Cane Wingbacks Update

Thank you all for your sweet comments after my last post.  You all are so encouraging and it's nice to know you'll hang around even if I'm slowing down a bit for the summer.  But, I couldn't stay away for long!

It's been a few months since I've posted about my chairs for the dining room.  And for good reason...NO progress!  I've still been undecided on the fabric, so I've just waited.  But, things are close to coming together.  My friend Pam at Simple Details and I are in the same boat working on our dining room chairs, and she threw out some fabric options last week which encouraged me to follow suit.

Back in January I showed you several black and white options I was considering, and was planning to paint the frame black.  Well, here are my thoughts now.

I'm painting the frame gold, and I can't wait.  I just about abandoned the black and white fabric idea because I feel like I'm getting too much of that combo everywhere else, and it's already on the curtains.  So, I was almost 100% resolved to upholster the entire chair with dropcloth fabric, which blends together nicely with the tufted side chairs I've already purchased.

Then I remembered this:

                                                                                     Source: countryliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And saw this:

                                   Source: thehuntedinterior.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And this:

                                              Source: lynnchalk.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And this: (see it peeking out on back of the white sofa?)

                                             Source: sunset.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Incidentally, I was browsing some blogs the other day and came across this photo-

Source: elementsofstyleblog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Ha!  I KNEW those chairs were good! Erin's have yet to be recovered, but they look pretty great in that color anyway.

I've loved that first photo of the big wing chair ever since it graced the cover of Country Living.  So, I thought maybe a bright floral is what I need, but just for the back panel of the chair.  And what could be better than Chiang Mai Dragon?  Actually, I love the Chiang Mai but not so much the dragon part, but maybe he'll grow on me.  I had never heard of this fabric before I started reading design blogs, so many designers think it's overdone, but that's ok with me.

However, it's VERY expensive.  Like BIG splurge.  I only need a little over a yard, so I'm searching for a good source if I decide to purchase this.  I've never seen it in person, so it makes me a little nervous to spend that much money and not be 10000% sure that it's what I want.  I've searced high and low for some good alternatives, but nothing quite measures up to the bold scale and bright colors.

Sooo, all of that long back story to show you where I might be headed.  Here are some options.  This is a really rough mock-up but it helps me to see things together, and you can see the houndstooth curtains in the background.  The plan is to add a painted (green!) china cabinet and artwork on that blank wall, and the table I'll be using in here will have a much darker stain than this one.  

I'm still considering a black and white pattern since it will only be on the backs of the chairs.  Maybe the zebra, maybe not, but I had it on hand so I did a sample just to live with it for a while.

I am also considering this fabric for the backs, love it and must use it somewhere in my home:

                                                  Source: fabric.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

(Told you this was a very rough mock-up...use your imagination!)

Here's a scrap of a bright floral that I had, just to get a vague idea of what something multi-colored, possibly the Chiang Mai, would look like.

Or maybe some black and white welting on the back?

And, I also have this fun bumpy textured fabric that matches the front but gives a little surprise on the back to consider.  It reminds me of a vintage chenille bedspread.  I like the texture but it may be a little too blah.

Thoughts?  Anyone know of where I can get 40" of Chiang Mai Dragon for a steal?  

I'm ready to get these chairs D-O-N-E!