Granddad’s old accent chairs

the chairs as we got from dada-dadi's house

My husband and I inherited a pair of his grandfather’s old accent chairs. They were quite famous in 60’s and 70’s, quite predictably part of the modern design trend seen in interiors around that period in India (I dare say…judging by the simple straight line design) and probably the last remaining would still be in existence among the stockpile of furniture in the old army houses.
I grew up with quite a few of them as an ‘army brat’ (proud of it as hell)…and every time, mom called the MES people... (part of the army’s set up that handles the housing and other needs of the army) to change the upholstery…it was predictably either a deep maroon or a orange and may be a grey once in a while.
These chairs were special in more than one ways. I wanted to restore them to their original glory, like I had seen in so many of dada and dadi’s photographs. They had great basic design, so what I decided to do was just change the cushioning inside and find a fabric to upholster it with. A great upholsterer would do the job. The challenging part was finding the right fabric to co-ordinate it with rest of my collection of furniture. It was this decision that kept this project shelved for the longest time ever
One day at the furnishings store …Seasons I saw a cream color fabric. It looked like synthetic damask…with a mix of botanical and animal patterns on it. After some thought…that is what I chose for the chairs. An additional detailing that I later ended up adding was wide headed brass pins. I really like them for the simple reason that as they tarnish …the piece gets a graceful elegance.
I like the chairs and how I could save their simple lines of modernism …and the upholstery giving it the classic look. the reupholstered version