The chairs I really wanted you to see did not show up here - but you need to see this chair that was redone. Go to "wild chairy" and look for an old Edwardian chair [?] that was redone and went from red velvet upholstery / dark wood to glossy black wood/with cream, black, yellow fabric upholstery. Absolutely stunning and I can certainly see it with a cream leather sofa. A fun, gutsy look where interior design is not taken so seriously.

Not exactly like yours but this old chair looks great with the updated fabric

Sweetie, sorry, but those chairs never looked cool.

No. They have NO redeeming qualities.

Early American does not have anything compatible with modern- gloss paint will just draw more attention to the spindly curvy lines. Funky? Yes. Paint them soft white and cover in girly pink linen and put one in a nursery with the ottoman for a homey cute funky Mommy chair

I'm on the fence but I actually do think they are kind of cool! So unique! Just a fresh bold pattern and paint the frame a different color. Mixing with a leather fat track arm sofa would be cute.

Cover the pillows in a bright fabric and put them in the bedroom.

I think that the old Ethan Allen is worth saving! Has anyone looked at how the quality of furniture has gone down?
I was in the furniture business in the 60's and am proud to have bought good things when I bought. Now, I am so happy that I did.

Very dowdy granny, no matter what you do to themSorry

don't waste your time and money trying to redo these chairs, unless you absolutely love them. Donate them!! LOL

The quality is great and I like the ideas above of taking the spindles off the back upper corners, paint them with a great quality black gloss enamel or other great color (property prepped or professionally sprayed) and then redo the upholstery in a fabulous ikat or suzanni print with a cream background and your favorite colors. And pad the arms like in the last pic supplied above by Macy above in the HOUZZ article. You're going to put them in a play room so they don't have to be anything but fun and comfortable.

It's hard to part with quality. You've had them a very long time. It's really ok to let them go. Give yourself the permission. I'm having a very hard time liking them if they were painted, structurally altered, glazed, weathered or reupholstered. It may be time to move on. I'm not getting a visual that I would love.

They look very durable. If they are also comfortable, cover them in a Hudson's Bay blanket fabric and put them in a cottage. They are big, chunky chairs and you cannot disguise their lines; they look like a heavy mixture of William Morris and Queen Anne.

doesn't do it for me....

Not a fan, they look dated and not in a good way. Sorry!

I can see those chairs fitting into a retro hunting lodge or cottage, but otherwise I don't see them working with the simple modern lines of the sofa you are describing. And I don't think a coat of white chalk paint (or any other finish) is going to mask their fundamental lines.

Paint the wood charcoal grey and reupholster in grey suit cloth
with a pale pinstripe.

These Chairs need to be stripped, sanded and treated with Oxalic Acid solution to lighten them up, the side table I see in the picture is light wood, Painted furniture says "CHEEP CHINESE IMPORT" once lightened up,use boiled Linseed Oil or a matte clear finish, nothing says real furniture more than "WOOD", painted is hard to keep clean on chairs with this much wood on the arms ....as a retired furniture finisher we told our customers you only paint when you have something to hide ... Good Luck ....

bocodog, it's like you pulled that picture from my brain! I was wanting to use that exact fabric, but there is a blue and green version or it. How'd you know?!?! :)

Old.

why not?

I am 100% for re-purposing anything I can get my hands on but like the pic right above it, not for every home decor. If you can figure out a place to put something like this in your home without looking like it's out of place than go for it! the reason why I say this is b/c I have been in that predictament before with a chair I bought for my husband. Love the chair but in order for it to work in our home had to redo all other pieces of furniture in that space!

Sstarr93, that looks great. I am leaning more towards a turquoise now. Thanks!

I have a similar chair & ottoman . My furniture is all updated except not HUBBY'S fav chair. I've upholstered this family room chair twice now and latest is beige and navy 1/2 in stripe--looks ok and I keep wood shined up. Bottom line it is very expensive to reupholster this with three heavy duty cushions/incl ottoman,and upholsterer a very good one has trouble fitting these cushions. I plan soon to overrule hubby, went along with this too long. I am going to donate these chairs and get a nice leather sitting chair.

Don't paint them! Refinish and reupholster these chairs! With the right fabric and stain...you can find a place for these chairs!

These have that Early American Style, either you can use it and complements your other furniture or give it to Goodwill .... I agree with CHISM BROTHERS .. Natural Wood as I stated earlier or nothing ...

Save them!!!! Ethan Allen products are the best to re-do when they "age." (I would know, I am an Ethan Allen Interior Designer) A new stain, or paint and a new fabric will make them look great!

I would for certain get the couch set in the room first, live with it a bit, then decide if they work or not. Just redid some side chairs myself and decided the lines were pretty enough to invest in the upholstery. The age of the chairs required not only new fabric but new innards as well which did add to the cost.

Danielle, you can only stain wood darker, you can never take a dark stained piece of furniture and stain it lighter ... . do you agree this furniture is Early American Style and has its limitations as far as mixing it with other furniture, I'm curious. I have refinished furniture from companies like Morgan, Dunbar, Tomlinson, White, John Whitcomb, Drexel Heritage, Kittinger, Century, McGuire, Willett, Irwin, King, Grand Rapids, Union National just to name a few and being retired from the business I'm curious as to how the designers design with 99.9% of all furniture now being manufactured in China, design and think ???? are you an ASID registered Designer ??? as I said just curious ...

Carlos, I said a lighter stain, with the understanding she would need to sand and re-stain. I think you went a little too deep. Yes with the style of these chairs, she's limited with what style she puts with them, but she's had them in her space already, I'd hope that the rest of her furniture has been complementary this whole time. And yes I am a certified Interior designer and have a MBA degree in interior design as well, since you are curious....

