The stars were aligned the day I found my reproduction Louis XVI-style dining chairs on Facebook Marketplace. The timing was right when I popped on and typed in “antique chairs.” There they were in all their glory at a price point that made my jaw drop. I immediately messaged the seller, figuring they were already spoken for, but she graciously responded to me. When I told her I wanted to buy them and could pick them up the next morning she was much slower to get back so I figured that was it, that she had sold them to someone else who had offered a higher price than what she was asking.
But then she did get back to me….with a strange request. She told me she had looked around my Facebook page, saw that I did reupholstering and really liked my work, and asked if I would reupholster the Louis XVI-style chairs for her while she helped and learned right beside me.
It was a sweet and honest request. She really didn’t want to part with them but she was at a loss at how to go about reupholstering them for herself.
I thanked her and informed her that I was really only interested in purchasing them for my own dining room; I figured that was the end of the conversation. Luckily for me it was not! A day later she contacted me to say she would love for me to have the chairs. She said she had a large number of people wanting to buy them but she would like me to have them if I was still interested. Well, yes, I certainly was!
Without going into too much more detail, meeting this lovely person was a memorable experience for me. She had bought the chairs from a woman in Montreal a couple of years prior. They had been
stripped down to the wood and just needed someone to give them a new life. She had hoped that someone would be her, but it wasn’t in the cards.
For any of you wondering about Louis XVI style chairs, Elizabeth Pash, designer and owner of Elizabeth Pash Antiques & Decoration, gives her opinion on them. She says, “I love Louis XVI-style dining chairs and always try to include them in design projects (not to mention stock them in my shops!). Their elegant-yet-refined silhouettes are versatile and stylish. They are understated, and their clean lines enable them to fit well in contemporary or traditional settings. These classic chairs quietly add to almost any room or design scheme, which makes them a must-buy if you’re antiquing and come across a set.”
To read more of her thoughts on them go here.
If you take a look at the legs you will see what sets Louis XVI furniture apart from Louis XV furniture. The Louis XVI legs are tapered and straight; Louis XV legs have the iconic curvy legs, which I tend to be drawn to and love! Check out my gallery to see some of those curvy legs!
As I complete my 6 Louis XVI-style dining chairs, stay tuned for the reveal. They are currently in my workshop getting close to the finish line! I’m hoping to show them to you soon!
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