the naked chair – a good idea?

by Sharon Santoni
[blank]Naked chairs are flying off the shelves here in France; I find myself drawn towards them like a magnet, until that is I need to use them in the home …
There is nothing very mysterious about them, just a nice shaped antique  chair with its upholstery removed (fingers crossed for what you’ll find beneath).  But the baring of the original shape and the neutral colours of the jute and old linen undercover are somehow very touching. [blank]
As if the chair was showing us its soul.[blank]

[blank]Nina Hartmann uses naked chairs to great effect in her books and has certainly helped promote the trend, but I remain perplexed.

[blank]The truth is that jute is uncomfortable, and that an undressed chair is full of dust.  No matter how much you hoover and brush, it is difficult to give it a comfortable feel.
Last week I found several undressed, or ready to be so, chairs, and am working out how to use them here.  I pulled out this picture that I took during the summer while at the Domaine de la Baume.
 I love this sofa, undressed then covered only for the front and seat, leaving the tuft ties showing through the jute at the back.[blank]
[blank]So before I finally commit myself, I’ll be experimenting with fabrics and effects, no doubt with Ghetto’s generous input.[blank]
 [blank]But before I get out the nails and scissors, I wondered … are you using undressed chairs in your home, do you like them ?   and what do think of the half covered look?[blank]
Do tell me please, you know how I love to know![blank]

83 comments

Supergoof September 27, 2013 - 2:56 pm

they look like a verry well loved teddybear,…

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manuela carvalho September 27, 2013 - 3:11 pm

So beautiful! Love it… Hugs, Manuela

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Gina September 27, 2013 - 3:17 pm

Dear Sharon, The half covered look I could accept. Dressed in beautiful fabric a chair adds so much to the ambiance of a room. The totally uncovered chair would not work for me. ox, Gina

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Heather Robinson September 27, 2013 - 3:28 pm

Heeheehee, well I DO use it in my home but mainly because I can't afford to get some of my pieces upholstered!! Oops. I do kind of like it as I do the half-drapey thing and it lets me change up the fabrics for different seasons. I have to have something on there–as you said jute is scratchy and the dust makes me sneeze!
Bon Weekend, Sharon. 🙂

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ArchitectDesign™ September 27, 2013 - 3:28 pm

I'm not a fan of this trend personally, but in a year or two when the trend ends, it's easy to reverse and no harm done: simply upholster the piece!

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vicki archer September 27, 2013 - 3:31 pm

I kind of love them Sharon… maybe the compromise is upholster the front and leave the backs as shown … or even vice versa! Fabulous finds… xv

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celkalee September 27, 2013 - 4:00 pm

I think the naked chair looks charming in photo's but it would drive me crazy in my home. My Mother would say the owner was either poor in taste or poor in wallet!

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Carol September 27, 2013 - 4:06 pm

I'm not a decorator, but my personal opinion is that this a fad, and it's been in the US for a while now. While I appreciate the beauty of the workmanship of the chairs and I like to look at them, they just aren't inviting me to sit in them. I don't mind the done in the front with the back left naked. Much more sensible.

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Maywyn Studio September 27, 2013 - 4:22 pm

Interesting post. Going too far to be edgy is what pops into my brain reading about naked chairs as decor. I wouldn't want to sit in one because all I would think about is the dust, crumbs, rusty Bobby pins, and dead bug carcasses inside. I've torn apart old chairs before.
Being a chair person, mostly wood, I'd never entertain leaving a chair naked. I'd save and wash the old fabric for its authenticity in other art projects. And then chose a new fabric and stuffing material.

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Stacey Snacks September 27, 2013 - 4:40 pm

Everyone in the Hamptons covers these chairs in white duck fabric or mattress ticking………….I think it's impractical if you are using them a lot, they get so dirty!
I have a tufted old chair on wheels that is in desperate need of fabric, wish you were here to help me, cause it may wind up being bright purple velvet!!!!

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Avril Leigh September 27, 2013 - 4:43 pm

it looks like an affectation rather than a home to me…

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Anonymous September 27, 2013 - 4:58 pm

Love the look of the chairs but like you have reservations of the practicality – I think they should be viewed and used as you would a piece of art, at a distance, unless of course you chose the half uncovered version. They do look interesting though.

