The Story of My Grandmother’s Upholstery
I inherited two chairs and a matching three-seater from my maternal grandmother. It has been featured before in this post about decorating with vintage finds.
I had them reupholstered many years ago—the two chairs in pink and off-white stripes and the three-seater in a silvery grey.
They were in different rooms at the time, hence the different fabric choices.
In our living room, where they are currently together, the grey is okay, but the pink, not so much. I could reupholster them again, but do I really want to? There are a lot of factors to consider here:
- They hold a lot of sentimental value.
- I love the carved detail of the wood
- Anything vintage has my heart
- I love furniture with a story. Even better if it’s part of MY story!
- I moved them halfway around the world to get them here. I kind of made a big commitment there!
And then, on the other hand:
- They are as uncomfortable as can be!
- I would love to redecorate the living room and include something more comfortable.
- The pink goes with nothing at this stage.
- I think I might confuse the love I have for them with the love I had for my grandmother!
And then the reality:
- We have no other space to move them to
- I would never get it over my heart to get rid of them
- We don’t have the budget for new comfy couches, so why are we even talking about this?
I digress! That was all about MY upholstery, but let me get back to the original story.
My Grandmother’s Upholstery
My earliest memory of this furniture is green upholstery. It might have been the original fabric, but I’m not 100% sure.
This is three-month-old me on my grandma’s three-seater. This is the only photo I have of this furniture while it was my gran’s.
The Weird And Random Things We Sometimes Remember
My gran had the whole set reupholstered in 1987, and I remember it VIVIDLY. Weird, I know. My love for fabric must be a thing I was born with.
I loved the new upholstery SO much! It was heavy damask velvet in garnet red.
That fabric never aged. It became very old-fashioned, but it stood the test of time as far as durability goes. It withstood many, many family gatherings, a few pets, and six busy little cousins.
Does This Story Even Have A Point?
It sure does! That fabric kept up so well that it still looked new the day I inherited it 21 years later! Don’t believe me? Let me show you!
When I had it reupholstered about ten years ago, I asked that the original upholstery be kept intact underneath.
Since the pink stripes did not match the decor, I decided to take it off and reminisce over the red velvet. I’m not crazy about the red in this space, but we might as well keep it around for Christmas, right? We’ll make a feature of it!
I also took the grey covers off, but it is A LOT! They are already back on.
I really can’t believe how well-preserved it stayed over the years. And believe me, it was well-used! If you thought it might have been protected by some or other cover, nope, nothing! We used it as is, and it doesn’t show.
These carvings kept me busy for hours as a child, trying to fit all five fingers in them all at once. Small things…
Moral of the story?
I am amazed by the durability of this fabric!
Do I love the red in this space?
Alas, no.
As much as I would like to pretend that I’m embracing granny chic or grandmillennial style, this is just granny style. In other words, old-fashioned. If by now you are as confused as my husband was when first hearing these terms, let me quote an expert.
Taking fringe, trim, chinoiserie, drapery, skirts on furniture, slipcovers, wallpaper—all of that–and updating them to be convenient for today’s 30-year-old is what grandmillennial style is all about. One step too far and you can end up with a room that’s more granny than grandmillennial. – interior designer Becky Boyle
I love grandmillennial style, but what I’ve got going now is not it. The fact that I’m too old to qualify as a millennial has nothing to do with it!
I love the whole trend, and I am definitely moving towards incorporating the above-mentioned chinoiserie, drapery, and wallpaper. Will the red velvet, my grandmother’s upholstery, be part of it? To be continued…
Here’s one more grainy photo of my beloved grandma and me. (I’m still rocking the double chin.) Living on in memory.
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Wonderful story!! I identify so much with having family things blended into your own. It’s a good feeling to have a connection to your past, a memory of love and happiness. Beautiful furniture for several reasons…….
Could you put the grey covers from the couch on the chairs?
My daughter was given a granny style sofa with dark floral country print for the 60’s. She can’t afford reapolesting right now; it’s her first house, so we are going to give slip covers a go. Hope e find one that fits well. It’s just a step to far into granny style!
Oh, I hear you! It can go wrong so easily! I hope you find a suitable cover for her sofa.
I love this post! I have so many pieces from my Grandma and they are my treasure, they bring me the best memories. I so loved seeing the baby photos!
Great story Marieza! It was nice stepping so far back in time with you. My gosh has that fabric ever done well!
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, my friend! Unbelievable, eh?
Love it and can relate to your story! 🤗
I am so glad you liked it. Thanks for reading!
I love this story. It’s so great when we inherit a piece that actually works for us – which your suite has for some time. I couldn’t give it away either. I’m wondering if you could take it to an uphosterer and ask that they make it more comfortable. It could be that the cushions need more stuffing or that they need to be a different shape for the frame. Have you ever thought about painting the frame? It might work better with your decor. Just a thought. I don’t think that these are beyond hope yet.
Carol, you are full of amazing ideas! Yes, I have and still am thinking about painting it. I think it would look amazing.
I love the wood, but paint is very reversible and a soft medium gray on the frames might tone down the brightness of the red. The idea to check on a new cushion stuffing is a good one, too. We are using my parents’ first sofa, purchased in 1950 just after their marriage. It’s on the fifth recovering and I am seriously considering number six. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I would never paint over the beautiful wood in this set. Today we don’t see wood like that in furniture. I also do not mind the red upholstery. Play it down with neutral colours in other items eg. curtains , rugs, paint