Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Precious Things




When I sit on my velvet chair,
I dream of lands over there.
Faraway lands in days of old,
With knights in armour very bold.

(Leanne Ogborne, age 6)


I have a thing about chairs. I think it all started with my red velvet chair. I don't know where it came from, but it's always been around. Growing up it lived in the corner of my room, and was the repository for many things. My favourite soft toys would have pride of place there. I would curl up on it, and read my Enid Blyton books. And when I was a teenager, I'd throw discarded clothes over the back of it.

I left my chair behind when I moved out of home. I thought Mum and Dad must have got rid of it. But last summer my sister asked if I wanted my "crappy old fashioned chair" back, because it was taking up space in her shed. Of course I did! So I brought it back home with me.

My poor chair is in a sorry state. It has suffered from neglect and a lack of love and affection. Every time I look at it I feel pangs of guilt. It looks like it's really been in the wars. See for yourself:




Obviously my chair is in need of a revamp. I'm not that keen on the red velvet these days. I'm thinking blue polka dots would look cool. Or go all out chinzty floral.

What do you think?

Leanne xx

If you'd like to read more Precious Things, please visit these fabulous bloggers

Sarah at Mitenska







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23 comments:

  1. Jill at emeraldcottage20 January 2015 at 03:27

    Your crappy old-fashioned chair is brilliant. If it were me I'd still have to have it red to make me think it was still my chair, but maybe I just have no vision! Are you going to re-upholster it yourself ?

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  2. SaraJ20 January 2015 at 04:00

    I'm sure with a bit of TLC you will be sitting in it again, reading and dreaming. :) x

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  3. Christina20 January 2015 at 04:30

    Hi Leanne. Definitely blue polka dot! I do love the chair, it is a real treasure. To answer your question on my blog: yes, we are going to the same campsite again. Have a lovely week. Christina xxx

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  4. the linen cloud20 January 2015 at 04:59

    Oh I too love chairs. A strange addiction but a serious one nonetheless! ;) Your chair is lovely and with a little gentle care will soon be back to its former glory. Bee xx

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  5. Ivana Trifunovic20 January 2015 at 05:03

    You HAVE TO add some cosmetics to this beauty. Why not looking up http://www.namedesignstudio.com/htmls/furniture_armchair.html for some ideas- i love the folk, bohemian style.

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  6. Jo@awholeplotoflove20 January 2015 at 05:03

    That is just the sort of thing my sister would say to me. Oh I do like your chair & the memories attached. How lovely you have it back & the polka dot material sounds good. I used to have a cane chair of my nan's in my bedroom whilst growing up, I thought my parents had kept it but unfortunately they hadn't. x

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  7. Anonymous20 January 2015 at 05:12

    Ah now you've hit on a subject currently very close to my heart: fabric! There's lots of beautiful stuff out there these days and the shape of that chair is lovely so I think it will look stunning when given a face lift. What a lovely project to have :o) Chairs are precious things here too- L has an old one of my Pa's in his bedroom. Dad died when I was 24 and L has never met him so it's especially special that he so loves this old chair. xx

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  8. Niki Murray20 January 2015 at 06:07

    Brilliant chair, endless possibilities, what style/design shouts you.....it will be great to have it back in use xx

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  9. Gillian Roe20 January 2015 at 06:22

    I love that chair. You are right, with a revamp it would look stunning, in plain or patterned fabric. Furniture with history is the best kind. I like your poem too. And don't you look like Ollie in that photo! xx

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  10. rusty duck20 January 2015 at 06:24

    That would be an excellent project! It's great fun to do.. I started re-upholstering a very similar chair last year. You've reminded me I need to get back to it.

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  11. Mac n' Janet20 January 2015 at 07:47

    But at its heart it's still gorgeous.

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  12. CJ20 January 2015 at 08:46

    Oh I like a nice chair too, and that's a really good one. How about mustard coloured velvet? It would still be deliciously warm and soft that way. How wonderful that it wasn't ever thrown out, it must have been a good moment bringing it home. CJ xx

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  13. VeggieMummy20 January 2015 at 09:31

    I am so glad you managed to rescue your chair and bring it safely home. Either polka dots or flowery chintz would be fab. How lovely to have something with so much history and I'll be terribly impressed if you're planning to re-upholster it yourself; it would make it extra special. x

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  14. Chickpea20 January 2015 at 11:47

    I love furniture with family history attached to it. When I emptied my parents house I kept lots of pieces that I am slowly up -cycling, including the furniture from my old bedroom. I think polka dots would be perfect.

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  15. Sarah20 January 2015 at 12:01

    I'd love to have kept some of my childhood furniture, but can only think of a very 1980s beanbag which I used to unzip and keep my secret diaries in! And I REALLY wish I'd kept those!
    Your chair has a good shape and cute little feet - I'm looking forward to seeing it revamped :)
    Thanks for joining in again - I know you've been busy and going through a lot lately.
    S x

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  16. Amy at love made my home20 January 2015 at 12:21

    I think that it needs some love, but you will give it that and then it will be a great place to curl up or put things on, or just drape a blanket over and strew some pretty cushions on. Whatever you will love it and it will love you back! xx

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  17. driftwood20 January 2015 at 14:03

    oh yes, recovering it would bring it back to life x polka dots would be perfect.

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  18. Curlew Country20 January 2015 at 14:39

    Oh it looks comfy Leanne - it'll be we'll worth a refurb, great heirloom. If t were me it'd have to be a small Liberty print I think. Go for whatever makes you smile x enjoy it again xx

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  19. Jennifer Hays21 January 2015 at 08:50

    I vote for chintzy floral, but you know me...kitsch-o-rama. I love that you still have it. I had a tiny red wooden chair with a straw seat when I was little. What I wouldn't give to still have it now.

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  20. SandyshoesCornwall21 January 2015 at 12:43

    I love chairs for reading too and snapped up a miniature old fashioned one for the children in a charity shop a few years ago. I haven't got round to re-upholstering or recovering it yet, but I bet it will be a great project when I do. I reckon you'll have a lot of fun with your lovely little chair x

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  21. galant22 January 2015 at 11:24

    What a delightful chair. Why not a really modern fabric? I think you would do this chair a disservice if you covered it in chinz, it deserves something better. I would opt for a modern fabric as the contrast between the style and the fabric would be quite pronounced. Indeed, you could do it in the modern way, but using contrasting fabrics on the seat and curved back, but put something different on the buttoned part. Or have the same material on the sea and the buttoned part, and then on the back, and brought around on the wrap around section, another material.
    Margaret P

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  22. galant22 January 2015 at 11:24

    I meant the same material on the seat, not sea!
    Sorry,
    Margaret P

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  23. Annie Cholewa23 January 2015 at 13:14

    It's a gorgeous chair. I think it needs something bold ... from mini moderns perhaps?

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