FMF Compagnie

I once heard a story about a traveler who often visited his family in a small remote village.  There happened to be a young woman who lived there, known for her homeliness.  She was likely to never have a husband, she was so ugly.  One day she met a man who seemed to show an interest in her.  Of course, she was skeptical and so were the other villagers, but it didn't thwart the gentleman’s attempts to court her.  Eventually, the gentleman asked for her hand in marriage and the pair was wed.  While the traveler visited his family from time to time, he was made aware of the very deep and abiding love the gentleman showed his bride.  He lavished her with praise and love and took very good care of her.

Years passed and the traveler made his way back to the village.  Much to his surprise, he was shocked when he saw the young woman.  He had hardly recognized her.  She was now a very beautiful woman.  The traveler, in his amazement and curiosity, began asking the other villagers what had happened to the young woman…….Overwhelmingly, the villagers confirmed that the admiration and love that her husband poured over her and into her soul had begun to change her and through the years, her inner beauty began transform her outer countenance.  She was now truly beautiful!

Sometimes, we all just need a little tender love & care, don’t we?!  I really think that’s where transformations begin. 

(I just read that story to my husband he’s not quite sure I can bridge the gap here, so bear with me.)

Now, where was I……….oh yes, transformations!!

Remember this photo from one of my blog posts several weeks ago? 

The antique white French sheet Beth found has beautiful cut work and embroidery.  It’s stunning!

 The antique French grain sack has a pair of beautiful cobalt blue stripes but the background is woven in white and oatmeal, an incredible coarse textured linen.

Back then, this “transformation” was merely a glimmer of a project plan, tucked away back in the little “studio” in my mind. With everything else I had to do and with all that Beth and I have been working on to get our full blog site up and finished, continued progress and planning were S-L-O-W in coming.  I found myself downright anxious to keep it moving forward!

Then I found this worn wing back chair at a sale one day.  I think my husband, Mike, may have thought I was crazy for even wanting it, but he obliged and it went home with us in the back of his truck.  (Good thing he has a truck!  I seem to ask him to use it quite often these days.)

If you read the “About Us” page here on our blog, we talk about the criteria that Beth and I use when we are considering a purchase for our FMF Compagnie collection, “Would I want to use that in my home?”  In this case, not quite the state it was at the moment. However…..I knew this worn out wing back chair was something very special.  It just needed a “transformation” and a little TLC, and I felt up for the task! 

It took me a few weeks to settle on the entire plan for the chair. (Could one liken that to an egg in a chicken coop......incubating for a while?  I’m teasing, but you get the idea! Oh, and Beth and I really do love chicken coops by the way.)

So, off the chair went to get its “transformation”, restoration, and tender love and care.  It was just the end of last week when it was finally complete.  What do you think?

One of the elements I love about this design is that only a single side of the chair's cushion was covered with the grain sack, so when you turn the cushion over, the entire chair appears to have been covered in the exquisite French antique linen. 

This allows the chair to be used in a very formal, pristine setting with the white, but if you have a casual, airy, seaside or feminine casual design, the blue in the grain sack gives a light, comfortable feel.  We can't wait for you to see it in person at our booth at the Santa Monica Airport Art & Collectible Market on July 28th!  

Maybe Mike was right……the story about the young woman’s transformation could have been a bit of a stretch.  I still think it is a good story……..just like the saga of our newly “transformed” 19^th Century French Wing Back Chair, I think that's a great story!  It's all about the "Ugly Duckling becoming a Beautiful Swan!"

Both Beth and I have been inspired through the years by a few favorite people..............one of the local Scottsdale Arizona Arcadia Neighborhood gals, Caroline Van Slyke, is one of them!  Our mutual love for farms (and chickens) and everything pure and lovely, causes us to often peruse Caroline's sweet site Boho Farm and Home.  Check it out.......we know you will enjoy it.........and stay tuned for more on the "chickens"!

If you are interested in the fabulous 19th Century French Wing Back Chair at FMF Compagnie, feel free to email us at info@fmfcompagnie.com and see this and our other lovely pieces on our Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/fmfcompagnie/.