Chair of the Day: His & Hers Wing Chairs from Brunschwig & Fils

I’ve been drooling over the fabric on these chairs for the last several weeks. And hey, those chairs aren’t bad either. The His and Hers Wing Chairs (notice the subtle differences) are made by Brunschwig & Fils and are covered in their Alcapulco Linen, which is made in Spain.

The chairs themselves, can be ordered with any fabric you like. If you like what you see here, order them up! They retail for $4,752 each.

Chair of the day: John Robshaw

Textile designer, John Robshaw, teamed up with Cisco Brothers recently. Robshaw put their fabrics on a series of chairs designed by John Derian.

I love the outcome. You can take a peek at Robshaw’s fabrics on Derain’s styles here. Buying the frame from one company and using fabric from another is called “Customer’s Own Fabric” (or COM) in the trade. It’s almost always a more adventurous way to go.

Robshaw makes some great prints. Want some? They’re available from me! Just shoot me an email with your style and quantity and I’ll write up a very reasonable quote.

5 Ways: Coordinating fabrics

Have you ever walked into a home and drooled over the way all the fabrics were pulled together perfectly? I have. Surprisingly, it’s not that difficult to do. You don’t need to be a proper interior designer to figure it out. It just takes a bit of practice and an eye for proportion.

The best place to start is with a clear idea of what overall look you’re going for. Will it be a feminine room or masculine? Here are some tips to show you how you to coordinate fabrics perfectly to create those different looks – all using the same fabric as a starting point.

Creating different looks with one fabric

I’m starting with this funky linen fabric from Jim Thompson. It’s called Night Jasmine. It comes in five colors – this one is Aquamarine. This could be used for curtains, a duvet cover, slip cover, pillows, etc…

1. Masculine

It is possible to create a masculine look with a floral – especially one like this that’s a little wild. It’s not so froo froo. To create the look, I used darker colors to coordinate by using a solid brown upholstery weight fabric from Duralee called Armand. The texture will give a sofa more depth. I chose a stripe next. Schumacher’s Seneca Cotton Stripe stripe is wide enough to stand up to the boldness of Night Jasmine. Something too thin would look skimpy. Use this in a family room, living room – even a bedroom.

2. Feminine Stripe

Here, I’ve done a bit of the reverse, creating an instantly more feminine look. This Swing Stripe, from Schumacher, picks up on the rose color as well as the brown. The Byron eyelet, from Fabricut, adds to the feminine look. Again, it’s not so dainty that it won’t hold up. Use the eyelet on windows. Team it with a solid for pillows. I’m thinking bedroom.

3. Rosie wallpaper

This is a fun option for a bedroom or even a den, or other room with some paneling mixed in. I’m envisioning Night Jasmine for side panels at the window. Next, a white cotton duck (this one from Pindler & Pindler) for roman shades with Robert Allen’s Al Fresco Ball trim at the bottom. Use solids for the furniture because we’re creating a huge WOW factor on the walls with Isabella, a large-scaled wallpaper from Graham & Brown.

4. Super-Bold Suzani

This is a little over the edge, so give me your opinion. I’m going for super-bold in a large room. Night Jasmine is on the window again becasue this huge Suzani (46″ vertical repeat) Teodolinda from Rubelli is on an over-sized sofa. I’ve shown the overall print in the corner. I’ve pulled the yellow out with this Suffolk Check from Schumacher.

5. Sophisticated Feminine

Can you use two florals in the same room? Of course! Just pay attention to location. Night Jasmine at the window and bed with Crewel Birds from Schumacher (sorry, discontinued) on a pillow nearby. It will sit on a slip-covered chair covered in white duck. Buron eyelet, from Fabricut, for shades on the window trimmed with Robert Allen’s Al Fresco Bead. This is going in a bedroom I’m working on now.

Coordinating Tips

• Let scale be your guide. A large print needs a mid to large-scaled stripe or check or floral to go with it. You can go larger or smaller. The key is to be aware of what you’re putting where. A small check on a huge print will disappear.
• Let color fix the mood. Traditionally, browns and blues are more manly, roses more girlie. Having said that, a warmer red will be more masculine than a cooler one.
• Texture is important. If you’re using a solid with a large print, a slubby or tweedy texture will be more butch than an eyelet or softly draping fabric. Again, think about the mood.
• Mix patterns up – even florals. This is a tougher thing to accomplish correctly. Just practice at the store. The easiest way to get this right is to use one print with lots of colors and the other with only two.

Do you have a tip for coordinating fabrics? Let’s get a good list going. I’m always looking for good advice – I never stop learning.

Have a Happy Fourth!

Here in the US we’re celebrating our Independence Day – otherwise known as The Fourth of July. Should I sew up a dress with Fireworks fabric designed by Jessica? Wear red, white & blue? Such decisions!

Fireworks, a picnic and my art project are on my To-Do list this fine weekend. What’s on yours?

How to make Batik fabrics

Yesterday I wrote a post featuring the beautiful batik designs availalbe at Etsy’s Brilliant Batik shop. Zyhan, the artist who creates these fabrics has generously given me step-by-step instructions so we can all try it ourselves.

Making your own Batiks

Here are my most simple steps for hand painted batik using wax.

1. Choose the most suitable fabric for dyeing. I always use a colorful, high weighted silk and cotton for better penetration of the wax. It can be a bit pricey but the results are brilliant.

2. We need to prepare the fabric for drawing. Pre-wash and ironed it. Then, stretch it onto a frame. You can use a cookie sheet and paper clips or anything else – so long as the fabric is stretched.

3. Draw your design on the fabric using a pencil. Then, use a ‘chanting tool’, filled with hot wax to trace over your drawing. Remember, you are applying wax to cover the area that you want to remain the original color.

4. Chanting’ takes some skill for the beginner. Always keep the wax hot. The ideal mixture for beginners is 30% beeswax to 70% paraffin. The wax line should be as thin as possible for the best result.

5. Next is the dyeing process. First, leave the traced wax to cool completely. Ordinary cold-water dyes are the best for beginners. Start with the lightest color, then darker tones. You may also use fiber reactive dye colors in the process.

6. Removing the wax can be tricky. Patience is the key. Remove it with a mixture of cold water and liquid soap, or use Synthrapol. Take care not to harm the cloth.

7. Wash the finished fabric with cold water and allow it to dry in the air. You now have your batik creation ready to suit your purpose!

Resources

Thanks, ZyHan! There are a number of shops that sell Batik waxes and the drawing pen.

1. Dick Blick

2. Dharma Trading Company

3. Maiwa Supply

Are you ready to give this a try? I’ve made a scarf and can report that it’s not hard to do. It’s fun to do with a group of friends and would make a great project for a party.