The bottoms is stapled below, so I have been looking at how to reupholster a chair seat and it does not seem diccifult but this one has springs.

feeny Hi pipsqueaky,
I don't have much to add to the discussion others have already covered, and of course I don't know anything about prices in Germany, but where I live (Ohio) there is a pretty wide range of prices between different upholsterers. I found a really talented, sweet Russian guy with years of experience who works out of a tiny shop and is about half the price of the fancier upholsterers. I've had chairs with a similar amount of upholstering redone for about $300 each (not including the fabric, which I bought at a discount). For that kind of chair with easily removable parts, the labor isn't very tricky. So I"m just wondering if it might be worth shopping around a bit in your area for competing bids on the reupholstering if you haven't already done so.

P.S. I'd probably paint the frames--black, white, or gray.

pipsqueaky Hi Fenny
Black was my original idea for the frame with the cane remaining brown. I did shop around the prices are more of less standard. Manual labor in Germany is high. I even tried to find one who will do it off record which means he evades the 19% sales tax we must pay. I dont know how to approach someone. I knew a Russian girl from my German class who was an upholsterer but we lost contact. pitty, that was her profession and she may have done it for little and nothign for me. I will see if I can hunt her down somehow. If not. Oh well. I will see if I can remove the upholstering of one seat and then take a pic of the raw thing that is underneath and then post a pic, maybe on the weekend. Has anyone in here done seat covers them selves? I see loads of youtubers doing it for dining room chairs but nothing to this effect with springs. But most likely the wooden frame will be black but not painted. I like to strip and then restain black and clear coat it with vanish.

pollyannagal Please do not paint these chairs! They are so hard to do well and if you can't currently afford professional restoration you will be very disappointed, especially having looked so long for them and it would be a shame if you end up dumping them. Remove the shaped back cushions - even if they are old they will not be original and look so wrong. Covering the seats can be done quite simply on top of the existing fabric, unless they are so saggy that they need full restoration. Once you have re-covered the seats using new fabric and a staple gun, add a generous standard cushion to the back for comfort but so that you can still see the caned back and they will be fab. Getting rid of the granny pink fabric will change the whole look of the chairs and the walnut and cane will not look dated. Final note, be careful with the caned back and sides; they can become fragile when old and do not cope too well with heavy guests flinging themselves into the seats!

pipsqueaky Lol@heavy guests. All our friends are slim, only my hubby has a few extra and he will be given somethign more stable lol. The others are skinny so nobody will be rouch enough but thanks for the advice. I think showing the cane backs in a small cramped living or conversation space will not look good, but may actually look like an unfinished chair. The backs are not only shaped at the top, at the bottom of the backs where they rest against the bottom seat they are flat and has something like either carboard or ply wood to keep it in shape. None of the fabric is sagging. its all in place and pretty and in tact with no damage just old and dated looking. No stains, no holes, no tears, pulls. Just a bit faded. I am in cnofusion as to what color will be best? The chairs do need some little restoring cuz some nicks and nacks on the varnish. I have been stripping and redoing wood furniture for over ten years so iam really good at it with no flaws. I have never had one come out looking yuk. But painting is another story. I do not like to mess with paints on wood, i find you never get that professional look. So I always opt for stripping and restaining, polishing or clear varnish the pieces that I have restored. i do not want to damage these chairs. I want to keep them looking lovely. I just have to find some way to do this cost effective and at the same time look good. I think I can wig 300 a piece but I have to supply the fabric. What kind of fabric do you think I should use and color? I posted some 60#s chairs above that will remain in its original fabric. Pics do not do them justice, they are really lovely in real. I want those to remain in that fabric so should I do green? Cream? Blue or what color? my living room and dining together is TINY or microscopic to put it right. I have huge about 15 feet sliding doors and the rest is kind of oblong so I love a lot of space with the glass doors. I have the idea to put 4 or 5 arm chairs and no couch, then the dining and four chairs will be really close. Cant taie pics now cuz its more of less our store room until we get done unpacking.

Aja Mazin Paint them and be amazed!

http://www.hypheninteriors.com/chairs

http://www.lovelyundergrad.com/2012/06/my-spray-paint-brings-all-boys-to-yard.html

pipsqueaky Thanks, but as i said, i will opt to strip and stain black or dark brown and clear coat it.

feeny Wow, I find stripping and staining much more work. Annie Sloan chalk paint is great for painting furniture--makes it very easy with no priming and a wax coat they sell for a gloss finish if you want one. But you should do what you are most comfortable with and will produce the look you'll enjoy most. Color of the fabric totally depends on the rest of the room. Again, depending on how eclectic the room is, you could even keep the pink fabric if you made it funky with a black or gray frame. But a black and white or other two-tone print might be fun too or a solid velvet in a yummy color.

victorianbungalowranch I think what everyone is talking about is getting a down pillow or two to replace the stiff original back cushion--maybe two big square down pillows would be enough. Tthen tuck a fauz fur throw around the bottom cushion or some other fabric and tack and staple that in neatly to the bottom of the chair cushion frame and put back onto the frame. If the down pillows don't work, then do the same for the top cushions and back the piece with a piece of fabric turned under and secured with gimp (a type of cord) and upholstery tacks. If you allow yourself plenty of fabric that stretches a little and take your time to be neat with any tucks and such it should be OK.

The best way is to take off everything and rebuild, but just taking over the fabric should be fine.

This is very nice expensive furniture with fine wood, so I wouldn't worry about the finish being dated--I would use a plain light-colored fabric or with a slight texture that meshes well with the other chairs-- thick enough to cover the fabric well but thin enough to manage, and that is fairly tightly woven so it doesn't fray too much. Once the fabric is light, the chairs will automatically look more up to date, and you can add a zebra throw or whatever you want.

The other chairs are in perfect condition and I would leave them as they are. If you wanted to get funky and paint the legs or something that is possible, but I think it would be best just to stick to a new rug and bright pillows and art to update the decor, and a great modern coffee table.

I lived in Germany for a long time and am familiar with this type of furniture--very sturdy and comfy and not nearly as bulky as some of the new stuff. Keep your eyes out and you may snag a cool mid-century table or a great hutch on the curb on Sparmuhle day.

BUT PINK IS HOT right now--

OR leave them as they are, ditch the rug (or put in dining room) and most anything else granny, like that flower arrangement in the corner, and put down a zebra like rug, toss some faux mink black throws over the pink draped artistically (I know you can get these super cheap at Real and other discount shops--let the pink show and tuck in between cushions if you want) and a punch of bright turqoise or orange or something in a throw pillow, add an Audrey Hepburn screen (also regularly on sale at the furniture store, add some very delicate pink highlights to her cheeks and lips and bright pink to the gloves) and just call it Retro.

Tell everyone it is the latest trend from the US and add some funky stuff like black cat figurines on the mantel, a big round mirror, or even old advertizing or something fun. Add a round black or glass coffee/tea table from IKEA and some modern chrome floor lamps and call it good!

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design I just did a whole blog on updating occasional chairs, lots of inspiration.
Please go to: Lauren's Style Library http://blog.laurenjacobsendesign.com/?p=870

pipsqueaky Thank you all for the posts. Victorianbung. The chairs above the ones I posted that is not my home. That is the home of the lady where I bought the chairs. my room or home is not finished so everything is in a room covered with sheets like a dead person lol. The pillows wont work. they look terrible I tried some I had that wer not down but similar size. I do love the pink in your pics. But how long will pink be in I wonder? My room will be most likely retro. I do have a mid century swedish corner schrank that I picked up on a cheap sale day for second hand retro stuff. I dont have much space for more than that and the chairs. I do have a mid century coffee table but its marbled motive not sure it will work. Have not put the room together yet.

The current pink is not clean. I can opt to pay 100 euros to clean them and see how they look? I dont particularly like painting furniture as I said. I rather strip and stain. the stripper I use is so easy. Its a gel and it works great it removed it all without the hassles of elbow grease. its water based as well so no smelly residue.

