While Laver was attempting to explain people's perception of clothing styles, his observations seem to hold equally true for furniture.
But if you're too impatient to wait for a piece to come back into vogue, an upholstery change could infuse it with new life.
From wikipedia.org
Laver's Law
Current Style...................................Smart
1 year after its time........................Dowdy
10 years after its time....................Hideous
20 years after its time.................Ridiculous
30 years after its time...................Amusing
50 years after its time .....................Quaint
100 years after its time................Romantic
150 years after its time.................Beautiful
That being said, some things are just WRONG. Design Addict had a great thread about unfortunate upholstery choices for mid-century pieces a while back. Here are some of the highlights...but be sure to check out the entire thread for design gaffes owners have made in the name of "updating" by putting the fabric du jour on an older piece.
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| Wanting your Saarinen Womb Chair to blend into that traditional living room? Wrong! pegboardmodern.com |
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| Involving an Eames rocker in your Southwestern/Traditional/MCM identity crisis? Wrong! designaddict.com |
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| Hoping your Finn Juhl chair will sit demurely and pretend to be shabby chic? Oh, so very wrong! designaddict.com |
