bright shiny morning

Bright Shiny Morning isn't only the name of one of my favorite books by James Frey, it is also one of my favorite parts of "falling back." The extra hour of sleep only lasts for one night (and the sun goes down before I leave work), but the sunshine on my porch in the morning is positively splendid! This chair is not quite done (or its partner--more later!), but I am so excited that the cushions (even without the zippers that they will get soon) are finally sittable! I'm test driving this lounge chair type and honing my sewing schools, so you might be seeing more of this look available in the future! At any rate, the fall light on my porch this morning made me want to share this sneak peak--be on the lookout for this chair's "official" debut (and name) sometime next week!

allora.signature.CANDIA

The official debut of allora.signature.CANDIA--an exciting way to start an otherwise boring Monday! I know several of you may have seen the sneak peak of CANDIA last week, and I'm positively certain that you are dying for the details about these fabulous chairs. Well, fret no more. Different than any other chairs in the allora collections, this pair is made of tubular metal, rather than the usual wood. This is exciting for several reasons, however, perhaps the most exciting benefit of this material is its resistance to the perils of outdoor living. Yes, allora.signature.CANDIA will work outside! The chairs themselves have been coated in Rustoleum enamel in cobalt blue, while the seats are covered in an equally hardy white vinyl. Is it possible to be so instantly retro and so instantly contemporary all in the same moment? I would say yes. Bold. Blue. Beautiful. These chairs define the space of the table so wonderfully with their high backs, while providing fresh character to their screen porch home! Click here to see allora.signature.CANDIA back in August.

sneak preview

Usually I like to debut a newly finished chair--or in this case, set of chairs--with the finalized, typical black and white allora images, but after spending my lunch hour sitting outside (finally!) and reading in this refreshing autumn air, I couldn't resist sharing the most recently completed allora.signature chairs! Here they are in their new permanent home, my screen porch--allora.signature.CANDIA! There are so many things that I love about these chairs, but I'll have save that for the official debut next week! Hope you're all enjoying this weather as much as I am; see you at the design walk tonight!

allora.signature.KATHWOOD

allora.signature.KATHWOOD is a classic wood chair finished in a dark grey enamel and upholstered in a quilted gold and grey wedgewood fabric. The natural curvilinear lines of this beautiful fabric are complemented by the cabriole legs and graceful, effortless lines of the chair's back, while the seat cushion has a similar high, gentle curve for added comfort. allora.signature.KATHWOOD's strong, clean curves provide for a stunning silhouette and instantly relate this traditional chair to a more contemporary setting. This ability to blend traditional and contemporary is a key component of my mother's style, something that I have always envied and appreciated, and is the reason that this chair--one of my very favorites--is named for her. allora.signature.KATHWOOD is available for your home; e-mail marymac@allorahome.com for more information!

allora.signature.ROSS

Last but not least, allora.signature.ROSS is the first pair of chairs for allora. These rather traditional, scalloped back chairs are painted in metallic silver enamel for a fun, surprising look. At first glance, this pair appears to be made of metal, however, on closer inspection these chairs retain the warmth of their true material, wood. The seat cushion is finished with a retro slate and fern starburst weave fabric. Have a great weekend!

allora.signature.VINE

The clean lines of allora.signature.VINE are beautiful reminders of the more minimal solutions in furniture design, serving both an aesthetic and functional purpose. The chair is not only pleasing to the eye, it is also comfortable to sit in and proportioned to the human body. I'm personally a huge fan of the chartreuse finish--my room is the same shade of avocado; and the subtle variation in the creme and beige high pile fabric lends itself to more natural color palettes, while still harboring a little of the Zebra attitude. Additionally, the contrast in the lines of the Zebra pattern itself with the orthogonal lines of the chair creates a more playful feel. I visited the angel oak around the time that I was finishing the new seat and cushion for allora.signature.VINE, and I feel sure that I was influenced on some level by the hues and graceful lines of this majestic tree. This allora.signature is available for $115; for inquiries please contact me at marymac@allorahome.com!

