IT HAD A BOLD SOUL UNDERNEATH ALL THE DAINTY, PINK FLOWERS

I always love seeing a total transformation of a dowdy piece of furniture, especially when the entire being of a piece seems to transform; the wood becomes richer with a good coat polish, highlighting design aspects I never even noticed, and somehow the piece seems to come into its own, taking on new life.

This loveseat certainly seemed to come into its own when reupholstered and cleaned up, and I had to share the before and after photos.

The seam down the middle of this piece just pained me, making it feel stubby and disjointed.  That just had to go.  Luckily the piece measured at just the right size to allow for one width of fabric, no seam!  And of course in addition to just being dirty and grimy, the fabric was just a bit too delicate for the piece.

My client wanted bold color, but we also needed to be sure the piece worked with black ans white elements throughout the rest of the project.  As I browsed through fabrics, I came across this one, and just felt a connection between the French and Indian history and this piece.  It was just right.  I began to consider it and thought- The first time I heard of 'French India' I was quite perplexed.  The British Raj is certainly familiar to me, but the French in India?  In fact the French established a number outposts on the subcontinent in the late 1600s, and a little bit of France is still evident in these areas.  The marriage of French and Indian culture is evident in this settee; a typical French Louis XV (or French Rococo) form, now covered in a wonderful Indian chintz (a print with a hint of the Middle East, another region the French favored).