A New Baby. An Old Friend.
A lot of what comes with a new baby is brand new, but new mom Nicole Regan, who writes Cedar + Rush, a Chicago style and entertainment blog, also discovered new appreciation for something old – her mother’s heirloom armchair. This old friend had been part of the family for years, variously spending time in the living room, the family room, the bedroom, and even storage (twice); it did duty during story time (when Nicole was a toddler), as a homework chair (when Nicole was in school) and as a TV and afternoon nap chair (regularly, as both Nicole and her mother Cindy agree it’s always been the most comfy chair in the house). But after 37 years, the chair deserved a makeover – and Nicole (and her mother) turned to Calico.
Why did you choose Calico to help refresh this cherished family heirloom?
Calico has been a go to in our family for YEARS. My mom just used Calico to dress all her windows in her kitchen, living room and bathroom. The results were a knock out! Given your reputation, incredibly helpful (and somehow FREE!) interior design services and quality fabrics, using Calico to reupholster our family chair was a no brainer.
Which fabrics were you drawn to when coming to Calico for this project?
As much as we wanted the chair to be stylish, it needed to fit with our new lifestyle as well. Christine, the manager of Calico’s Barrington, IL location, led us straight to the Performance Fabrics. Between my baby girl, Penelope (my mom’s new granddaughter!) and our dog, it needed to be messy-hand and dirty-paw friendly!
Nicole (front) and her mother Cindy (back) visited the Calico Barrington, IL location to begin their project.
Calico has over 5,000 carefully curated fabrics and friendly people who can help you with where to begin – or handle the process from beginning to end.
At Calico, you don’t just pick out a chair – it’s about picking out special details that give every piece your distinct personality. It’s a process that’s both rewarding and fun.
Why are Calico’s performance fabric’s so important to you when choosing to reupholster this piece of furniture?
There are over a thousand options and the ability to actually use your chair stress free, is what makes our chair enjoyable! No one wants to walk (or should I say sit) on eggshells when you get a new piece of furniture. Whether it’s a toddler climbing on the arms, drinking red wine or curling up with a cup of hot cocoa, we can relax and enjoy the chair equally as much as when it was tattered and out of date. We fell in love with the black and white patterns. The Crypton fabric called Panic-Chess is out of this WORLD.
What made you decide to restore your chair instead of buying a new one, and what benefits did you see in taking this approach?
Memories are PRICELESS and something money can’t buy with new furniture. So repurposing a chair that’s been in our family for years was VERY important in keeping our tradition alive. Not only does it look fresh and modern, but now my daughter, Penelope, gets to sit on grandma’s lap in the SAME EXACT CHAIR I sat in with my mom growing up! Keeping a family heirloom in our family is something I will cherish forever.
Nicole and Cindy selected Panic Chess, a stain-resistant Crypton performance fabric. Calico stocks over 1,000 performance fabrics.
Details, details, details. It’s not just a cool fabric that makes a statement. Nicole and Cindy added accents that define the chair shape, with complementary custom pipping in Wexford Linen in black, and matching lumbar pillows with a trellis band to top it off.
What advice would you give to someone using Calico’s free interior design services for the first time?
TRUST the experts. They do this every day and KNOW what they’re doing. They are especially great at visualizing the product as a whole and how the tiny details (like trim, fabrics, pillows and more) all come together cohesively.
Finally, what is the next home project you’re thinking of tackling that will involve Calico?
Our tiny breakfast nook! I love when small rooms make a BIG statement. It’s like a surprise! We just spruced up this bright room, right off the kitchen, and the seating and windows are completely bare. Some colorful window treatments and seating would make guests gasp when they see it!
What does it take to give an old friend new personality? Calico’s free design services.
Good design not only works beautifully with the room, but works beautifully for the people who enjoy it.
Photography by Mary McCoy at Wonder & Awe.
