Dwell by Cheryl

Whew! What a week last week was! Thankfully I made it through and as promised I'm back to share with you guys the details of the wingback recliner in my recent client project.

First off, when your client tells you she NEEDS a recliner in the living space, you deliver a recliner. I'll admit however, sourcing a chic recliner on a budget is no small feat, especially when your upholsterer has mentioned on several occasions that he hates recovering recliners. Thankfully, you have a really good relationship with him and he makes an exception for you. ; )

First I needed to locate a vintage option that had a streamlined silhouette that would work well with the plan for the space. Thankfully, I was able to score this Lane Furniture wingback recliner on Craigslist.

I know, it's pretty bad, but the best ones always are. I decided on a navy blue cotton blend for the interior of the chair and decided to go with a blue and cream herringbone print on the exterior.

Mark worked his magic on this piece and I don't begin to try to understand what that means exactly.

All I know is that when I get that final text message with the finished product, I can hardly believe the transformation.

We decided to dress it up a bit with a nail head trim. How awesome is that result?

So awesome in fact, I had a really hard time giving this one up. I think there may be a recliner in my future.

The finished product was absolutely amazing in the space. So sophisticated, yet so comfy.

In addition to the recliner, Mark also spruced up a pair of leather ottomans I found.

It's amazing how a simple faux leather trim and a few brass nails elevated the look of these two.

See the full reveal HERE!

Yet another case for the value of reinventing furniture. Speaking of reinventing furniture, I'm pleased to announce that I'm a contributing writer in this month's Pride Magazine.

I'm sharing my top tips for breathing new life into vintage upholstered pieces. If you're local to Charlotte, be sure to check it out!

Have a great week!!

It's my favorite day! It's reveal day!! So excited to share with you my latest client project. We began with a living space in need of a spruce up. After the client shared with me that she had a map that was purchased while she and her husband were on a cruise, I decided to use it as a jumping off point for the design plan.

Honestly, I never intended for the space to have a nautical vibe, but it sort of evolved in that direction. I knew we needed comfortable and livable, since the family spends most of their time in this space. Let's take a look, shall we?

First off, we needed to update the walls. The existing wall color was dating things and the client wanted something fresher that was a bit out of their comfort zone. We decided on a cool gray blue from Valspar.

I addressed the long narrow hallway as you enter the space by adding a large sunburst wall piece with a capiz shell center and a collection of rope mirrors. I think they lure you down the hallway as you anticipate what's around the bend.

By far, my favorite piece from this project is this chair. It's actually a recliner. The client owned a big, bulky recliner and enjoyed lounging in it to watch television. There was no hope of it ever being chic, so we ditched it for a vintage model. We'll talk more about this transformation a little later.

In order to have a little perspective, let's check out the before.

The client requested that a workspace be added and this nook near the entry was the perfect place. It's also where we decided to showcase the map that inspired everything. Instead of framing the entire map, I actually cut it (since they purchased two on their trip) and frame it in two matching frames of different sizes.

Shortly before reaching out to me, they purchased a new leather sofa, so we worked it into the plan. It was the perfect backdrop for a few new throw pillows.

Needless to say, an animal print had to make an appearance...

Because the sofa floats in the space, lighting flanking the sofa wasn't an option without major electrical work. We opted for swing arm lamps on either side of the window adjacent the sofa. They provide nice ambient lighting in the evenings, perfect for making things cozy.