“Lake Grove” | Penny For Your Thoughts

I’ve had the chair back in my possession for about a week and a half, but visitors in town!

Before for the reminder:

And the debut!:

I LOVE IT. It’s so much more chilled out now. More mellow.

I can’t believe the difference to be honest. This was worth it, and it felt really good to pay a local small business to do the work. They did an amazing job. If you’ve ever wondered what really goes into a professional job like this I’ve included the photos they sent me of the work below. One of the major differences in using a professional rather than doing it yourself is the quality of fabric. They have access to a million different types that also have been tested against wear and tear.

Thanks for the photos and the job well done Lake Grove Upholstery!

I grew up with a mother who loved antiques. For a time, she even ran a large Antique Warehouse on Apache and McClintock in Tempe, Arizona called Cheap Antiques. It was huge: one of those buildings filled with different vendors and rooms. It was unlike any other I’ve been in since though. The back section of the warehouse was a workspace for certain employees to refurnish the some antiques. I used to watch in awe as they dipped heavy pieces into an industrial sized tub to remove all the varnish. It smelled like stripper, oil, and wood shavings back there. I loved it.

It’s been a long time since then; my mother has long since changed careers, but I did inherit a couple of large chairs that wouldn’t quite fit into her house the way she wanted. I lugged them all the way up here to Portland. (Thanks David! I know they were heavy!)

One of the chairs in particular has always been ugly. The fabric on it, I just don’t even know how to describe it. Colorful?

I have provided evidence with a “vintage” photo of me and my cat taking a nap on it. As you can tell, it is comfortable. Definitely worth saving. MAKEOVER MONTAGE! (Just kidding, although if I already had photos of the after…sorry you will have to wait. JUST.LIKE.ME.

I took it to my local reupholster-er. These folks are legit. Alexander Baghdanov is the third generation in his family to practice this business. His wife Lyubov runs the front desk, and his children work in the shop as well. They have beautiful accents and are wonderfully friendly.