La Dolce Villa: Wind Beneath My... Wingbacks??

I grew up in a home decorated well, with dark/rich tones, but it was very traditionsl and formal..I mean, it was so formal that we had to somewhat large lyon statues in the front, at the bottom of long sweeping steps, that didn't look at all garish and actually were well placed given the aesthetic of the home inside and out. Thinking back on the style of this home, it's odd to me that it was so formal and well put together since we has a family of 6 {crazy} kids were ...umm.. not that way in the slightest! In my theory of homes needing to represent the individuals that reside there, either a tree house or a PeeWee's Playhouse would have been much for appropriate. Seriously..

Maybe a little something like this??

I'm glad my mom had the better judgement to go her own way on the ever changing, but always formal decor style. I guess my home design philosophy needs to allow for necessary exceptions.

So in our formally decorated home, was an abundance of wingback chairs. They seemed to be everywhere and i'm sure it almost felt like an overkill of them since they always were in a pair...doubling the amount of necessary seats. Somewhere, someone put it in to everyone's minds that a wingback chair must never stand alone in a room. You wouldn't ever hear someone say 'wingback chair' it ALWAYS was said as 'wingback chairS' since it was somehow unfathomable to not have one without another..like the burger and fries, of the design world. Well, growing up with all these wingbacks has made this seating style synonymous with lengthy timeouts..after my siblings and I would get in a butter fight..indoors (my brother's idea, not mine)! They also make me think of old people, parent-types, family 'meetings', boring conversations, or sitting and waiting..waiting for someone or something..but just waiting. So basically I always thought to myself that a wingback chair would never have a place in my home of my own..afterall i'm young and 'stylish' and these are two things a wingback chair (or duo of them) are not. So when I turned 30 last month {July 21st, 2011} I began to fear that the age of the wingback was now upon me, thinking that I am frightenly close to joining all the parents, grandparents, and oldest members of society.. who all have the love and appreciation of the wretched wingbacks. As I was making a recent parousal of my fave furnishing sites, design mags, etc... looking for more inspiration on how to design my own 'front room', I was petrified when I was constantly drawn to the various....you guessed it..wingbacks! This was my first step..like toe in the front door..to the resting home, where I pictured mysef sitting in a winglback chair for 10 hours a day eating tapioca pudding and complaining about 'kids these days'! Until I stopped, and realized..times HAVE changed! It's not because of my new age group, but because of design, that I love these chairs and can't deny it. Wingbacks are so back..in a whole new way! Knew lines, shapes, sizes, and best yet..new super haute fabrics! I know, this is not ground breaking, cover of 'House Beautiful' type news, since the classic wingback chair has evolved and changed constantly over time to incorporate itself into all the latest looks for interiors (and even exterior furnishings). But for me it was a great breakthrough that I'm not old, nor do I have my parent's taste, just because I want many different wingback chairs and can find a purpose for them in each room of my...what I think is a stylish..home. In fact, the new age of the wingback is what makes it stylish! But I will still, no matter what, for-go the arm covers and the perfect pair of chairs idea. So out with the overstuffed, monstrosities of furniture that we loved from the 90's through early 2000's (yes, they were comfortable, but THERE ARE other options twith better profiles), and bring in the refined, but newly re-designed wingback chair. Listen to your elders on this one ;)!

Meet some of the the new styles for us youngsters (and all those who are still very young at heart)