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The Blue Farmhouse September 27, 2013 - 5:00 pm

I try very hard not to follow trends and a lot of what we see sometimes is beautiful books and magazines are rooms and pieces that are "staged" to look beautiful. So if you want to live in your house I would cover and if you want a showroom I would leave "as is". Things are meant to be used…people are meant to be loved.:) Happy weekend Sharon.

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Anonymous September 27, 2013 - 5:05 pm

I heartily agree with your mother!

Sandra Bird

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Tracey Steele@Breathing English Air September 27, 2013 - 5:18 pm

I am afraid I would only ever see it as an unfinished chair. Not a style I like personally.

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Pura Vida September 27, 2013 - 5:35 pm

I cannot decide…but my husband did for me…he says NO!

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Diogenes September 27, 2013 - 5:38 pm

This is a trend that will soon pass.

It is an "emperor's new clothes" type of thing.

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marty (A Stroll Thru Life) September 27, 2013 - 5:39 pm

Not for me, but it really works for some people, so that is what makes us all different and fun. Hugs, Marty

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Wild Oak Designs September 27, 2013 - 5:57 pm

They are definitely wonderful in pictures, not so much for real living. Restoration Hardware sells some that are "faux" stripped down, for a fortune I might add. But, when it comes to living, it doesn't fit in here. I was given a wing chair that I was going to strip down for the look, but the way it was upholstered I couldn't strip it. Hubby is thrilled (he hated the idea) and actually I ended up upholstering it with super washed drop cloth material and upholstery nails….it is the most used chair in the family room and its comfortable. No scratch or dusty filler sticking out.

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donna baker September 27, 2013 - 6:06 pm

I don't get it either. Restoration Hardware is all over it, but how could one not rather look at a beautiful fabric?

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Emm September 27, 2013 - 6:10 pm

It's nice to see the bones of a chair but, as others have said, sitting in scratchy jute, surrounded by dust and probably dead things better not examined too closely, is not something I'd enjoy. Or ask my guests to enjoy. It strikes me a fad, shabby chic taken to the extreme. I prefer nice upholstery or a slip cover or drape.

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Razmataz September 27, 2013 - 6:15 pm

I think they look good in photos, but I would never use one in my house. They always look a little too grubby….like they have sweat stains or the dog peed on them. Even new, they make me itch. I would much rather see them upholstered in a piece of your old linen that has been nicely washed beforehand.

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LaPouyette September 27, 2013 - 6:50 pm

If ones like to have a "theatrical" setting in the home, they are just right when "naked" or – "être dans le jus".
Otherwise dusty, uncomfortable, with a "not- looked- after" look – as you rightly explained, as nice, charming and interesting they might look. I do not have any kind of 'naked' chairs in our house. Just like to have a proper and timeless feel in our interior.
k

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Jennifer Clark September 27, 2013 - 6:56 pm

I'm with most of the others. Finished on the front, stripped in the back would work; I enjoy seeing the tufting ties. But I've never been a girl to follow trends. I use what I have or inherit until it's too disreputable, then it get refinished/repaired or goes out the door. Still, lovely photos of an interesting idea.

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Suzane Weck September 27, 2013 - 8:01 pm

Ola,adorei o blog.Parabéns e meu abraço.SU

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Anonymous September 27, 2013 - 9:32 pm

Love the chairs: but all that dust. Do they smell?

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karen September 27, 2013 - 9:33 pm

Oh my gosh, love the look, but like you wonder how uncomfortable the fabric or lack of fabric might be. However, I think a naked chair shows off its beautiful lines and workmanship. So, yes, I'm a fan!

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wendi yates September 27, 2013 - 9:56 pm

It comes down to this – do you follow a trend or live a style? Personally, I have my style to which I will adapt a trend in a way that is sympatico with my style but I would never just do something because someone says it is fashionable. That goes in all areas of my life. I personally think that this looks affected, as if someone is trying too hard to be a trendsetter. My opinion only and I would never feel comfortable sitting on something that was dirty, dusty and smelly.

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:10 pm

nice comparison!

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:10 pm

thank you Manuela

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:10 pm

I think I am going down that road too Gina

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:11 pm

Then it must be YOU the trendsetter Heather! I was wondering 🙂 Can't do jute against bare legs myself, but I do like the old white undercloth.
Hope all your 'boys' are well
xx

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:12 pm

exactly! It's certainly the quickest way to renew the look on a chair,

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:12 pm

Think it has to be the first version Vicki just because we want to know what we are sitting on
🙂

xx

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:13 pm

come come girls, there's no accounting for taste

x

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:13 pm

I think that more and more people are thinking that too Carol

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:14 pm

you're so right Maywyn, it's amazing what you find down the back of old chairs!

