
kim from conflicted thimble sent over this fun before & after. after finding this ottoman/stool at a goodwill store she painted the frame and upholstered the top in a tufted toile fabric. such a fun makeover. click here for kim’s full post and more process photos.



30 Comments
well that’s awful.
wow. It went from boring, to classy. I am now inspired!
every time i go to a resale store, there is always so much rattan! i’ve always been convinced that there was no way you could refurbish rattan anything…obviously i was wrong!
What a great makeover! Very cute!
I’m with ag: I’ll simply add “downright” awful.
It was much better before. Blerg!
Wendy and AG, you’re right, this is pretty bad. The cain seat was so cute, a fresh coat of paint would have done the trick. The tufted toile is horrid.
This makes me so sad! The caning was in such amazing shape. Destroyed for…that awful black and white overdone print. Ay!
Why is everyone so sad? I think the Toile is so pretty- the caning looked worn out and uncomfortable. I could have done without the white bottom part but I like the Toile.
I really think it was better off before as well… It looks a bit odd having the puffiness on top…
The “after” reminds me of one of those hideous 80′s white powdercoated metal stands. I definately think if it was painted it should have been painted another color. And the cushion should have been a more structured shape than the tufted toile. Maybe if the cushion had actually had sides? or a seperate matress edged cushion that could have been removed. My adjective of choice is ghastly.
I am in complete agreement with the sad people…I am missing the character of the rattan…and the toile is just blah.
I can’t be anything BUT sad when someone does a thing like this with a nice old ottoman like that. Thonet (or one of his followers) who designed it will rotate in his grave. …
If the owner doesen’t like it the way it was, why not sell it to someone like me or Laura who would have appriciated it?
Sorry, but this ‘remake’ is an abomination…
AND…did you destroy an authentic Thonet? That would be the worst part. Better check for a stamp.
What a cool looking ottoman! Personally I would have gone with a solid color fabric, probably something bright. I also love the marked up dresser in the back.
i’m scared.
Yeah, that’s pretty wretched. The caning did not look worn out at all, and the tufted toile sort of looks like a victoria magazine hell.
:(
sorry kim!
yes, much cuter before (which i harder ever think is the case).
oh, that’s a shame.
Too iconic to bastardize like that. Tweaking a classic design takes a more sophisticated effort than this to be successful. Better to have left this one be…
I believe that is a Thonet. I have one in my antique booth (specialize in mid-century) and it’s painted a glossy red. To each his own though — if you’re not going to use it in it’s original state, then adapt it to suit you!
I used that same material but I think the style of chairs I used worked better with the material.
Ouch! This one scares me. White painted metal? 80s for sure. And it kind of looks terrible with that sweet looking old trunk/dresser thing behind it.
I loved it before, appreciate Kim’s effort, but do not like it at all after her changes.
Why not just go with a separate, removable round cushion and leave it at that?
Simple and beautiful. Toile is great
Increíblemente geniales… y el de ratán es genial, hasta parece un truco de Photoshop!
have to agree, I’d prefer the original thonet (or thonet-like) stool over this… it was so subtle and graceful as it was :(
Even in its delicate condition, B4 was better.
I own this piece of furniture and I use it (it is in much better condition) as a little table. It’s pretty as is but I think the ottoman idea was creative, not neccesarily my taste though.
I think that it was better before. It had a lot of potential but i think the white paint ruined it and the combo with the fabric just makes it look 80′s.
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