People often ask me why I like to paint old furniture. They associate this hobby of mine with my mesmerization of past eras that has drawn me to the vintage style and fashion culture. That is all accurate and true, but there is a deeper reason. The best way I can explain my love for refurbishing old furniture it is that it gives the chance for something to become beautiful again.
From a practical side, it also gives me a platform to create something that may not be available in stores but that I’m picturing in my mind. The intricate details and craftsmanship of antique furniture is a lost art these days and I like to be a part of a movement that tries to preserve the quality and charm of these works of art, all the while adding a unique expression to it.
I thought I’d honour my favourite therapeutic hobby by paying homage to the first piece of furniture I ever painted.
I picked up this Victorian chair from an antique store in St-Jacobs Village in 2011. It was dark and the fabric was worn and torn, but all I could see was a second life for this disregarded piece of furniture that was buried away in the corner of a cluttered antique shop.
Originally, I wanted to paint this chair turquoise and choose a vibrant floral pattern, but I thought it would be best to play it safe for my first furniture project. If anything, it would be practice. I decided to make my chair subtle, soft and classic so I gave it a bright and airy transformation thanks to some ivory paint and a luxurious jade green fabric.
I loved the way my chair turned out and I loved how much I enjoyed doing this. This first experience opened the door to all the other furniture projects that followed because it proved that anything can be turned into something creative, unique and beautiful if you just gave it a second chance.
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