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:15 pm

Don't move Stacey,I'll be right over 🙂

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sharon santoni at my french country home September 27, 2013 - 10:15 pm

hmmmm … maybe so

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the upholstress September 27, 2013 - 11:09 pm

I love them because you can see the integrity of the chair & also what state the frame is in, which yiu cannot see when covered. I have often stripped back these chairs to find very damaged frames……..I love recovering in antique linens & often dye an old piece of linen with rust stains a hessian colour……then its not so itchy

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the upholstress September 27, 2013 - 11:13 pm

I love them de constructed….you can see the integrity of the chair & more importantly the state of the frame…. I have often bought antique french chairs before & stripped them back to find the frame in bad condition, so I am very happy to buy like this as it saves me time ripping off….I often use old french linen sheets with rust stains that I have dyed a hessian colour…not so itchy yet you get the texture & the colour

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Anonymous September 27, 2013 - 11:18 pm

I think the unfinished chairs look interesting.
But I would not want to live with one.

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Magnaverde September 27, 2013 - 11:30 pm

In our shop, we had a beautifully carved & gilded Louis XVI Revival settee from about 1900 that someone, in preparation for reupholstering it, had stripped down to its stained original muslin-over-roped-edge box upholstery & rusty tacks–and then stopped. I planned on recovering it, but the shop had no real storage area, so while I hunted for the right fabric, I put the settee on the floor in its stripped state.

The people who liked it most liked it because of the stains & the rust, and they seemed to think it was our version of those rough-looking pieces at RH. I had to explain to them (nicely, of course) that what they were looking at was the real thing, not a new Chinese-made piece made to look old, and that, really, we were never meant to see it like this: that it was in its underwear. It was waiting for its new outfit.

Other people–people who never go to RH and who didn't realize that, in the days before foam, all upholstered pieces started out like this–thought it looked terrible and they were shocked when they saw the price, since as they told me, they could get a brand new settee in a more-or-less-similar style–already upholstered–from the Ballard's catalog for less than what this one cost in its rough state.

Other people liked its lines and carved flowers but thought that, to justify its price, we should have given it a fresh, new makeover–say a coat of hot pink lacquer & some funky fabric–and they explained that, since, if they bought it, they'd have to go to all that trouble themselves, then they might as well go to Goodwill and pick up a similar piece for a hundred bucks.

In other words, nobody got it. Which is why, to me, it seems odd that the trendy crowd goes all gaga over overpriced knockoffs of pieces that, when they're genuine, they recoil from. Then again, I guess that's why we have marketers: to make us want pieces that, in a few years, we'll wonder what we ever saw in them.

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charlotte September 27, 2013 - 11:43 pm

I don't think it is a good idea but then I'm an upholsterer so am compelled to cover the upholstery, not least because of the dust 😉 You have some beautiful chairs there, the upholstery is really well formed and would look brilliant with the right top cover on it but I think the most important thing re trends etc is that you love it. If you do then it doesn't really matter if it's a fad or not, it will look great with your other stuff because you love it all.

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Sheree September 28, 2013 - 12:53 am

Grey and white floral chintz, please. And I would like it nice, soft and smooth. A cozy off white throw would be good. I can't help myself. 🙂

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 2:29 am

Hi Sharon I love the shape of these chairs but could not imagine them in my home without covers it wouldn't be practical for me. I love leather and the first chair you have featured I can see leather in the colour of cognac delicious…..Have a wonderful weekend. Regards Esther from Sydney. PS all the Roses look like they are about to burst with their gorgeous blooms.

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Down Raspberry Lane September 28, 2013 - 2:38 am

They make great photo props, or if you have a spot in the bedroom to put a chair that rarely is sat upon. I do love the look of that sofa with just the front covered.

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CamilleMoore September 28, 2013 - 3:41 am

What chairs? All I know is that Ghetto has stolen my heart! 🙂

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 5:28 am

I think that once again, the decorating world has come up with yet another idea to get people to dispose of everything they own and buy something new and "on trend". I buy what I love, whether it is this year's trend or last century's; I mix styles, and to hell with what anyone else thinks. It's MY home!

