old chairs made new

Grandma's pretty and precious dining set.

Aimee was the lucky recipient of a lovely dining set from her Grandma when she bought her Chicago, Illinois condo two years ago. The only problem with the set was that it fit right into her Grandma's traditional style of decor, not hers. Aimee's decorating sense blends modern, contemporary, and found vintage pieces.

To modernize the dining chairs she scoured IKEA for the perfect graphic, yet classic fabric. She even considered curtains and bedspreads, of which she had several in her basket when she called me to consult over the phone. I looked online while she braved the store, which seemed to be hosting a "bratty kids Tuesday" event, judging from the background noise.

An original chair next to Aimee's updated one, much improved.

We settled on two different black and white prints from the Gunvor collection that complement the curves of the traditional dining chairs perfectly. The project was inexpensive ($5.99 yard for the fabric!), and hardly labor intensive, but the design impact is incredible! In a matter of minutes, Aimee took these chairs from predictable to punkish. I know she does not want to paint then, but I think they might look amazing painted a bright turquoise, don't you? Have you got any simple, but dramatic d-i-y projects to send in? Please do!

Not grammy's fussy floral anymore!


Gorgeous, simple, and fun!