How does paring chippendale granny with Mid century? I have a few of the mid century items and then the rest is granny chippendale. The 4 dinign chairs which also have cane backs will post pics later of that I intend to stain black as well and throw back the original cushions cuz they are in excellent condition.

The problem with recovering the current fabric its already thick, the space to set the seat is exact, so anything over this current cushion wont work. I will brave it and go see if I can remove one of the cushion.s The seat backs are not stiff they are actually comfortable.

I will look at that link from Lauren Jacobsen as well. Have to take my dogs to the vet right now. Be back later

pipsqueaky Ok, I am back. Feeny, stripping with the product we have here is a breeze. Its easy, quick and clean and odorless. I apply the gel and it lifts off the old stain and then I wipe it off with a damp cloth or spatchula. then lightly sand if the wood is raised but usually its not so i dont have to sand. Then I apply the new stain with a paint brsh and it dries over night, sometimes I do more than one coat if I want it darker and then I either polish with liquid polish or I clear coat it with varnish. Does not take that long and I do a thorough job. Its time consuming if you dont have a lot of time on your hands. Winter is here so it will have to wait til spring.

After seeing those pink chairs, I am contemplating cleaning these current ones and then staining the wood dark dark brown or black until I have a 1,000 Euros to redo them. Posting new pics of the mess that I currently have lol.

pipsqueaky Here are some pics of cushions, dining chairs and also the floral arm chair, the little brown cabinet I will use. the area is only 17.8sq meters and it will be both dining and living together so quite TIGHT. Not all items in the pics are to be placed in that room Only using it currently as storage. We just moved. Also you can see the room layout a bit dark but best I could do with such a gloomy day today.

pipsqueaky more pics. Only five arm chairs the triangular cabinet dining table and chairs will be in this room all that mess wont be there. We just moved and its only chaos at the moment.

pipsqueaky more pics of the small space. Dining area, I posted two of the same pics but dont know how to remove it. you can see the color of the paint as well

trc59 I had a fruniture maker once that took fine steel wool using a darker stain rubbed it into the wood and changed the light cabinets in my kitchen to a totally different look. I then used the same technique on a cabinet by using an ebony stain. Just takes several coats to get the dark look without totally stripping everything. Then finish it with a clear coat.

pipsqueaky Sounds like work and elbow grease. the stripping is easy the gel is fast and works almost instnatly and lifts everythign off its not a lot of work with the product I use. Plus this is thick varnish on the chairs.

duneya I would definitely paint them high gloss black and then a wild upholstery fabric, maybe like am ombre purple or chartruse would go great with the rockabilly style................ Was looking at the pictures again, and since the back pillow comes off, just take it apart and use that as a pattern, the bottom cushion should be even easier, I don't think it would need ANY sewing . If you get stuck, ask an older neighbor or relative, these people are a fount of information. I redid a sofa one time and would NEVER do it again, but honestly, these look easy enough, I think you'll be successfull if you recover them yourself. Keep us updated :)

pipsqueaky Thanks for your confidence in this rookie :). I have been eye balling a ton of youtube videos on how to cover dining room chairs, This has springs and at the sides of the seats its hollow, so it seems a wood frame is there as well as springs and maybe some matting or foam or that white stuff you put in comfoters? the back cover also seems to have something a bit stiff to keep the shape. I might venture to do this, but for now you seen my mess, we are not even living in half of the place yet, winter is coming on and we are leaving in four weeks for a month in France, so all this will have to wait til spring. I may definitely do the black but NOOOOO paint heehee, will do the stain method wink wink. I can never get paint to look so professional as when I do a strip and stain method. Then I will clear coat it in high gloss so it will still have the high gloss look. Most if not all of my ornaments are also high gloss porclean which I intend to use some of them in the room at some point in time. Once i get all that junk and mess out of the room in the early part of the new year. i will then post pics of the raw room with the few pieces of furniture that I will be using and ask for help cuz I will need it to arrange those things in such a cramped space. You all are making me like the pink more and more heehee

houssaon When I was in collage, I did a upholstery project display. I went all the way down to the frame. It really isn't that hard to do, if you're handy. Since you love old furniture it will be worth the investment to buy the right tools materials and go for it.

tlp100 Take an upholstering course and make them your project, I know someone that did this and they were quite happy with the out come!!

pipsqueaky Oops, i need tools? we have a barrage of tools in our basement but what exactly will I need? I hve one of those pig feet things to take out tacks or nails, then a hammer, i will need the tack gun or stapler (which one to buy?) what size staples aer standard? I am very handy with my hands and love wood and especially old wooden things. I love to take old furniture and make them come to life. So I would love to tackel this with some guidance. Where springs are concerned do I just remove the cover carefully and then proceed to responge it or foam it and then do like the videos on youtube show? Or are those videos hocus pokus?

pipsqueaky I am now looking at Mannheim and there are places offering a one week course. I will definitely sign up for it.

pipsqueaky Did you all see the dining chairs? Should I do those in black as well and leave table brown? Table extended to 6 feet once the leaf in the middle is opened. I love that table its oval.

victorianbungalowranch If you are going Mid-century modern, pink won't go out of style--and if you like it who cares? Go ahead and clean the upholstery. The colors you have are going well together actually, even with the Victorian type chair, but I wonder if you will have room for it all.. I think a bit of chrome or glass and strong color will "ungrannify" it a bit.

I think Chippendale chairs will go fine with mid-century modern--besides even back in the day, styles were regularly mixed up and that was a popular 50s thing. You could go shabby chic (white distressed) meets miid-century modern or glam them up with some bright paint.

At least you have big windows and lots of light and wood floors. Not sure about the wall color--could look nice but maybe a bit bedroomy/granny. A lot easier to go modern with white paint or to tweak the color to something brighter and more saturated. Some large scale mod art or fabric (Pic, David Lennerman) might shake it up a bit too. And I would put the Queen Anne style sidetable somewhere else--you need something to contrast with the old-fashioned furniture.

So you live near Mannheim? I lived near Heidelberg, across the river from Speyer. .I miss it so much--so much to see and do there.

Maybe Granny went to Miami look? The picture is from ETSY http://www.etsy.com/listing/101719164/11x14-retro-signdesert-vintage $35 11 x14

Post more pics when you come back from France and it looks more like a living/dining room!

pipsqueaky Hi Victorian. The Queen Anne or chippendale table wont be there. I posted it is just being all stacked up there cuz we just moved and the entire place is chaos. its a nice penthouse apartment in the city. Those are sliding doors to the balcony not windows. We do have tons of windows in the other rooms whcih makes it DIFFICULT to decorate and place furniture gruhhh. I live in Mannheim downtown t be exact. Not too far from Heidelberg, I bet you must miss Wheinachtsmarkt heehee. I will drink a Glühwein for you in two weeks wink wink.

The paint actually looks very soothing. The victorian chair has the colors of rose and a mix of greens and the base is taupe pic just came out too light. i got that chair on ebay for 50 euros can you belive, it was newly upholstered and from an estate sale :). Then I found out its a true antique from 1880 cuz its hand carved. Once I get all the garbage out of there and get things in order, I wont decorate but I will only have the furintire that will be that room and then you all can help me. Black and chrome will be the theme no other colors of anything else. the painting on wall is just hanging there for storage. It wont be int he room. I ended uip with less space cuz I gave my husband the room that was intended to be the dining/study for his working space while at home and is more of less a library he has thousands of books. So i am down to this tiny room which is lovely and bright but a bit cramped for two rooms in one. But we will see. i wont be using dining table but once or twice a year. We will have balony for summer entertaining and the kitchen is quite large and has a tabel with four chairs for casual cup of coffe and cake. So dining area will just be for show until i have someone over for a real dinner. it will hardly be used.