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 6:18 am

When I look at antique French chairs that are deconstructed, it seems like each one is "baring its soul" and that entices me. But to have one taking up space in my living room will never happen! I do enjoy the photos though!
Jennifer

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Vicki September 28, 2013 - 7:18 am

I'm not into the look. I like fabric and upholstery and color.

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Jeanne September 28, 2013 - 7:41 am

I LOVE GHETTO TOO
But regarding the furniture I think I like the sofa that is half covered … but If time and money were of no concern then I think I would try covering the back too . I would want to see if, after covering the front in something fancy, if I could then cover the back in burlap …..maybe with muslin buttons for the back side of the tufting ..( on the back side of sofa ) and maybe try to do this without covering the wood frame.
It would not give us the old worn look which is charming, but it would give us the variety of textures which is another aspect of these old chairs

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 9:02 am

0.0

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Mumbai September 28, 2013 - 9:06 am

It look's definitely good but just in an interior book. Seems that the only who like it are dogs. For hygienisch reasons I would not use it in my home

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Karen (Back Road Journal) September 28, 2013 - 12:51 pm

I would feel uncomfortable sitting in one of the naked chairs but reupholstered they would be beautiful. I have a chair almost identical to the first one in our library that is upholstered in oxblood leather.

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Kellie from Indiana September 28, 2013 - 1:40 pm

To look at is one thing but to sit in… Eeewww.

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Jo @ Let's Face the Music September 28, 2013 - 2:12 pm

A bit too theatrical and au courant for me. In style today and dowdy tomorrow. Jo @ Let's Face the Music

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Colleen Taylor September 28, 2013 - 2:52 pm

I think the look of the naked chairs are charming & somewhat nostalgic in a photo shoot, however, not realistic for a comfortable home setting. The actual rough feel & oh that dusty musty smell would just never work for me. Charming indeed, practical no.

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anangloinquebec September 28, 2013 - 3:36 pm

Ha! I had a chair like that in my student days. It certainly was practical at the time but it always felt too grubby for me. I have to laugh at the comment left that it feels "stained" and like the dog might have peed on it…. my thoughts exactly.

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 3:45 pm

The naked chairs may be the latest rage in France, but in the United States, they remain a mystery! We need things upholstered. If a guest walked into my home and saw a naked/half-naked chair, they would assume I didn't have the funds/energy to finish the project. I understand the appeal to architectural details, but naked chairs etc. would leave only me in the "know". Angela Muller

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La Brocanteuse September 28, 2013 - 4:18 pm

L-O-V-E the one Ghetto is sitting on.. If I was closer to you, I would try to pursuade you to sell it to me- yes!

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Carolyn Marshall September 28, 2013 - 4:25 pm

I just feel they look too unfinished and frankly..well…dirty. Like sleeping on a bare mattress. And, I think they're a little too trendy. The good news is they can be upholstered when the trend ends.

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Lin September 28, 2013 - 4:41 pm

I am on the fence and agree that it is probably a trend that will die next year. The idea of upholstering the front and leaving the back open is appealing. One thing if you put one of these in your house no one is going to sit on it except perhaps the cat or the dog.
They are nice to look at but upholstered is the way to go. Another thought make slip covers that way you can go with whatever mood strikes you….love your blog

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Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage September 28, 2013 - 5:42 pm

I always thought that the naked chairs were only on display for sale or effect. I've not seen them used in any other context.

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Kimberly VanDyke September 28, 2013 - 8:09 pm

I think they are great for a photographers studio as a prop. I think it adds a lot of texture and interest to a photo. If I were to buy one, at the very least, I would have to cover whatever part I sit on. It just looks dirty to me. I am drawn to them but as more of an art piece than something I would use. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

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Pamela Bolton September 28, 2013 - 9:12 pm

The idea of the sweat and dirt of those old jute chairs really turns me sgainst this idea. I love the form of the chair. The sofa with new upholstery and the open back with the tufting showing

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 9:25 pm

Not for me I am afraid. Too many beautiful fabrics to reupholster in. I love to ring the changes with cushions and throws, but naked it looks too distressed to be comfortable and welcoming. IMHO of course.

