">HomeOwnerNut

The idea of reupholstery is nothing new, although in tough economic times, people hang on to stuff.  It’s also about preserving an heirloom or celebrating an emotional attachment you have to a hand-me-down. I own a lamp from the 1970s with wood nymphs cavorting around a dizzying ceramic landscape that would induce vomiting in some onlookers. But it’s gaudy and bizarre, and I’ve dragged it from California to Alabama, to Illinois, Alaska, and Washington, changing the lamp shade as I go.

According to Old and Sold, the first recorded guild for upholsterers was established in London in 1626. At the time, upholsterers–like today–were associated with restoring furnishings as much as creating new articles. These days, hobbyists dabble in the trade, picking up eyesores at thrift stores or estate auctions and spiffing them up.

Spray-on Makeup

I’m a fan of wingback chairs, a fact that may astonish my friends. The owner of this chair used a spray-on fabric paint called Simply Spray to turn the faded cream color to lively purple. Does it work for you, or is it like putting rouge on Joan Rivers?

Bozo Upholstery

This rainbow warrior was transformed from a floppy, tattered pink chair into the dizzying spectacle you see before you. It matches the room. But the room is a disaster.

Rock On!

Want to try your hand at it? The editors of From Britain With Love share their experience from a beginner’s upholstery course, replete with great photos of tools, materials, and a step-by-step tutorial. The rocker for a child’s room–redone with nine layers of materials and stuffing–is sweet!

Over Exposure

Chairs trashed so badly that the wood is exposed are traditionally candidates for the town dump.  This chair looks like it was eaten by saber-tooth gerbils.

Alas! You could recycle the wood in a new project, or reupholster the chair and salvage it all.  The abundant selection of materials and colors frees the imagination. Rather than shopping around for a new chair that fits your room, you can match up the new upholstery perfectly.

I’d say that makeovers are a fab tonic for our disposable culture.

I never claim to be the arbiter of good taste and for that my friends remain loyal. After living for two years in a 500-square-foot cottage in the bone-dry, sun scorched foothills of the California Sierras, I just moved into a three-bedroom home in the Northwest where it’s been the wettest September in history. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like somewhere else.  And yet, here’s my most-recent discoveries of homes where I’d never lay down my weary bones….

Slow and Slimy

Down Mexico way, in the capital, architect Javier Senosiain has erected (or should I say slithered up?) this giant snail home. Constructed of Grancrete, a ceramic spray-on material, the home is said to be uncannily resistant to the almost routine devastating earthquakes of the region.

King Hut

Nothing ostentatious about Onan’s Gold Pyramid House–except of course the whole thing.  According to Atlas Obscura, the home, built in Wadsworth, IL during the 1970’s craze for pyramid power, is reportedly “the largest 24-karat gold-plated object in existence.”  The house features three pyramid-covered garages and a 17,000-square-foot living area fit into a six-story triangle.

The Saucer’s Apprentice

Next time you’re hovering over Chattanooga, TN, be sure to land by the Signal Mountain Space Ship House.  The 2,000 square-foot testament to life with The Jetsons has three bedrooms and a large open bar-entertainment area. I do love how the entry staircase descends from the craft. But, finally, the whole thing looks more like a water tower to me. A few years back, the place went on auction by Crye-Leike Reators. Wonder if the fetching price made someone crye-leike a baby.

Feeling a Little Flushed

The image of this toilet-shaped home in Suwon, Korea is posted all around theInternet, so why not here? The home is named Haewoojae, a Korean word meaning “the satisfaction of anxiety.”  Personally, I wouldn’t be completely satisfied unless they installed a colossal cell phone tower shaped like a commode plunger near the house.

And how’s your day going?