I was wondering if to leave the dining room chairs brown or stain them black as well? The upholstery is in perfect condition and similar to the pink embossed but a light taupe cream color. -Should I redo them or the chair frames? Bren looking at the brown and black themes on this site and I quite like it actually but would like to hear from you guys who have been here for eons.

How long did you stay in HD? I have been here almost 13 years yikes. I must like it. heehee

I forgot to say, the Shabby chic is nice but I dont like it for my living dining area, I was considering it for the bedroom where I only have dark brown antique furniture and I will need help there as well. I think once things are in place then is when I do the art not so? i want minimalist to a point and a mix of mid century and these antique type chairs and then add the ultra modern shiney black with chrome etc. I have not gotten lamps or anything yet. I think they go up last once furniture is in place not so?
#This is a GREAT site. I have been browing it for months

pipsqueaky I just took this. This is the width of the room left dining area, right will be the sitting area. Rugs and all that will all be in place but I will need help designing it to look just right. As I said, the onyl thing that will be in the room in the line of furniture will be five arm chairs a small coffee table dont have one yet, ones I have are too big. a small mid century triangular cabinet the dining table and four chairs. Once I have those things lined up and a pic taken then you all can help me place them. All other stuff will be removed. I may or may not put up drapes not sure wills ee waht feedback I get from you all. The green is really lovely in real, it look drab in the pics dont know why. But its a very lovely shade of green with hues according to light.

lionnessone A professional upholsterer is your only option. Considering the shape of the back cushion, you just might make too many mistakes doing it yourself. I have tried to upholster an odd shaped cushion myself and made too many mistakes, I spent all that time, energy, and money on what would have only cost me half. A professional could also re-stain your chairs. Check them out; make sure you get references and more than one quote. You only paid 11.00 Euros, which is a steal. Post pictures when you are done.
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pipsqueaky I may opt to do the bottomj which seems to be easy and hire out the top. i wont bother to tackle the top. I know I cant do it. I am excellent in restaining chairs. I wont let someone do this when i can do it far better than most restained items I have seen at antique shops. I am really near professional in how I do it and what materials I use and the time spent to do it and so hiring out the restaining I wont do. I can do this myself with far greater results wink wink. the top, I might ask the man how much he will charge me to do just the two tops and try to do the bottoms myself. but not now as I have posted.

victorianbungalowranch I have LOTS of books too. We keep most of the books and ditch a lot of furniture when we move. I lived near Heidelberg for almost 4 years--just a short drive down A5 from Mannheim. Mannheim has some terrific museums and one of the best Christmas markets around I think--not as pretty as some, but good for shopping. Thank goodness there is an Aldi nearby where I can get my German chocolate and other food fix. Unfortunately, most of it isn't like German food at all :(

I don't know, the room looks awfully tight for 5 large chairs, a coffee table and a dining table too. Perhaps the modern chairs can go in the library for comfy reading and some of the dining room chairs can be replaced with an upholstered bench?

pipsqueaky I dont know. It looks really messy now cuz its a store room until after the holidays. But once I remove all the crap you can then see the few pieces that will actually be there. its a tight space yes,but with the large ceiling to floor doors the light actually makes the room optically bigger, not that it is heehee. There aer two slots for wall lights. So once everything is out and only what needs to be there is there i will then take more pics. Matter of fact. I can remove the stuff this weekend and then only place what will actually be there and then you all can tell me. Nada to my hubby using my mid century chairs lol. He is too fat he will break them roflmao, buz hr id kinfs bih hummm. If I can manage to remove the stuff if only to take a pic for advice sake, then you can see waht I am playing with. The mid century chairs are small not big and the cane chairs only look but but not that big. the monster is the English upholstered chair, that is huge nearly 1 meter across. The coffee table what ever it will be, will be small. I can somehow arrange the chairs and then take a pic, you all can critize to your heart's content cuz that is what I need to hear and get advice. You lived here, you know how small some rooms can be cut. Actually this apartment I live in was once 2,500sq feet, it was halved to two apartments. I do have a stunning patio or balcony which when the door opens from the living room the room seems enormous. But in the cold months, I need to make it cozy. i want cozy conversation area. We do not do large scale entertaining anymore. Only couuples and not many 6 people at the most at an given time.

Mannheim has two markets did you know that? Its one of the largest in all of Germany and certainly my favorite. The one behind Englehorn Dept store is the best in my view, its the yuppie side of the market. there are many that are traditional, mannheim isn ot traditional, but its a great place to visit. I happen to live in walking distance to it go figure heehee

duneya I would check out the library for newer 'reupholstery how to books'.Actually find them more helpful than utube. Well. your house looks wonderful and i'm just a little bit jealous, would like to have a place like it No matter what you do, just enjoy it. :)

pipsqueaky Hi duneya, I only posted one room. I will eventually post all rooms to get some advice. the place is in such disarray its unbelievable. I will call the upholster again today and ask if he can only do the top cushions and if so, what will his minimal cost be if I provided the fabric. I think i wont go wild as things that stand out tend or bore me after a while.

victorianbungalowranch It seemed like there was a lot of variety in home and apartment sizes. Some places were very big and some tiny, especially in the city. 1,250 sq. ft. is pretty big for an apartment--I think my freestanding house we rented was maybe 1,500 ,circa 1958, original plumbing and all, and that was the biggest place we had ever lived, until we bought our current house (1,900). But we really don't use two rooms of it for anything besides storage and a guest bedroom. Never had one of those before!

But it is true, the room sizes are usually quite a bit smaller and more separated than Americans are used to--my old house had 21 doorsincluding the shed and basement! But it makes perfect sense to close up the spaces and heat only what you are using. I feel so wasteful not being able to regulate the heat the way I used to, so we keep things cool and use sweaters most of the time. Bugs me that I can't recycle almost everything either.

Only went to the market by the watertower. Didn't know about the other one, but did go to the one in Mainz and Rudesheim and other places where they had multiple locations. Great tradition, great place to take my son to see all the lights and toys and little kiddie rides. I loved that Christmas in Germany seemed so less commercial than it is here, and was really a nice time to slow down and be with family, and lasted until Jan. 6.

pipsqueaky Yes my current place is very big from what I am used to. We own two apartments one in heidelberg and one in mannheim but both are just too small now. We used to live in the one in mannheim but the space started to close in and I just needed someplace bigger. So we rented out both and is renting from someone else. Works out good cuz those rents pay for this ;). This particular one I am in the penthouse floor was originally the owner of the building prviate residence. When the wife and his got their divorice they slashed it in two and kept one part for her and rented the other part which I have. She does not live there tho, its only for decoration lol. I like being at the very top cuz I have more privacy. Plus nobody is above me to make noise hahahah. We are kinda loud :( compared to Germans. But my husband is German actually and he seemed to have picked up the loud American way of speaking hahahah.

Some rooms are big and some cut smaller, especially where this living room was. Formerly this was the second living area for the owners so that is why its a small room. But the balcony is a dream. Once doors are opened in warm weather the entire area looks huge. We can grill out there and have one of those heater things but I didnt get one. No one can see into my place but I can into theirs heehee. I have a nice door from the bedroom to the balcony which I just love but not in winter. Once I get my stuff in order I will take plenty of pics of the rooms and try to get help. I have stuff just packed in there to be able to live for the moment until I really decorate.

I have two entry ways both separated by doors. Germans LOVE DOORS it seems. In this apartment i have let me see I have eleven doors yikes. In my own apartment in Mannheim the one I rented out I took down three doors so its more of an open plan. Why are there so many doors? I guess you are right, the heaters are all individual for each room. This place I am in now is really drafty cuz of so many big windows and doors as well. I stay in wollies all day and night until I hit the bed which is warmed by a warm blanket.

