2015 CORONADO HISTORIC HOME TOUR

The City of Coronado was incorporated in 1890, and is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.  This Sunday, Mother's Day, is the Coronado Historic Home Tour.  The homes on the tour represent six of the styles of architecture that built Coronado.  Those on the tour include Mid-Century Modern, Palmer, Spanish Eclectic, Tudor, Craftsman and Spanish Revival.  

In addition to these six, there are five other (addresses provided in your ticket booklet for 'drive-by' touring) typical styles constructed here over the last 12 decades, and those are: Victorian, Mission Revival, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts and Pueblo Revival.

I have the great fortune of having done work in 3 of the 6 houses this year!  And in the picture above, the Tudor, I did the sofa slipcover to the left and the chair and ottoman in the center of the picture.  

Also, as seen above in the picture to the bottom left, in the living room, I made the pillows, and the bottom right shows the outside patio in the back of the house, where I did the cushions.  There are also various other window treatments, bedding, etc. that I have done over the last 10 or more years.

The other two homes I have work in are the Craftsman and the Spanish Eclectic.

If you live locally in San Diego, I highly recommend you come to Coronado on Sunday and enjoy the  exquisite homes on the tour.  The hours are 11 am to 4 pm, and tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 1100 Orange Avenue.  Check out the web site for more information:  www.coronadohistory.org.

PACIFIC BEACH CUSHIONS AND PILLOWS

This vintage rattan chair and ottoman got new covers!

I forgot to look at the selvage to see the mill and pattern name of this fabric.  Sorry about that.  I do know it is an outdoor fabric (but not Sunbrella) and so is pretty indestructible.

The pattern was fairly large, so to take advantage of all the different scenes, I did not match the seat, back and ottoman pieces.  Also, if you turn them over, they still do not match.  Fronts and backs are all different.  It was the only way to not completely waste fabric.

From the side

I also made a couple of covers for the throw pillows my client already had.

There are also two 19" x 16" pillows in a tweed-y fabric for the newly reupholstered vintage rattan sofa.  I did not take a close-up, so they are only visible to the far sides of the pictures.  Again, sorry about that.

My client wanted me to slipcover this piece, but what you cannot see is how impossible this would have been.  It actually folds out flat, kind of like a futon.  A slipcover would not have worked.

This is the fabric that was on it before and the temporary solution that we came up with 4 or 5 years ago to put off having the sofa recovered at that point.  I made a sort of 'slip' that tied on the sides.  We were not trying to hide the fact that it was a slip, just extending the life of the sofa.

It worked very well, but the time came to do it properly.  And my client's husband had always wanted a green sofa, which it finally is.

This home in Pacific Beach is my clients' winter home; that is, they are here in winter to get out of the cold and snow of Rhode Island.  

WHITE DENIM, SLEEPER SOFA

When my client called, she originally thought she only wanted arm covers for her existing slipcover.  The slipcover, also in white denim, was 20 years old, though!  There was no way to just make arm covers because there was no way to match the fabric.  No matter how close the color, fabric that is 20 years old will never look anything but old beside a new fabric.

So we ordered new fabric.  I'd say she got her money's worth from her old one!

This sofa was already in the center of the room with the back showing and perfect for a button-back.  The husband said, no way.  He wanted it exactly as the old one was, and that meant a zipper right down the center of the back.  Not what I would have done, but I do what the client wants.

There is a table that goes behind the sofa, so it won't show as much as it does in the photo.

And even though they have never had a guest sleep on the sofa bed, I put the zipper in the deck so that they have that option.  Otherwise, the entire slipcover would have to be removed to pull the bed out.  At least it is accessible this way.

The pictures above and below are cushions I did for them 10 or 11 years ago!  They still look great!  Sunbrella is a wonderful fabric!

NEW CUSHIONS FOR WICKER SOFA AND CHAIRS

This is the second time I have done this sofa and chairs.  Last time, 3 or 4 years ago, my client chose a tiny blue pinstripe.   This time it is a golden yellow interlocking chain print.  As I was telling her, in some ways a pattern like this is easier, and in some ways, harder to work with.

It makes it easier to cut out, especially when the pattern is so even, as this one is.  And it didn't hurt that it is an outdoor fabric and has a lot of body to it.

What makes it a bit more challenging is it has to be matched more perfectly.

The living room

I matched it pretty dang well, if I do say so myself, and I do!!  My client was impressed and happy with the new color and the brightness it brought to the room.  Can't ask for more than that!

NEW LIFE FOR OLD FURNITURE

My clients moved from the suburbs of Minneapolis to Coronado, and though they had furniture that worked well here, the fabrics did not.  

This linen is much lighter and airier than the dark brown paisley that these chairs were wearing before.

The challenge (is there ever NOT a challenge in my jobs?) for the back cushions was they snapped on to the chairs.  The little tabs were sewn into a seam about 4" down from the top and went around the back and snapped underneath.  The only way to make this work was to cut off the tabs, cover them with the new fabric and leave just the snap head out.  Because of where they snap, you cannot see the little bit of original fabric that shows.

This bench in the hallway is from IKEA and the cushion is velcroed to the top.  If I've never mentioned it before--I HATE VELCRO--and avoid using it at all costs.  In this case, however, the solution was to cut the existing Velcro off and sew it on the new bottom piece, so the cushion stays in place.

I do not normally do upholstery, but dining chair seats are usually doable.   Let's just say these 6 chairs were a big, fat pain and took about 20 hours to remove the old fabric and all the staples.

Again, this fabric adds a lightness to the room.  And the existing yellow tablecloth matches the new seat covers.

Best of all, my clients love the new look.

GOOD OLD SUNBRELLA

My client got these cushions at Pottery Barn for a ridiculously low price.  The only problem was the color…it was bright green and not what she wanted.  Luckily, she knew the solution was to slipcover them.  Problem solved!

We ordered the fabric from Outdoor Fabrics, which has every conceivable Sunbrella made and at great prices.

I did these two chaises last year.

Then a few weeks ago, after attempting to wash these round cushions, my client realized new covers for the three of them were warranted.  

Fortunately, the fabric was still available.  Now, her patio is all dressed up and looking good!