Modernizing Vintage Furniture With Serena & Lily
If Serena & Lily didn't create the coastal cool design genre then they certainly took it to a totally new level. Their breezy, casual modern vibe is adored by both actual and aspirational coastal dwellers. Aside from their line of beachy-inspired furniture and home decor, Serena & Lily has a fresh line of upholstery fabrics and bold wallpapers that are so versatile they can refresh any piece. Revitaliste teamed up with Serena & Lily to restore two classic (and decidedly non-beachy) vintage pieces with their new graphic textile line.
Vintage Swivel Chair Reupholstery
The brass base of this vintage swivel chair is absolutely fabulous! While the original naugahyde upholstery was a stunner back in the day, it's now faded and tattered. That gorgeous base is begging for a much bolder fabric!
Revitalization Checklist
Excellent structural condition
Swivel function works smoothly
Buff/polish brass base
Reupholster in bold pattern
Design Decisions
We reupholstered the chair with Serena and Lily “Tilden” fabric – a fresh, graphic twist on the traditional palm frond pattern. We decided to keep the horizontal channeling on the seat back to give the chair a more tailored appearance and visual depth. The brass base was in great condition so we simply buffed it to bring back its shine.
Mid Century Bar Cart Restoration
This mid century bar cart is so stylish and utilitarian - what’s not to like about that combination?! AND smaller pieces like this bar cart are super budget-friendly to refresh.
Revitalization Checklist:
Structurally sound
Missing panels for upper/lower shelves
Great vintage patina on teak legs and brass rails
Design Decisions:
We custom cut two wood pieces to fit the upper and lower shelves of the bar cart. Then we wrapped both sides in this awesome Serena and Lily wallpaper, “Cayman Cork” in green color way. To give the piece an even more bespoke look, we lacquered the edges of the wood panels in the same green as the wallpaper. We decided to keep the vintage patina of the teak wood and brass for a touch of vintage cache.
Want to revitalize a piece to have a coastal-cool vibe? We love Serena & Lily's textile line on virtually any style/era of furnishings. Below are some fun inspirational ideas!
Mix It Up
We're fans of mishmashing styles, eras and cultures in design. Try a fun pattern like Serena & Lily's African-inspired Kuba pattern on a mid century piece.
The Bolder The Better
We're crazy about Serena & Lily's bolder prints like the modern palm pattern "Tilden". These fresh prints would be perfect on an antique frame with high gloss lacquer.
Family Friendly
We’re big fans of indoor/outdoor fabric for indoor use - particularly for young families and/or avid hosts. Serena & Lily's designed a wonderful line of stain-resistant upholstery fabrics with Perennials. We’re especially partial to the "Basketweave" fabrics - particularly the white and sand color ways. They have the appearance of linen with none of the drawbacks that come with real linen. Bring on the red wine!
Wrap It Up
Serena & Lily has a fabulous range of grasscloth wallpaper colors. We like adding grasscloth for textural interest to the door/drawer fronts of big brown storage pieces and lacquering the body in similar color. Instant makeover!
Pattern Play
Tired of too much wood in your home? Refresh a big brown piece with a beautiful patterned wallpaper and upgrade the drawer pulls for a total transformation.
Want to restore your vintage furniture? Get a furniture restoration quote HERE.
Love Serena & Lily textiles as much as we do? Pop by one of their Design Shops or request fabric/wallpaper swatches online here for your next revitalization project.