I had not been to Heddesheim but Deidesheim and Landau which are two of the prettiest traditional markets I had been to. Mannheim is huge, the one at the Koperziehnplanken spelling not sure its correct but back of Englehorn Dept store its beautiful there. Will you be coming back to Germany one day? How come these chairs i have are not in the USA? I had never seen them when I lived there but wondering now if this was primarily EU style?

victorianbungalowranch Dearly love to come back some day, but at $1,000 a ticket even in the winter, it isn't in the cards right now. Maybe after my son graduates and we aren't tied to a schedule that makes us travel when everyone else does. Would love to come in October, or maybe April--museums still open, decent weather, not many tourists, lower rates. Have you ever been to Swietzegen Gardens the first week in April when the cherry blossoms are blooming? It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen--great all year of course, but just a cloud of pink and fields of daffadils. Of course the Botanical Gardens in Mannheim are pretty hard to beat too.

Hard to say which Christmas market is best--all very pretty and quite similar.

We used our Rolladen (build in external insulated metal blinds) every night, and that helped a lot with the cold--I also had curtains that draped to the side to help cut any drafts. Fortunately, most of my windows were pretty tight. Sometimes when the wind blew and it was really cold, which wasn't very often, we left the Rolladen almost all the way down, or at least part way, especially in the bedrooms and rooms we didn't use most of the day. I sure wish I had those for our huge 1962 picture windows! Loved being able to crank up the heat in the bath though. We were fortunate to have a nearly new very efficient heating system too.

We would remove doors in the summer and put them back in the winter because of the heat--only a few because they are so heavy, and our heating bill was quite low for such a large house. Had to keep them closed in the summer otherwise because the drafts from the open windows would slam then shut and break the old glass--found that out the hard way--250 Euros just to replace the glass for my son's bedroom. I offered to buy a new solid door for that much, but my landlord refused to let me do it. He built the house and knew every little tile in the place, and sold it right after we moved. I have never cleaned like I did for that house--every surface with a little brush and a razor blade for decades of lime build up and inspections twice a day to make sure it was just so Even the attic sparkled.

There are some French style Bergere chairs and old tub style chairs and oversized wingbacks here something like what you have, but they aren't very popular at the moment I guess. The small needle type chairs are something I recognize as uniquely German or Northern European--we have some mid-century stuff that is similar, but larger scale and not as padded. These kind of differences plus so many others is what makes living in a variety of places so interesting.

I think this IKEA glass table might work for you if it isn't too big. The other pic. is just something I found that I thought was fun. The cabinet reminds me of some of the new furniture I've seen in Germany. Funny how really modern is so popular in Europe, and not nearly as so here.

pipsqueaky I dont thing tbat table will work. I just found a solid wood one ind Damstadt for 49.00 euros. I might to and get it, its on buy it now and 80cm around which is about what I want not bigger. Modern has always been popular in Europe. Funny, when I lived back home I was doing ultra modern EU style when it was not even dreamed of, I had imported a lot of things from italy and Sweden and had a very ultra modern house. Then I came here and was just about sick of all the modern stuff. hence my liking a bit of the old now. Old has character and can be updated to look even prettier. I found some awesome fabric and I have sent off for samples for the cane chairs. When i get it, i will post it. i can imagine the chair with the fabric, it may look smashing.

Yes, I know what you mean about landlords. they are nick picky as hell, urks me to the T's I tell you.

My table has to be round cuz of space limitations. I will post the pic of the table will find it on ebay and post it now.. Shoot, i just realized the table is 90cm round too big. I need a maximum of 80 if not less. :( Its really lovely tho. How many inches from end of table to chairs do I need? Seeing the space is cramped? He wants 15,00 euros for it solid wood. I wonder if I can wig it, its the exact height I need but dang the diameter :(. I think it will fit, my husband just helped me push the chairs to their place and it will fit tightly, how much space is the minimum I can allow between seating and the table? the legs are completely different to the other two style of legs, will it clash? I can redo the table in a differnt color or even make it natural and clear coat it instead of stain or leave it like this. Need feedback pls. I am having a difficult time to find anything that I really like and in wood and in the height and size I need. Small coffee tables are not easy to find and when you do, they are too tall. Everything I have found new or used is too tall and too long, too big and mostly rectangular. Round is hard to find. I wont keep this brown, I may redo it and distress it to give it a more unique look what do you all think? Thanks

victorianbungalowranch I think painted it might be OK. The top is nice though. Perhaps painting the legs and leaving the top would be OK. 15 Euros is a steal. The center pedestal can be an advantage in tight quarters and compensate for the bigger size than you wanted. Of course that means all your furniture is quite traditional--not the style you described, but could be quite nice, especially with a bit of paint and some bold art.

I think you need a minimum of about 30-50 cm on 2-3 sides and much more on the other sides for circulation. Maybe the big armchair can be by the table and near the window for a nice reading nook and the others clustered around the round table with at least one open edge by the doors/windows. Try it with the one you have and see what feels comfortable or measure in the furniture stores.

I suggested the glass because it will be visually less heavy, and the shelf underneath can come in handy, and it is only 75 cm in diameter and about 30 Euros. It is about dining chair height. German coffee tables are almost quite a bit higher than American ones, and I rather like the higher style.

I like old and modern mixed together, it is just a harder balancing act sometimes, esp. with limited resources and small spaces! A big round rug underneath might be nice and will separate it from the table area, or maybe a rectangle to include the big armchair. Will cozy it up a little too. Have you picked something out?

Of course a storage ottoman is another option. Couchtisch Ottomane ? Don't remember seeing many of those about, but might be worth a try.

Seems like modern died out in the US in the 70s or 80s. An overdose of chrome perhaps? Just designers and Euro and IKEA enthusiasts seem to flock to it now, except in the big cities among the young and hip where it never totally died out and where mid-century is becoming big. Traditional is big in architecture and interior design, maybe with a dash of modern, perhaps reflecting the conservative mood of the country and a longing for comfort and warmth in the home.

pipsqueaky I just measured, i have about at minimum in one area 40cm then other three areas 55 to 70cm movement. I have positioned the chairs with one facing the doors, those are doors not windows they are big sliding doors that open onto the patio when the weather is nice ,so I wont want to totally block it off. the way I positioned the chairs after moving some of the storage mess it seems it will work with three on one side facing the doors and one with its back to the door and oen to the side of the wall and the table in the middle with plenty of movement from hallway to patio via the living dining area. this seems to open up the clutter that may be happening if the dinign area once I get the stuff in order. I didnt really want all traditional but my pretty antique table cant fit in this space now. I can redo the table to make it look shabby chic or something or high lacquer it black and throw on a glass top or leave it natural at the top and then as you suggested, do something with the legs. But I do want it, its 90 and it wil work. I cut out a 90cm round and placed it on the floor and there is ample space and not cluttered at all and that includes the big arm chair. My focul point will be the outside view so chairs will be positioned to face the door. Once I get it all in place and things are reupholstered and all pics and wall lights and ceiling lights are up. dining chair are redonen in high gloss black and reupholstered it just might look nice. A rug I will pick prolly at the end not so`? I will go for something really bold and brassy. I am also thinking of doing one of the cane arm chairs in a differnt color the other one or should I do both the same? All matchy matchy is boring I find. I can do contrasting colors but not the same color what do you think?

I dont particularly like that tabel from Ikea it looks cheap in real life. I am good at painting. i can even paint something on the top of the table and clear lack it there are a zillion things I can do. may make a thread on the table and how to redo it to get the best out of it once the chairs and stuff are in place. Right now I am just getting all the junk together. How I ended up with all wood is cuz I love wood and hate press board. I like metal also and wicker. Was even looking at a wicker table but the glass top was kinda too small table stuck out and glass was smaller than the top, looked odd.

