And the winner is...
... but first a word from our sponsor ;)
HGTV and DIY T.V. have good shows, then there is the bad and the ugly. My reason for calling some of them ugly is that they scrap EVERYTHING from the room – the stuff that should have been donated or trashed years ago, but also the personality of the people that live there. Sure the final results are awe-inspiring, but are they about the client, or about making the host/network look hip and “design-worthy”? The shows (designers) I like to watch - I ENJOY the process as much as the results. They understand that sometimes a vintage piece (re-purposed, repainted….) is the perfect, unique statement for a room. It also makes it feel curated over time, rather than Vegas’d together for a finale. That is one of the reasons I decided to have an “Ugly Chair Contest” for the month of September (keep reading to find out who won).
The way I see it, we are the sum of our parts (even the ones we wish we could change). My grandma passed away before I was one. Everyone tells me I’m a lot like her. Besides her day job as a teacher, she designed her home interiors (my grandfather designed their beautiful mid-century modern home), was an amazing cook (had multitudes of her recipes published in Sunset), was an avid floral designer - among many other talents. It thrills me beyond words that I have two of her slipper chairs in my living room to remind me of her. They used to be covered in an orange, raw silk and after she passed they came to this house to be loved by her siblings. I remember Christmas mornings at my Aunt and Uncle’s – they would sit on the orange chairs while my brother and I sat on the floor
opening our presents. Does having them reupholstered in any way diminish my memories? Not in the slightest – in fact, I think my grandmother would be proud to see how fresh and modern they are in their new finery.
So finally.... the winner is... Sallianne Acosta.
The chair used to be her mother's and she thought she had to throw it out because the seat was broken. Even an estate sale person told her to toss it. I want to show her (and you) that we can make it beautiful again and make it part of her interiors for years to come. Keep your eye out for the "After" picture!
I think pieces that have beautiful memories attached shouldn’t always be thrown away – sometimes they just need some TLC and they can keep the old memories without refraining from making new ones. Do you have a piece that you want to hold onto for sentimental value, but you’re not sure if it can be updated to work? Let’s meet to discuss the possibilities. Contact me through my website http://www.the-silver-lining.com or emailing me directly at info@the-silver-lining.com
Remember to always look for the silver lining.
Avril Martin
