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A preliminary design for the decoration of the slipcovers for the Luncheon Room chairs.
Drawing by John Tackett Design. |
A new addition to the house in Volk Estates, University Park, Dallas, that linked the main house to the existing garage contained a new Breakfast Room among other spaces. So the original Breakfast Room, a pleasant almost square space that was entered through a segmental arch opening from the vestibule to the Dining Room, was renamed the Luncheon Room. It had been decided that the upholstered Hepplewhite chairs would have linen slipcovers with a box pleat skirt to give contrast to the more formal Dining Room. I had found a document that illustrated magnificent seventeenth century lettering that would serve as a guide for an embroidered monogram. The slipcovers had already been made and just about to be decorated when the Lady of the House attended a luncheon at a friend's home who had a new set of very similar slipcovered chairs with a monogramed back! A change of design was needed, and I proposed several variations including the one sketched above with an applique of ribbon for decoration.
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The slipcovers of the Luncheon Room chairs have an Etruscan motif.
Photos by John Tackett Design. |
But when it was decided that the Luncheon Room was to be decorated with a wonderful series of prints of Roman pottery decorations and a collection of basalt porcelain, both of which my clients already owned, I switched to an Estrucsan motif for the embroidery. I drew the design full size and it was scanned into a computer that produced the machine stitching by Penn & Fletcher, a company that I had discovered through a friend who designed costumes for Broadway shows. It was just one of many touches that made this home an individual expression.
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John Tackett Design provided the Etruscan motif for the Luncheon Room slipcovers.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn. |