I have not picked out rugs, wall lights or ceiling light. I may very well go with some ikea modern paper lighting those big balls who knows. I will add some modern touches to off set all the traditional and the fabric I will redo the chairs dining and cane chairs will be somethign modern and definitely not antique. So there may be possibilities of it looking good. I think 15 for that table is more than a steal and its not far from me 20 mins drive.

victorianbungalowranch Sounds like you found your coffee table then. :)

Not sure about doing the cane armchairs different. Might look nice, but you already have a lot going on in a small space. Perhaps you can try the upholstery first and then decide on the finish. It is alot easier and cheaper to go wild with the pillows or rug than a chair!

Definately can see the dining room table and chairs done shabby chic to sort of blend them in. The cane dining chairs are more Queen Anne than Chippendale in style, I think.

IKEA has a cool mid-century flower pendant light that might look nice over the table. It is the one in this picture. I believe it comes in different sizes. Or maybe a simple drum shade would look nice and less girly.

pipsqueaky I was thikning of a light like that, was at Bauhaus looking at some today. I need two wall lights but none what I have seen has struck me as take me home types.

The more I look at all this old brown dowdy furniture, the more I DONT want to use any of it brown, maybe the big arm chair remains that way but all others I want to recolor. I am thinking white may look good as well. I had intended to do black dining chairs and brown table as depicted in some shots on this site, but then i also thought of white. Cant go wrong with black or white tho. Will white not look bigger and therefore make the room look smaller? I dont like white painted walls at all. But now I am wondering if i was too hasty in painting the room before I even thought of a color theme (rolls eyes in head and wonders about my stupor)

In shabby chic can I go off white rather than snow white? Do I have to paint or you prime and sand and clear lack?

victorianbungalowranch Shabby chic definately can and maybe should go off or antique white, or even grey, taupe or pastel type tones. I like a mix of whites actually. I think light sand and prime would be best, then paint, sand edges and glaze if you wish.

I don't think white will make it look bigger--it is a softer contrast than black and so will blend in more. Can't say what would be best for you. I would post photos of your new arrangement and experiment with different colors and such with a photo editing program, or an online paint program.to help you decide on colors and accessories. Or make an idea board

I have trouble making such decisions for myself too because it is work and seems so permanent, and I hate covering up nice wood. I do much better designing sets because I can see what would work for the pieceand the time-setting and I'm not (as) emotionally involved. And the stuff I'm working with usually looks crappy.

Just painting the cane and a bright cushion looks nice. Mid-century also had a more tradional and pastel side, so it is up to you which way you want to go. The green is nice and goes well with the antique chair.

Maybe a very bold photograph or 50s style cartoony architectural or chair sketch might be the right accent to lighten up the mashup of furniture styles. Shutterstock has a lot of images and vector art you can download for $19 an image. Vector art can be blown up to any size without any loss of image quality and the background color could be edited out or changed.

Digital fabric designs might be interesting too. Lots of retro choices for a pillow, picture or other accents at http://www.spoonflower.com/ .

pipsqueaky Thanks virtorian. The thing is this, I bought stuff without thinking of a plan, I had no plan just that I like this and I like that but had NO clue where and how I was going to put it together. Typical ME I must say. Hasty and often do nonsense and then end up in a problem. I just love shades of greens in the pastel form. You know that soft light sage or some light dusty green you see on some wooden chairs? I adore that color. but wil it look good for the entire dining set? I too hate to cover nice wood BUT, in this apartment thes things seem sou tof place. In my old place which was also a modern apartment with the right flooring which I installed myself to match the wall paint and so on, these pieces the tables and everything looked so lovely. Here it all looks like garbage.

I dont do trends, cuz trends come and go quickly. I like to do something i can be comfortable with for some years without getting bored. My plan before i bought anything was to have a taste of ultra modern mixed in with some old but now I ended up with all old and I am a bit annoyed at myself now.

Then there is my bedroom all OLD dark mahogahni furniture all restored but tooo dark, in my old apartment it looked adorable against a nice rich apricot paint and ceiling rosettes wall borders etc. Over here it looks like the back of a store room. I have a very modern sleigh bed that seems so out of place. I am now wondering if I can spray paint the faux leather headboard white and color all those mahogani things white too?

pipsqueaky >my whole point is I see stuff on here and would like to incoroporate things and I just cant cuz i dont have the right size spaces and now I have a set of old dingy out dated furniture. I wanted to put them with a really ultra modern couch but NO space so now I end up with 5 old fashioned chairs. I am so fed up. I like shades of greens, black, creams, browns. As far as anything else, I dont have a clue. I am trying to visualize the dining set in a soft pastel green with either cream covers or black or even gray black but that is waht I see in my head not on print. The needle leg chairs they are really light in color the wood that is, i like the little bit of patina they have on the wodd and hte color wood is ok. the granny chairs the wood color is just too dated.

Is there a way to start from scratch and then get things in order? How do I do this?

victorianbungalowranch Take a good picture of the dining group and a good picture of the seating group and I will virtually "paint" them different colors and you can see what you like. Please keep extra stuff to a minimum. I can't do lattice (too many holes) but I can give you an idea. It might be easier to do if each piece is separate.

Then take pictures of your artwork hanging on the wall, and a few things on the tablesfrom the same angles (not overlapping), and we can work together arranging things on the computer to see what works (or not). I see you have a lot of nice plants :)

Moving is hard work and gets overwhelming. Get the coffee table and take a break, and leave the paint alone for a few days or so. Go to the market and have a Gluwine!

i still don't have my house in order after two years! Still sorting books, etc.. and spending too much time doing this. Still it is nice to have a helping hand, and I may try a similar technique for my house!

I'm married into the Army and we used to move pretty frequently, I usually didn't know what our new home was going to look like before we moved, and nothing ever fit the same way or looked the same. So I can sympathize.

Anyway, give it time. Your bedroom might need some more light, or different bedding or mirrors to look right. Meantime, the furniture supports your back right and stores the clothes, so that is enough for now, I think. If it has been recently refinished, I would leave it except maybe the bed. You can paint vinyl BTW, or make a slipcover for it.

So you want something that is soothing in greens, creams and browns that is not too fussy, but inviting, and with a touch of modern to it., maybe a few pops of color.

That sounds like shabby chic or Boho to me with a modern edge. Looking thru Houzz, I guess the term is Vintage Modern. Fortuanately shabby chic was invented by a person who liked old mismatched furniture and didn't have much money,... now it is an empire. It is the perfect style for the things you have if you do it in a stripped down way.

See if any of this appeals:

pipsqueaky All that garbage in the living room does not belong there and all that garbage on the dining table does not belovn there its only storage cuz i have no place to put it yet, some is to sell some to throw away, its all garbage that will not be part of any of my rooms. Plants even I am not sure if I can even have those plants in the living room, they are just there for light.

The only things that will be ther are the four dining chairs and oval table, the corner 3angular table and five arm chairs and that coffeet able. Color to paint not sure yet until your kind heart helps me. the needle leg and big upholstered chair have similar shades of taupe and subtle shades of greens in them. I will put the dining room seats back on and take pics without ANYTHING else in the room if hubby helps me. maybe tomorrow as he is not here today. That painting on the wall was in my former living room it wont be here. Not sure where to put it, I paid 900 euros for it and now I cant use it. Makes me sick. I want a cozy yet inviting and warm comfortable place to sit and have friends visit. I dont have a CLUE how to achieve this. So I will let you do the plannig for me. I am ready to paint even me to achieve some balance.

bedroom is too bright, i have dark drapes now hiding the light cuz its window with a huge huge double window and a tall tall like the liviring room, so light is not an issue. I hate the paint color i ended up with and flooring. I wanted a peach color but ended up with a cream looking thing that is just blah against so much dark brown. My bedding now is hodge podge cuz of my dogs always jumping on the bed so I have m good stuff put up,b ut then again it was for teh last apartment so it may not even look good here. I have not much storage cuz I dont really have a kleiderschrank, i have a h odge podge small one i got from a friend. Big ones wont fit. Its annoying. the rooms are cut like crap. I laid in bed all night last night trying to visualize what I can do to take care of those two porly cut rooms. I now have a book shelf in the bedroom cuz I dont wnat to throw it away but now it looks bad its empty at the moment but I dont know WHERE to put it. the bed is black and does not match anything. The painting on the bedroom wall does not belong there its just storage for now. The only thing I love int hat bedroom is my chest of draws which has a wealth of history to it. and its made in 1943 in the USA but look I have it in my bedroom in Germany. A long history that is also imprinted on the back so I leave this chest as it is with patina and all. its in excellent condition despite the patina. will take a pic of that as well. ih ave two balcony wicker chairs now houses in the bedroom cuz its winter and have no place to store it but tehre lol.

pipsqueaky Hi Victorian: Here is the dining set. Unfortunately, I cant remove all the other junk, I just pushed it aside as I have no place to put it even if for ten mins. Hope this will work at least for dinign set. Hey, i picked up my table today. its FANTASTIC iin excellent to perfect condition only two tiny nicks on the top taht is hardly visible withh the naked eye. Much better than the photo online. I love it, it will work and give plenty of space between chair seats from all angles.

pipsqueaky oops. BTW, I started to sand some of the chairs so they look ratty. Also, this table had a middle drop leaf that opens to 6 feet long.

