Dining Room Dress Up

Southern Living, Dec 2003 by Sandner, Julie Feagin

See how easy it is to soften the look of wooden chairs with a touch of fabric.

It begins with a classic story. A. wedding takes place, and two sets of furniture collide. When designer Susan Noble Jones got married fourand-a-half years ago, her husband was the proud owner of beautiful dining room furniture. While the table and chairs were more traditional than Susan preferred, a simple fix kept both husband and wife happy.

Striving for an eclectic look, Susan knew slipcovers would be the perfect solution to update the chairs. Usually a slipcover fits over the entire chair, but Susan created a two-piece design. "My husband loves the chairs, so I knew I couldn't get away with a full cover," she says. The tops of the chair backs are wrapped in a sheer silk fabric. For the finishing touch, the edge is banded in a red-and-metallic gold braid. The seats are dressed in a tailored lattice-design velvet skirt that coordinates with the braided trim. Covered buttons add a nice detail to the corners. The durability of the material makes it a great choice. "The play of the different textures against each other are pulled together through color," Susan says.

Because the slipcovers don't take a lot of material, Susan splurged on more expensive fabrics. The silk-and-velvet covers add richness to the space and give dramatic change to the dining room without a huge investment.

It's all about compromise. he gets his dining room furniture, and she gets a little fabric. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

JULIE FEAGIN SANDNER