allora.CUSTOM

SO. It has been brought to my attention that it is not evident from my previous posts which chairs are for sale and what the difference is between the allora.SIGNATURE and allora.CUSTOM collections. I'm here to set the record straight. All of the chairs that have been featured on the blog thus far (and some yet to make their blogger debut) are available for purchase and are priced between $100 and $125. Generally speaking, allora.SIGNATURE chairs are finished and upholstered without client consultation, while the allora.CUSTOM chairs are designed around individual needs. If you have a chair or fabric already, or if you want a specific color or pattern or combination thereof, then allora.CUSTOM is for you! These prices vary according to quantity and finish. All chairs are 100% unique!

allora.signature.BEAUFAIN

allora.signature.BEAUFAIN features a bold, geometric patterned cushion in deep espresso and white paired with a Mediterranean enamel finish, emphasizing the clean lines of this contemporary side chair; it is sure to add character to any room!

allora.signature.ROSLYN

It is appropriate that the grandmother for whom I'm named, Mary Lide McArthur (better known as Ga-Ba), was attaching memories and meaning to chairs long before I was born. One of my earliest memories is being photographed in the large, marble throne of a chair that belonged to Ga-Ba's father, my great-grandfather--a tradition that continued for all of the children and grandchildren well into my adult life, and one that I'm sure my own mother will continue with her grandchildren. Ga-Ba loved the metaphoric connection of sitting in the same place that so many have sat before you; the cold marble of that chair on a summer day always reminds me of her. During the days I spent with Ga-Ba on Roslyn Drive, I first learned to sew and knit, and she humored me, allowing me to make whatever I could come up with: pillows, washclothes, blankets, dresses. To celebrate Ga-Ba, her love of flowers, and her affinity of all things pink, allora.chair.ROSLYN is named in her memory.

allora.signature.E82ND

217 E. 82ND ST. NO. 5A. Though the location was ideal, the countertops granite and the appliances new, this wonderful address was lacking only one thing: space. My roomates and I took to decorating, focusing on organization to overcome the minimal area. As for my room, I decided to conquer the square feet with color. With the first few strokes of paint came the overwhelming feeling that I had made the wrong decision. My deep salmon was more of an electric coral, but I didn't have the time, energy, or budget to back down. I painted through the week, one wall a night, until my little room was complete. My white bedding and shelves helped offset the color of the walls, and it actually started to grow on me. Convinced that bold was the way to go in this small space, I went to West Elm and picked up a zebra rug, which managed to successfully hold its own with the bright walls. I was in love!

A short 13 months later, I primed the walls, rolled up the rug, rented a Rav-4, and reluctantly left my cozy oasis in the city. In my new place, the kitchen is the same shade of coral, and the rug is in my room. When I came across this brown and white zebra fabric, I just couldn't resist!

allora.signature.THACH

Recently featured in Charleston Home magazine, the color pairing of gold and deep aubergine is nothing short of regal. Though both colors made an appearance in the Crayola bold color collection at some point in my childhood, it has been awhile since I personally have put them together. Because of their relative richness, these tones can sometimes be an overpowering couple, but this particular chair, with its cabriole legs and gentle curving lines, is at once elegant and understated enough to host them both. My recently renewed affection for "power purple" has as much to do with its current emergence in fashion as it does with eggplant's ability to merge effortlessly and subtly into most traditional and contemporary settings. The brown hues of stained wood that one might expect from a sideways glance at an occassional chair are not far from the undertones of aubergine, which lends a wonderful element of surprise on closer inspection. This same characteristic is what gives an otherwise cool color the warm depth to offset and complement the gold, fantastically textured fabric. Pair with white for a clean, crisp look!

allora.custom.RUTLEDGE

So, I'm new to this phenomenon that is blogging and not exactly sure where to start. I suppose, however, that the beginning is a pretty safe place. Ergo, the chair that started it all.

When I moved to Charleston from New York last fall, I decided to rent the second floor of a carriage house downtown and immediately set about making it my own. After painting and arranging and rearranging and antiquing and thrift-storing and all of these wonderful things, I felt as though my little home was complete, but I soon realized that I was lacking one key element: seating. I intended to make friends and knew that I would eventually need somewhere to put them; so naturally, I went to my parents' house to go shopping in the attic. I returned with an old dining room chair recently purchased at a neighbor's yard sale. I wasn't a huge fan of the dingy fabric or the peeling finish, but nonetheless, I had solved my seating crisis. The chair remained in this beaten state for days, until one evening, sitting directly across from it, I spotted my golden yellow tea kettle and all of this began...