Aja Mazin How many chairs do you now have in total?
And only one table and no sofa?

pipsqueaky This pic was posted for Victorina to help me organize a paint color for them that is the dinign table and 4 chairs. I have 4 dining chairs and five arm chairs and will have a round coffee table NO sofa

sharleeg pipsqueaky, good find! Stain them black for a modern more hip look. Clean the cushions first and try it. You can always upholster later. Find or have made some inexpensive little lumbar type pillows with perhaps more hotpink shade which is very today and something fun.. maybe even a black polka dot or juts a super fun print incorporating more up to date look. Just have fun with it for now. Plenty of time as you have more $ in future to make permanent, pricier changes.Maybe put some fun pillows on your more neutral chairs to tie them together as well. Best of luck!

pipsqueaky Thanks, I have had the dining set about 4 years it wa s good find at the time I paid about 500 euros for it. the upholstery is actually in perfect conditin and when I bought them this set was only used for decoration in a well to do lady's second dining room. So when I got them they were just barely sat on and quite new. I think the black is an excellent idea. I want to to Vintage Modern Minimalist if that is possible. I will push the other stoff over and then take a pic with the other side of the room. Since Ih ave no couch you can still use pillows on chairs?

pipsqueaky Oh, by the way the chairs are not dirty the upholstery is a velour thing and has a two tones look according to which angle you look at it

mainstreetschool Do not strip and re-stain. The color enhances the caning. Show off the caning by having them visible from behind, either entering room or backs toward dining area. Cover cushions with a print picking up the color of upholstery on other 2chairs, to help tie the different styles of chairs. you could add lumbar cushion to the other chairs in same print. Recovering the cushions is not that difficult. Good luck!

victorianbungalowranch Here's some options for you in dark and black finishes

victorianbungalowranch Here are some options in white/shabby chic

pipsqueaky OMG, I love them ALL every single one, OMG. the white is exceptional so is the black with brown and then the black with gray. I cant get the pics to enlarge tho, how do I see them in larger form? I LOVE THEM ALL what a HUGE difference it makes. I need to see them close up. Can you email it to me? I can pm you my email. Thanks so much hun. Can you do this also with the new cane arm chairs? It is possible to do one more color? Old antique pale green and medium vintage green? I would love to see how they will look in that color. Thanks in advance.

Mainstreet, thanks for your reply. I will post the chairs again with the minimal other furniture that will be in the room and then let Victorian do the color scheme again for me to see hwo it looks. That looked awwesome and now I can see it exactly as it will look, then if it is possible to get a whole room pic and then see how all the stuff will look color coded, that will be a huge start for me. I just love how the dining chairs turned out.

victorianbungalowranch You can save them and then open them up in a picture editor and blow up to fit on screen. The original files are fairly low res, so I could only do so much. Blowing it up does show the difference between black and ebony type finishes, which look pretty similar in the small pics.

I don't know what you mean by old antique vintage green and medium vintage green--are you talking Jadeite color, which was popular in the 20s-40s?. That might be pretty close to your wall color. I actually have a deep version of that color in the kitchen of my rental property, and I mixed it myself to get it right. And do you mean the cane or the chairs themselves? What about the table? Doing the whole thing that color may be a bit much!

Posting a picture or a sample of the color you want would help, but I can only sort of match it. And the real thing will look somewhat different in real life.

Here is a green I already did, and a few variations with grey washes. I just upgraded my Photoshop and I'm still getting the feel of it. I have been using Microsoft Picture It!, which has some nice features for a quick drawing or collage, but isn't nearly as good with masking and changing colors. I did 17 layers of transparent color and can change things by just turning layers on and off--pretty cool.

I wouldn't mind emailling you, but then you would have to expose your email address to the whole world.

pipsqueaky Thanks for the pics, its a similar green to these greens that I just found on the net. I will see if I can enarlge the pics. my vision is not so good so I will see if my program will enlarge them. Thanks a bunch

pipsqueaky Ok, above are some photos of the color green, so that is TOOOOO dated? If so, I wont bother. My walls are actually much darker than they look in pics. I mixed the color myself. In your opinion, whihc of the first batch of pics do you think will look better and more updated together with my otehr grannies and the flooring and trim which is white and wall color? Considering I will be using minimalist black accents or accessories in the room. I have no rug yet so that will have to come after all chairs are redone and painted and then the drapes and rugs will have to come in which I will more than need help with.

I am LAME with all those photo programs I always make a hell of a mess. If you think the table in all one color looks too mjuch then which will you suggest as being the best? I will have some brown in the room the triangular schrank will be brown, the two needle legs and the old arm chair will have brown legs only the granny chairs and the dining set will be recolored. Tks. Ok, dont worry about the email cuz I dont wnat the whole world to start to spam me :)

Vitrorian i forgot to mention, my balcony set is jet black arm chairs adn a brown teak table that one will be seeing when drapes are pulled so will this matter what color furniture I have inside?

victorianbungalowranch If you love that color, I think you can make it work, especially since you can mix it yourself to contrast with the walls--maybe you can make it a bit more olive though to go with the big chair. But perhaps that color can be picked up with something on the table or some pillows or something. I feel it is rather close to the wall color and something contrasting would be better.

My preference for the green is for the black or ebony finish, or for the grey with black top, or maybe dark chairs with green and table with grey, or dark table with grey chairs.

Of the others,before I rather liked the dark/black combinations. I do think that you need to decide on the cane armchairs and pick something that goes with them first. The pink might look pretty cool with them without recovering.

Not a lot of help eh?

pipsqueaky You hve been a WEALTH of help, how can you say not much help? You have helped me tremendously. I like the green BUT its not practical, I agree, the black or ebony is much much better, looks rich and elegant and updates the chairs instantly. the shabby is adorable but seems out of place with the other chairs unless I also do them white. I love black anything. I think the all black is stunning. the seats are that cream beige color more beige taupe that actually blends with the background of the big english arm chair. Do you then think black on the granny chairs will be too much? can you dab some black on those two grannies up there and let me see how they look black with the pink? Girl, you have helped me a massive amount. Maybe I didnt say thanks? :(

victorianbungalowranch Hi, I haven't forgotten about you. I started working on the living room, but somehow lost the computer file! Ugh!

