Colonial Revival | UpwithFurniture

These 2 vintage chairs are both considered Windsor chairs. A Windsor chair has a saddle seat with drilled holes into which the legs and the back are fitted. It originated in England probably some time in the 17th century but it first became associated with the town of Windsor around 1710. English Windsors were usually stained and the seat was made from elm, a strong wood that does not split easily. American Windsors were made with a variety of woods and often painted to disguise the different types. In the 19th century, rustic chairs were painted with milk paint which was a mixture of buttermilk, turpentine and cow’s blood. There are a variety of styles that can be seen in this picture:

http://www.designsponge.com/2010/09/past-present-windsor-chair-history-resources.html

Although always available because of the simplicity of the design, Windsor chairs have gone in and out of style. They are associated with the Colonial Revival movement of the late 19th century and are generally seen in traditional homes. However, the eclectic mix and match fashion of the last few years has created a new interest in using Windsors ( usually painted) with other styles. Look at this great photo from Houzz.com:

My white Scandinavian home. Splash of colors. Old & new. Always in change. scandinavian-dining-room

Photo by Jeanette Karlsen. See more scandinavian dining room designs

The chairs have been painted light pink and paired with mid-century furniture. Or this one:

Weyand Residence contemporary-dining-room

Photo by Neiman Taber Architects. See more contemporary dining room designs

You can find an excellent article with more photos of a modern take on Windsor chairs here.

My two chairs were both bought at the same garage sale. The first one is a 1930’s rocker which is an adult chair and the small size suggests it was marketed for women. It is a good-sized child’s chair by today’s standards which is why I painted it turquoise ( an AS Provence/Florence mix). I like the dipped look on hoop back chairs.

The white chair was someone’s painting chair and was covered in paint spots. I painted the seat and back in purple ( AS Old Violet and Emperor’s Silk) then painted over it in Pure White. I wiped off a lot of the white paint to reveal the undercoats. You can also see some of the original splatters. It’s not everyone’s taste but I love this little chair. It’s very sturdy in spite of being old looking and I think it would look great as an accent chair somewhere.