I was only trying to help lazam understand the procedure needed to lighten the furniture, I was in the business for over forty five years, married to my better half that graduated with a masters also in Interior Design and Architecture with many National Awards, we have worked on projects such as Trump Towers in Fort Lauderdale Fl, I refinished Farrante and Teicher's Grand Pianos in the Key Club Longboat Key (Sarasota Fl) to mention a few, I have vast knowledge of Furniture gained by decades of experience and did not intend in anyway to hurt your feeling, I have seen a lot of changes in furniture over the past 30 years and refinishing is almost a lost art (we were the original recyclers) I want to see old American made furniture preserved for Centuries to come ... I apologize if I came off as being rude ... I wish you much successs in Design ...

Sorry, but those chairs in any incarnation will never be cool...

I could, maybe, see these chairs stripped and "expertly painted white" and upholstered in some bright country chic fabric. They could be used in a sun room or country chic family room. They are large, so they would be the focal point rather than an accent.

It's been said before in the thread, but i'll say it again. I think they are definitely keepers. Just probably paint the frame with a somewhat washed off white/pale look or grey. I would make the painting look rustic by sanding etc. Then re-cover the cushions with a bright bold pattern that mixes well with the test of your decor. Or go for a print with Script - very cool these days. I would also consider cushions. Just bought lovely ones from a site that cheaply posts world wide called www.zahaarasanctuary.com as seen below.

Image courtesy:
http://houseof34.com/
www.zahaarasanctuary.com
www.houzz.com

OMG... I bet you never imagined the extend of these replies, some creative and unfortunately some just cruel and bitter. And not just to repeat myself but seriously consider painting them with Annie Sloan chalk paint (no furniture stripping involved or similar type of paints and change out the textiles. AND for all you Nay Sayers go into any Ethan Allen showroom or their website and see that they are even selling painted furniture... some still in the chunky wood design style, google painted EA furniture and the Internet is loaded with images of beautifully painted retro pieces with updated paint colors and pop textiles. Great project, go for it!

good grief!!! these chairs whether you paint, stain or whatever else you do to them, they are still ugly, outdated etc...I love to re-purpose and I am darn good with chalk paint too, but I would not waste my paints on these!!! and so what if they are 1968 Ethan Allen chairs, they are still ugly!!!! sorry :(((((

I find beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....however, I think extreme critics should post a pic of their own decor so we can see if they can do better.

Out them on eBay there is a big market on there for old ( uncool) Ethan Allen pieces. Why spend all that time and money to repaint and reupholster them when they still won't be attractive?

It's disappointing that people (I'm assuming adults) can be so catty on here. If you don't like them then say you don't think the person should repair/recover/whatever update and leave it at that. All the over the top negative responses are completely unnecessary, disrespectful, and make you look like an ass.

Hi Ruthmand,

Decided not to answer you on Astor's thread. The subject of rudeness was brought up at least twice by Astor, and right before my comment in an exasperated statement.

Since Astor seemed particularly sensitive to criticism, I considered it to be germane to the conversation, and the website as a whole.

I actually thought my response to the last comment was pleasant,, humorous, direct, and modeled after the style she said she prefered.

I don't think this is the format to "adopt an attitude", but if I ever need a refree, I'll let you know.:)

If you don't want our honest opinions than don't ask!!! I am not going to sit here and type how beautiful and wonderful these chairs look or would look after you paint or whatever else you do to them. You obviously had made up your mind even before you posted this thread that you loved them chairs, so why come here and ask our opinions?? And than some of you be upset b/c some of us don't like them. It doesn't matter it they are Ethan Allen, Sherrill, Lexington, Baker, Henredon, Harder, just to name a few....
Go ahead keep the chairs, paint them, reupholster them and have a wonderful day!!!

Delfina, I have to call bs on your logic. Being honest and being rude are not mutually exclusive. Honestly, does no one know how to say, "Not my style, I personally wouldn't keep them"? Or you might say, " Maybe you should give them away so someone who could appreciate them as-is could enjoy them". But saying, "OMG, WHY DO YOU OWN THOSE BUTT-ASS UGLY THINGS!?!?!" or something of that nature is rude. You don't have to lie, just ask yourself if you'd like people attacking your things. We're all quick to dish it out, and say WE could take it, but once it happens to us it's a different story. Being online doesn't make you exempt from being a decent human being. I doubt you'd say the same things to the person face to face.

Suppose you ask someone: does my butt look big in these trousers?
Would you like that someone to say: yep, huge and by the way... you're ugly and fat and no trousers in this world will make your butt look smaller!?

Or would you appreciate it if that person said: 'hmm... they are not the most flattering trousers for you. '

Just a thought...

People! PEOPLE! It's about furniture! F-U-R-N-I-T-U-R-E!

Try to understand this . . . the design dilemma person cares NOTHING about YOUR style because YOUR style just doesn't matter here!

Successful designers as well as non-pros leave clients wondering what the designer's taste are and spaces look like.

Successful designers as well as non-pros use their education, experience and people skills to coach clients through a process.

Park your egos! Stop the row-de-dow! Period.

Ditto

Ditto

OLD!

HERE! HERE!!!

Well, THAT was interesting. Back to the chairs.........if you love them, & they are comfortable, by all means keep them. I don't agree with cutting parts off, never knowing what may be structural. Just clean up the wood, choose a cheery print & enjoy, as you said, another 20 years.

Post from 2013. Probably best not resurrected.