I can work with the picks of the needle chairs and the coffee table (although the angle is off) but it would be easier if you got one good picture of each item against the floor and the wall without other stuff in the way, all taken at the same angle, and a picture showing the area they all go in. The pick chair picture is particularly difficult to work with. Happy Holidays!

victorianbungalowranch Jest checkin in. Can you post some new pics of each piece of furniture?

atbarnett3 I'd be bold and paint them silver, then upholster them in an unexpected fabric, like soft white leather. It doesn't have to be a shiny silver - something with more of an aged look would work.

pipsqueaky Hi Victorian. We are preparing to leave town in some days for a month in Brittany France. So it will be January before I can do that. Time is running out on me for many things and I have actually not even looked at my living room since your last post. Been so busy its overwhelming. I will post them in mid January once I am back to the real chaotic life. Right now, the only thing on my mind if arriving in gorgeous Brittany and walking on those beautiful beaches (cold or not)
Merry Christmas cuz I may not get to come on this site again til next year.

pipsqueaky Thanks albmet,but slver wll clash with myothe colors.

Sigrid Those are great chairs. Don't paint them. Re-upholstering them looks like an easy project if the guts (stuff under the upholstery, like the springs and stuffing) are in good shape. You can just put a layer of fabric over the existing fabric and use a staple gun and lots of staples. If you are worried about the staples scratching the underside or caning of your chairs, hot glue some woven tape over the staples.

If the project involved re-doing the guts of the seats and backs, renovating the webbing, horsehair or springs, then, I'd say you need a professional. But if we're just talking about putting some fabric over it, DIY. You might need a helper to make sure the fabric is pulled tight.

You should be able to produce a really nice result for a not over $100 euros, maybe a lot less if you don't splurge on fabric.

Note, your staple gun has to be able to staple wood. You can do upholstery tacks, too, but that's nailing and will take a bit longer. You may want to figure out where the row of existing staples/tacks is, (like with a magnet) because the existing tacks may be very dense and you will never be able to staple into metal nails.

You can almost certainly find videos or picture guides on how to re-upholster the cushions.

victorianbungalowranch Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful time in Brittany. It is so pretty and quaint there (and windy!) Always loved Christmas in Germany--wonder what it is like in France!

pipsqueaky Christmas in France is just wonderful. There is not much festivity as here in Germany. But I love the mysterious cliffs and sea and beaches and just the entire Brittany coast. My family from the US flies to Paris and then takes a train to meet us in Brittany. We have been doing this for the past 9 Christmases. Christmas in France is awesome for one reason, we rent a villa on the beach and its like there is NOBODY around. Its so quiet and all you hear are the waves braking on the beach or on the rocks. Christmas morning and xmas eve we the family go all out and have an absolute blast. Christmas can be anywhere if you have the right attitude. I don’t need a lot of people around and noise. I love the peace and quiet of Brittany. You can walk for hours on a l ong stretch of beach and may only encounter a few people now and then. Sometimes nobody at all. Its like we own that part of paradise for a month

unicoleimpressions Hey pipssqueaky I wld use my favorite theme and go with it Google shabby chic endless possibilities.

pipsqueaky Hello all. I am back after a long battle with getting this apartment looking like a residence. its not quite there but little by little I am managing my projects. The battle with the dining chairs are back again. So i have primed them white. I am not using all those busy arm chairs again in the living room as I have found a lovely antique real made in France living room set that is not too big. Now I didnt plan on doing this so now my plans have since changed. Here is the set for the living room and now I am in a battle as to what color to paint the chairs once the prime has dried. Should the dining room set be matchy matchy with the now living room find? I love the living room set. is so beautiful in real and only needs a bit of cleaning. It seems it was only barely used and so well made. So now its the battle of what color to make the dining set. I dont wnat all this trendy zebra things. I am not into that. i want traditional French look now. Can Victoria or anybody please help me. Here is the new find that wll be housed in one room with the dining set. Colors in the chair are burnt red, subtle gold, pale sage green, deeper green, light blue, light rose. my dining room seats are in perfect condition and are a light cream goldish tone but more towards cream. Walls are a medium green, trim doors and panels are white. Will also be opting for white shear drapes cuz of the blarge sliding doors to tbe balcony. This is one small room about 180sq feet. I PAID ONLY 71 Euros for the whole set. It was priced on ebay as 1,000 buy it now or bid and I bid and won it. the love seat is dirty but can be cleaned it seems to be only dirt and the lady wiped a part and it came off so while it looks yuck, it can be cleaned. In front of the arms on the wooden piece there is a big brass rosette on each arm, its so lovely in real life. Pics dont do it justice.

pipsqueaky Here is a pic of the close up dont focus on the dirty part heehee but the colors that I am playing with now. Oh by the way, I intend to use two other chairs the needle leg chairs if there is room and if it does not look like a store room. I will be playing with the furniture. But the other cane chairs and the one huge victorian chair is now in the den and looks quite cozy and at home.

unicoleimpressions Hi Pipsqueaky this is a playful fabric that is really doable to many possibilities, I like beach and cottage also Tuscany, so which ever is your style without paying someone I would go as far as painting this set in a beach cream and use a nice vintage textured throw on the large couch with decorative pillows to add color or even wrinkly cottage slip covers again along with nice accent pillows for color with layered white curtains for an open airy beach theme , using drift wood, window panes behind the couch displaying family photos, mount a shelf underneath for that mantle look with wood candle holders different heights painted in shabby whites and teals for color or even use an old door behind the couch on the wall adding chalk board paint and hooks to hand wooden painted framed pictures or art. The imagination for this project is like having an empty canvas where u can take things u already have to create a new theme using paint and cool structured finds . I would make it fun.

MG Real Estate If the chairs have value ,don't touch the upholstry or paint the wood. Have covers made with an upbeat color or animal print.

fuzinav I like your chairs a lot, but I think the back cushion is dated. Experiment a little and try a lower cushion, like a bergere usually has and show off a little of the caning. Since both cushions are removable , it is pretty easy to recover in a fabric you like.

Carolina Photo To Go LLC Pip squeaky Did you say you are living in Germany? We may go there in the coming months. Husband will be on Business. Got so excited I forgot to ask what city. Will have to ask.

pipsqueaky Thanks to all the posters. But I am talking only about this last set of photos to the red french sofa set. the cane back chairs I will not be using in this living room. They have since been moved to the Den and I will be recovering them in a rich burgandy when time permits. my problem now is the new antique set I just got. The wood is in excellent condition and I do not and will not paint this set at all. it has brass rosetts on each arm at the front of the wood panels very pretty. you cant see it, will have to post pics. I am not speaking of altering this French set at all. I am trying to mix the dining room set in above photos in a color that will blend with this set. I will only be cleaning this set.

To Fuzznav, I am not talking about those chairs, I posted new pics today of a living room set I bought from France.

To
MG real esatate, I posted I do not lik those animal prints no am I into trends, they come and go. I wnat something that is liveable with what I have and blend stuff in with it. Thanks for posting.

Carolina, i am in Mannheim. How long will you all be here?

Greg Drabik chang the seat covers only

Aja Mazin GET IT FUMIGATED!
It's nasty and filthy.

pipsqueaky Greg, what seat covers to change?

Greg Drabik the bottom ones

Greg Drabik the bones are beautiful

pipsqueaky What bones? what are you talking about?

mainstreetschool Pip squeaky, sorry everybody doesn't catch up before commenting. Your new set is lovely. I would try to match the sage in this print for the dining set. It would be lighter than originally. Good luck! Waiting to see final reveal of the room. Glad you are keeping the original chairs in question. They are great, also.

pipsqueaky Hi Mainstreet, thanks for your nice and respectful comment. I think those who cant comment with respect or help, ought to refrain from posting.. my set is a lovely real made in France antique set that seemed to have been lovingly taken care of. the only thing is that patch that a professional can clean righ tup. the rest of the furniture was barely sat on. Everythign is stiff and in fantastic condition inclduing there are no odors whatsoever but they will still be cleaned. The guy is comign next week to do them. Rememebr the room is also green, the pics I posted last year makes it look light but it depends on the time of day or with a flash. its a middle antique green which is very soothing. I have the round table I also want to do to match the set and then the chairs. Should I do the chairs in a very pale pale green and leave the cushions the cream color? Victoria had suggested the shabby chic white which I was about to do until I found this set. Now now basically, my plans have changed completely. This set was intended for our cabin in the black forest but WOW when i saw it, i told hubby that is giong home with me. So that is how things got changed. heehee. The otehr chairs above are now in the den and will be reupholstered in a deep maroon or wine red Thanks for your post. I might do one of the chairs today and then take a pic once its dried and post it for you to see. I wont do too many layers in case its an oops.

pipsqueaky Here is the color of the living room. The color green is actually right into the floral design of this set of furniture. So now I have to work around the set cuz its already tied to the walls :) here is an old pic from last year. The green is actually darker than this pic, but it all depends on the light it takes.

mainstreetschool Perhaps a sage green milk paint giving the finish a shabby chic look, or go with creamy white, as in french provencial. Then use the green on the seats, only.