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Anonymous September 28, 2013 - 10:39 pm

I think these chairs look intriguing as a "prop"….but is your home a stage, or somewhere in which to live?…. Interesting for a photo shoot, and the deconstructed is fascinating, but (personally) I could not sit on a chair in this state….all I see is the sweat, dirt and soil that has filtered through the fabric. There are so many divine fabrics out there, I don't understand why you would not reupholster them….
Just my opinion….

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Botanic Bleu September 29, 2013 - 4:45 am

Well, my sofa and upholstered breakfast chairs are becoming 'naked', not by choice however. The cats are methodically shredding the upholstery, and I'm at a loss what to do. Cannot get rid of the cats…long story that I cannot go into, but fear that by reupholstering I will just be giving them new territory to shred.

I agree with others who are against naked upholstered furniture…dirt, uncomfortable, constant droppings, etc…

Judith

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Joyce Hume September 29, 2013 - 5:40 am

I agree with you completely about the naked chairs. I love the look, but I feel they are impractical. I have distressed items in my home, some are rusty, but not dirty – and I feel comfort is very important. If something is not comfortable – I won't use it – no matter how I like the look of it. I don't know anyone that has one in their home that is being used.

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Anonymous September 29, 2013 - 10:04 am

Nope, not to my liking. It looks fine in a picture but in everyday living conditions…reminds me of something one would put for their pets to sit in. And as you said DUSTY and fabric uncomfortable. The shape is nice and a new uphosterly fabric…n'est ce pas…then buy for that reason.
Sylvia Faye

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Magnolia Verandah September 29, 2013 - 12:11 pm

Emmmmmm. Not sure about this, I don't have the type of house this would suit. No I think upholstered furniture is the way to go.

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Chocolate Dame September 29, 2013 - 2:14 pm

Sorry, but I think it is a fad. What appeals to people is the simplicity. Better to be covered in a great neutral fabris, and have a comfortable chair as well. I don't like scratchy anything, much less a chair.

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CÉLINE CHOLLET September 29, 2013 - 3:35 pm

Hello Sharon !
Je m'apprête justement à commander des métrages de tweed pour recouvrir mes 2 bergères…
Pour moi les fauteuils non recouverts c'est bien pour un grenier, une pièce très brute… ou sinon oui pour les chiens ! ( ils doivent bien aimer cette matière ) Quand au canapé à moitié recouvert, pourquoi pas si la toile du dessous est belle ! Bonne journée et bonne réussites dans tes projets !
Bises, Céline.

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Patricia September 30, 2013 - 1:10 am

When I first started seeing these in the US I thought, at best, this is a fad and will go away quickly. Alas, it hasn't gone away! Now I believe they are the décor version of, "The Emperor's New Clothes"… no one has the guts to tell the emperor he's naked and everyone is laughing behind his back. Sometimes we get so caught on, "the latest thing", that we wear, or in this case, bring into our homes something that makes no sense.

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Ella September 30, 2013 - 1:16 am

It is mater of taste i know. I couldn't have it in my home .The chair is a beautifully design and covered in beautiful material would be pleasure to have it in the room.

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Anonymous September 30, 2013 - 6:20 am

In my very humble opinion: I REALLY dislike this trend. It's ugly and looks silly. I wouldn't like to sit on one as a guest, and I'd never, ever have one in my home.
Marilyn in Mt. Vernon, VA

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Anonymous September 30, 2013 - 10:02 am

Me, too, Vicki! The color and pattern crowd has been sidelined all these years. Wonder how that happened? There's room for both, not just Gustavian grey…..

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Jessica Pasteris September 30, 2013 - 4:42 pm

I love naked chairs!! I think they are so much more interesting and when tufted, you can see all of the details and the work that went into creating them. They also make great conversation pieces. Soft Surroundings has an amazing one right now! https://www.softsurroundings.com/P/Fontaine_Wingback_Chair/

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lala September 30, 2013 - 10:43 pm

Sorry to say, but I am not happy with this look. The chairs always appear uncomfortable and unclean. My home is not very large, so all of my chairs are used – I do not have the space to use one just for display or as an accent piece. Hoping this is one trend which does not become too popular.

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Michael barnes August 28, 2019 - 5:32 pm

I love them!

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Gigi August 21, 2022 - 7:52 pm

They look like an eyesore to me. Get them reupholstered asap! Definitely can’t sit in them, vacuum, or do much except look at them, and why would anyone? I love antiques and bringing them back to life if need be. Shabby upholstery fits that bill! To each his own tho!!

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