Chair Rescue

Hand-me-down Help

Assistant Editor Jennifer Bonds' French-Inspired Chair

As a new homeowner on a budget, I’m always on the lookout for a good deal, and reupholstering is my new best friend. I snatched this chair (and its twin) from the Goodwill pile when I was helping to clean out and renovate a family vacation house.

Although it is a mass-production piece from the 1960s and not a valuable antique, it did come from my great-grandmother’s house and thus is an heirloom to me. I loved its French-inspired lines, but the original pea-green chenille upholstery left a lot to be desired.