 This gorgeous photo of the Pistachio Chairs shows no indication of the endless preparations and sweat equity that went into it! Last year, Maribel Weisz of Antique Resources and I collaborated on a curated selection of antique chairs reimagined in new upholstery fabrics. These chairs in their “old lady” upholstery were not appealing to visitors to Maribel’s actual nor virtual shops. In February of 2022, I told Maribel the story of a couple I worked with in a historic home. As we updated the downstairs, a pair of needlepoint-embroidered Victorian chairs were a point of contention. The wife loved them–the husband felt the opposite.
The Victorian chairs Before (left) and After being reimagined with updated upholstery (right) Seeking a way for them both to like these chairs, I suggested reupholstering them in a modern cut velvet fabric. They were a favorite of both clients in their new form. This gave Maribel the idea to work with me to reupholster some of her antique chairs. We selected thirteen chairs to start. (For more information or to purchase specific Encore Collection chairs The new fabrics we chose are all related to the provenance of the chairs. To get the word out about the new Encore Collection, Maribel and I commissioned Phil Serretore, of Phillip Gregory Photography, to help us create beautiful images of these chairs.  This May 2022 photo showing me on the right in the future “I Love Pink!” chair and Maribelle (left) in the future “Aqua Chair” just before the Encore Collection chairs were sent to my upholsterer. Phil immediately suggested we take the chairs out and about in Chicago. Some photos would feature the chairs, while others would include Maribel and me. We loved the idea! Leading up to the actual photoshoot, Maribel and I coordinated three different outfits for three different locations. We had an in-studio photoshoot with the chairs – and us - the evening of September 19, 2022. Maribel and I selected formal dresses – dare I say gowns? – for this part of the shoot. We had nail and hair appointments scheduled earlier in the day. At the last minute, we had to scramble as the nail salon decided to close that day and cancelled our appointments. We found a salon that would take us last minute (which should have made us suspicious). During our pedicures, my technician pulled out a mini power sander that she attempted to use on my natural toenails. I emphatically declined. Poor Maribel’s toes were a bit mangled to the point of blood drawn during her pedicure. Alas, our fingernails fared no better. Our requested French manicures took longer than expected due the technicians’ lack of training in this type of manicure. I fared a bit better than Maribel, who had to have her mani redone by my technician. A little wiser, we hurried back to Antique Resources to meet the hairstylist Maribel had booked for us. Maribel opted for a lovely updo while I wanted a sleek blowout. The humidity did not agree with that decision, so my hair ended up more than a touch frizzy.
The rest of the night hurried by as Phil took the studio shots of the chairs and us. He did suggest wine to relax us – there’s more to getting your picture taken than you would think! Maribel had cleverly chilled a bottle of Veuve Clicquot– almost instant relaxation.  Maribel (right) and I loosening up with some chilled champagne by one of the Aegean Bliss chairs When we parted ways around 9PM, we planned to meet in Jackson Park at 4:30 AM, before sunrise so Phil could capture the dawn light. It seemed like a really good idea – until my alarm went off at 3:15 AM the next morning. Ouch! Maribel and I got to Jackson Park early – in the pitch dark. While waiting for Phil and his assistant, we were almost accosted by a very inebriated-seeming man. Fortunately, we were in Maribel’s SUV at the time, so we sped away.  Maribel (right) and I in the Jackson Park parking lot in the pre-dawn hours. The red light on our faces is from nearby brake lights. The shots for our “Double the Zen” chairs in Garden of the Phoenix did turn out beautifully. Maribel and I wore identical tulle “nap dresses” from Hill House Home  The gorgeous result of our location shoot at Jackson Park’s Garden of the Phoenix Next stop (still before 7AM) was the Adler Planetarium campus. Maribel and I needed to change from our tulle dresses into our lakefront dresses. This proved to be an adventure. The only nearby private structure was a Porta-potty in the Adler’s parking lot. It took less than a second inside to realize this probably hadn’t been cleaned for months – yuck! So we took turns on lookout while the other changed in the backseat of the SUV.  Our photographer, Phil, on the beach with one of the Lake Michigan chairs. The resulting images were showstopping. And without a trace of all the extra “adventures” we had!  Beautiful Lake Michigan chair photo, in front of its namesake. #chairporn #antiquesmademodern #antiqueresources #bellehavendesigns #hinsdaledesigner #chicagodesign #chicagodesigner #designcollab #modernclassic #chicagoantiques
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