Jean Tuck I love the chairs, they look good and stury and in my opinion are certainly worth redoing in pattern of your choice.
My daughter gave me 2 that I can redo, Im halfway through that project and is yet to be complete. Will be in our diningrm when done.

pipsqueaky Hi Mainstreet, here is a little table I just painted in a very soft light shade of green. Its a darker than the pic is showing but you can get the general idea. Do you think a color of this sort will go well with the chairs? I oince saw on Martha Stewart that she designed an entire green room, it was just a small room but it looked so lovely and soothing. I kinda want to keep the seats to the dining chairs are they are in tact and are in perfect barely used condition. we rarely sit on them

pipsqueaky Hi Jean, thanks for your comment. I wont be redoing the chairs, they are barely used with the exception of the small patch that a professional can clean. i love the chairs in their original condition and fabric and style. They will just be cleaned.

Kelly I had the same issue...my daughter and i took an upholstery class at the local college. The class was $35 and we just had to bring our own fabric. We used their tools, machines and the teacher helped us make them perfect. Total cost for two chairs $125. They had the batting, foam, stuffing, wire everything we needed for the insides and we just bought it from them.

sweetnoor pipsqueaky.

I am a doctor's wife.

I fear there was a good reason that you were able to win your sofa set so cheaply on ebay.

I would think twice before investing any additional money on this project.

I suspect body oils, bacteria, etc. have penetrated through the fabric to the foam cushions.
The foam must be replaced for sanitary safety.

Also, milk paint will provide an excellent medium for the breeding and growth of existing mites, etc.

sweetnoor pipsqueaky.

kklinton, has made an excellent suggestion !

pipsqueaky Thanks, i will have them cleaned first next week and If I am not happy with the results I will reconsider. they are in fabulous odor free condition with the exception of the one area. Form was all inspected before I took it home. Form is like brand new and has absolutely no sign of use. But will see when the guy comes to clean them next week.

sweetnoor pipsqueaky,

I am glad you decided to have them professionally cleaned, but they must be also sanitized by industry and public health standards using Steri-Fab or Microban.

Odor-eliminating sprays do not solve the root problem. The only way to prevent problems is to eliminate the bacteria, fungi, and viruses that have taken hold.

Personally, if I were to have it in my home,I would strip the set to the bare bones and redo completely!

Good luck!

pipsqueaky They will cost me about 500 euros to be cleaned. The cleaning solution the company uses is for everythign you named. I had no or never had intentions to use them in this conditon. They were bought for our cabin in the Black Forest but I fell in love with them. They are in my basment now not in the home. They wil be not only cleaned they wil be sanatized and then some preotectant put on them. Thanks for the tips. I do appreicate your post.

patsydarling I love the chairs. Love the vintage fabric and walnut wood colour. Just get them professionally cleaned and get some throw pillows.

pipsqueaky Thank you so much Patsy, that is my ultimate goal, i love the fabric, its true vintage and in superb condition and I that is why I fell in love with the set to begin with. Then the back piece is not the same as the front its the traditional tiny floral print all over the sides of the chairs and back and inside once cushions are removed. Clean it will be next week :)

mainstreetschool Pipsqueaky, I still think some people are still talking about the original pink chairs. Sorry. Do what you know best about cleaning the lovely French set. You made a wise choice when you selected them, and I hope you enjoy the set in your home! The green painted table looks really good. The softness would definitely tone down the wood table and chairs. You could leave the tabletop unprinted. I forget what the seat covers look like, but no need to recover if they are in good shape. You could make seat skirts if you wanted to. They would tie around the backs and could be removed to be washed. Can't wait to see it finished.

I do furnished rentals, and just bought a pile of used furniture from my favorite re-sale store. Love wheeling and dealing with them. Can't wait to have time to start painting and creating my own treasures.

pipsqueaky Hi Mainstreed, I think a lot of people are not bothering to read the thread or follow the conversation cuz its long winded. The upholster man will come and clean the chairs next week. I did something last night, you see the original two pink cane chairs up at the opening post? I decided to remove the fabric to see waht was under it. and lordy I wished I had not. it has the snake springs and the jumpy springs, it has straw, batting, potato sack type paddding, it has sponge, it has a gray thick cotton type thing. Then it has a layer of some other fabric sild not sure. It was all sewed by hand and intertwined with the other fabrics. I regret ding this now cuz i have ruined it not only the fabric which was going to be removed, but I cut into the springs and all sorts of stuff. I dont knwo what to do now. I am now windering if a thick form seat with some of that type of band they put under some chairs will work. I dont think i can handle this job, will have to turn it over to a pro. Idle hands I had last night.

I just love that soft green of the little table. i nearly threw it out and then decided not to. When you get your paint work started keep me informed. I love to see old ratty thigns come to life.

Hey and the dinign table will be painted but I will see how it look without the top being painted and the chairs will be painted. The coffee table as well. We have a beautiful day today so I am doign a bit of sanding. Have a nice weekend

mainstreetschool Thanks for your. Direct comments. Sorry you got into that with the chair. :( I would have just covered over it. Lol. Let a pro put it back together and update the works when your budget allows. Enjoy this day. Snowing here, but I am off to pick up a couple of my treasures to see what I can d with them. Have a house to furnish on the low budget.

mainstreetschool Thanks for your. Direct comments. Sorry you got into that with the chair. :( I would have just covered over it. Lol. Let a pro put it back together and update the works when your budget allows. Enjoy this day. Snowing here, but I am off to pick up a couple of my treasures to see what I can d with them. Have a house to furnish on the low budget.

pipsqueaky Mainstreet, I want to see your treasures. I just love old furniture. And I especially love what you can do with something old and to transform it something so beautiful. Right now I am working on a wooden bookcase my hubby got from his ma and wanted to throw it out. I forbid it and now I am glad. Its beginning to look so wonderful I cant wait to show before and after shots of it. I love to work with wood. You can furnish that house in old stuff and redo them to look ever so awesome. Good luck, let me know what you got. Sending you a bit of German sunshine :)

chairs will have to wait til i can fork out some thousand euros to redo them. Teach me a lesson to go digging in other people's professional work. :(

pipsqueaky I have opted for CREAM WHITE for the dining room chairs and the dining chair is looking stunning. At first I thought it will look crutty, but that was only the primer. Now I have the first coat on one of the dining chairs. I LOVE it. The cream white actually now pulls the light antique gold colors out of the living room set which will be in the same room. the cushions for the chair is a rich cream color that looks like light gold so it looks tantastic. Cant put cushions on it yet but once its dry I will and then take a next pic.. Here is before and after :)

pipsqueaky If you scroll up on earlier posts you will see the whole dining set and the cushions. They are practicalyl new so I wont be changing them.

mainstreetschool I cannot wait to see the finished set with the living room set!

pipsqueaky Hi hon how are you? So you like my choice? I just looked at it again the soft cream white is sooooooo soothing and pretty. I am multi tasking doing so many rooms all at once so I stop and then tackle the next and so on. I love the softness of this white. I might opt to do all my antique bedroom stuff in this color also. Its toooooo pretty. I cant wait too. I think by end of Easter I ought to be done I hope :)