The Restoration Hardware Swedish Demi Lune Chair Controversy

I did a post about one of my projects HERE, and I got so many great comments (thanks everyone!). One of them got me thinking, and I wanted to answer it fully.

Here's the comment:

HI Valorie! Love the choices you and the clients made! I am wondering if you would weigh in on the "controversy" regarding the chairs? Did you use them against your better judgement? Did you feel that they did/do not deserve the controversy? I think they add a distinctive touch in the right space, but, of course,a whole room of deconstructed items looks ridiculous-and would never exist in "real life" but even though one might be able to afford that ancient crusty one-off antique, you still might recover it or use it in a personal way. Love that your choices are always individual and reflect so much personality. Totally going to try and steal that studded wall detail somewhere!
Cheers! Meredith

Haters ganged up on this chair - Joni says. "This is all wrong, the proportions, the stain color. Hideous. Can’t imagine what they are thinking!"

In case you are wondering about the controversy, take a look at Joni Webb's post when Restoration Hardware introduced a line of deconstructed furniture. The post is entitled "Are They Serious?"

Joni says "This settee and all the other pieces in Restoration Hardware’s newest line “Deconstructed Upholstery Collection” – are all bare of the top layer of decorative fabric. I mean – seriously, WHAT??? And no, you can’t order the frame WITH fabric. You read that right."

As always I enjoyed Joni's thorough post. Lots of research, great writing, and tons of photos are always a part of Joni's blog posts. And she elicits tons of comments so you get a good idea of what people are thinking out there.

Joni especially hated the Restoration Hardware Swedish Demi Lune Chair. I did not hate what RH did. Of course I would love to use an antique or vintage piece, or maybe even a higher end reproduction like the one Tara Shaw does. And using deconstructed upholstery on furniture is nothing new or radical.

Hideous? Yes or No?

I chose to use the RH chair for my client because she liked a Klismos style dining chair. While the budget was good, there were limits, and there were places to spend, and places to be thrifty (but beautiful). I also was trying to provide an collected look with a mix of furnishings. The couple is not a fan of antiques or vintage pieces.

The client liked this style of chair HERE

I proposed the RH chairs because of the shape, the ability to customize color through a huge selection of fabrics offered, and because of price. We needed a minimum of eighth chairs, and some of the Klismos chairs came in around $2K each. We were definitely not going to spend $16K on dining chairs. And to my delight, the simpler lines of the antique look of the RH chair was attractive to the client.

The chair I chose

I chose the navy blue duck for the fabric. The color played back to the navy couch in the family room. The duck because the couple entertains their large extended family, and there are toddlers to contend with. The dark navy is forgiving of dirty little hands, and the duck is indestructible,

The navy blue couch in the family room - I keyed off this for the color choice of the dining chairs - I did not choose velvet (like the couch) because I thought it would start looking The House of Velvet - And besides the canvas duck I chose is more durable for the heavy family use the dining chairs will get - They are also used as pull-up chairs in the family room

The quality of the chair for the price is great (and we got them on sale!). The distressed wood also is forgiving of wear and tear. If it gets nicked up, it adds to the patina. We were surprised at the white stitching and considered pulling out the threads. But after a day or two, we loved the stitching because it graphically underscored the design of the chair.

I love how the chairs pair with the table - The navy blue fabric gives the chairs a custom look

I paired the chairs with a unique dining table. It's modern with a twist. The legs have brass casters like an antique, but the tripod design of the legs looks modern. The color is traditional, and the hand scraped finish makes the table more user friendly. It is an oval that has two leaves to accommodate the family. The table is done by Caracole and it's called "It's Got Legs". We purchased it locally through Eclectic Home. Clients (and I) in New Orleans support the local shops as much as possible.

It's Got Legs

As far as reacting to negative opinion about this chair, I obviously did not let it sway my decision to "sell" this chair to a client. I liked it for all the reasons stated above, and I am confident in my choices. That being said, if the chair was not right, it would have been returned. I did tell the client about the negative things bloggers had to say about the RH line. She reads the blogs. Her reaction? First she said that she trusted me, and next she said she doesn't care what others say if she likes something, and third it's her budget for us to manage in a smart way.

Don't hate me

Both the clients and I love how this chair looks in their home. And it is comfortable. I don't know how many homeowners would spend $16K on dining room chairs. I might get someone one of these days that has the criteria to do so. But in the meantime, I do not think that a lesser budget should get lesser design. My job is to make it work, and make the clients feel happy in their home and proud of how it looks.

A funny side note about Restoration Hardware.  At the Miles Redd talk and book signing the other night, he was asked a question from the audience about RH. Being the gentleman that he is, he didn't bash them, but he smirked and said real antiques are always best. Don't get me wrong, I cannot stand when any catalog room is reproduced, when a homeowner buys every piece of furniture shown either in a showroom or in a catalog picture. But I think RH  does a good job filling a moderate (to expensive) price point niche with well designed pieces. Their customer service is good too, though some pieces take way too long to be delivered.

What about you? Have you ever not used something because bloggers and their readers hate on it? Or bought something everyone loved? 


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