pale yellow paint and a grey/ small geometric pattern would be lovely. The modern color and pattern choices would complement the old style wood pattern.
Although I’m always partial to paisley http://tinyurl.com/6oe29j

I would do a glossy white paint with a linen (solid color, choose any!) and then do a contrast piping. I just did a chair in a similar way and I really like the result. Personally I love the corally orange thing going on there, but at any rate I would stick with a solid fabric letting the shape of the back be your focus. Then the piping would add that extra something…

i think something that is contrasting in shape. like stripes would work best. I agree with grace that a pure white would be a little too hard for the beautiful shapes in the wood. go a little off white. http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabricdetail/3485

Smaller prints - not large graphic pattern or large floral - would work really well too!

http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabricdetail/4189

The backs and spindles make such a statement, I would paint the backs in a color that would make them silhouette-like. I might put a solid, subtle color, maybe silk or linen, on the seats to graciously compliment the detail of the backs, arms and legs.

If it were me, I’d paint the chairs in gloss white, but I’d trim the edges (like the sides of the arms and the edges of the cutouts in the back) in black. I can’t find a good example, but here is some inspiration: chair detail, boxes with black edges, and chairs (reversed coloring). I’m with grace on the use of yellow right now, so any of these would be nice: Repro Depot Fabrics, but any black, white & ‘accent color’ fabric could work, even navy.

How Fun..I would keep it simple, I think if you use a pattern, it should be muted to focus on the ornate back & I would paint the frame white or cream and finish is to have a slightly weathered look and then I would cover the seats with this Botticceli Silk Velvet in Salmon(Vervain): http://www.vervain.com/item_detail.php?int_id=506915#

or I would paint the frame a “distant gray” from Benjamin Moore and I would use this Ashington Capri Silk(Vervain) for the cushion: http://www.vervain.com/item_detail.php?int_id=529205

First, great chairs! I would tend to lean towards Alexander Henry fabrics that are upholstery weight. I think that http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabricdetail/3483 in black would be great and give you options of colors for the chair or http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabricdetail/3485 as well. I also really like the Denyse Schmidt Country Fair fabric as it somewhat mirrors the carvings in the chair backs http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabricdetail/4189. Good luck!

I agree with queenpretty–I’d use a solid color on the seats with piping for definition. But I also kind of like the orange velvet. You might want to see what they look like after you do the painting–depending on what color you paint the wood, the current fabric might look better.

I like all the ideas about the soft colors for the wood and the fabric but what if you mimicked the wood pattern on the back of the chair onto the fabric seat of the chair. So the design aren’t competing.

Here is a picture of the chairs I recently did. I think the fabric is perfect for these chairs. Paint them a black or gold or gray as in the fabric. The fabric is available through Home Fabrics in Grand Rapids Michigan, pattern #18655. http://marilynmakesmention.blogspot.com/2008/06/little-ol-me.html

I agree with Shelly about the silhouette thing, go with a color contrasting whatever the “background” color will be (i.e. orange against a blue wall; magenta against navy; white against gray; etc.)

As for the seat fabric I think it just ought to make an equal statement, this can be in pattern (geometric/stripes/floral) or color (an opposite or the same as the chair) or texture (velvet, linen, silk dupioni)

Whatever makes you smile.

I think if I were lucky enough to have snagged these, I would go with a gloss white (or off-white) and instead of doing a solid color, like navy for the cushion, I would do a pattern that was repeated from (and didn’t compete with) the chair frame. I’m thinking that, if the owner wanted navy, a nice heavy, basic navy woven fabric (maybe like this?) with a stenciled continuation of the pattern from the back of the chair in a low contrast color (just a hair lighter than the fabric itself), almost as though a reverse shadow was being cast from the back onto the seat. The back could easily be traced onto contact paper and made into a stencil and painted on with screen printing ink (which is even available in semi-transparent, for an even more subtle look).

Whatever Killorn ends up doing, what a fantastic find!!! Cheers!

Why not reinforce the lovely quatrefoil cutouts with this classic pattern by Alexander Girard? It’s available in many colorways. http://designholeonline.com/2008/quatrefoil-from-maharam/
Then paint the chair a color to compliment one of the colors in the fabric.

If they were mine ($5, I’m so jealous!) I would remove the old varnish and then stain them, probably with Minwax Gel Stain in Hickory. Then I would do the cushions in a cream or navy silk velvet.
I kind of think you can’t go wrong though - everybody’s suggestions above sound interesting and I can imagine these being lovely in many different paint/fabric combos :)

what beautiful chairs! I would consider stripping the varnish and leaving the wood natural rather than painting it.

One more thing, I also wanted to say GOOD LUCK sanding these puppies. I can see myself getting halfway through it and then starting to cry…but I am a wimp when it comes to hard labor! Make sure you post your results!

Wow - as soon as I saw this picture, I thought white with navy velvet. If you have the frames done in white, and then do a thin line of navy trim within the clover shapes, and another thin line around the outside of them, and then add a thin line above and below some (but not all) of the spindle-rings, you’d have a stunner!

I think that I would paint the chairs in a somewhat muted lighter color to make the quatrefoils in the splat of the chair stand out. As for the fabric you don’t want a print that’s too busy or large because you want the focus to be on the architecture of the chair :)

Oh my gosh! so many great suggestions, thanks to everyone and to Grace for posting. I will be sure to email the makeovers once I make up my mind!!

http://www.mainecottage.com/ProductBrowseCustomize.aspx?prod=262&step=COLOR_BROWSE
this page features a curvy table, and each click (on a color square) creates an entirely different look for your inspiration. they also have fabrics that would work, but i would be tempted to paint the chair one of the bright colors, cover the cushion with heavy, pre-washed and bleached artist’s canvas, and doodle on it (kid, adult or artist friend)like this:http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-home-roundup/kidcentric-townhouse-in-the-east-village-the-new-york-times-71008–055815

low sheen black lacquer and a rich, small scale multi-color (jeweltones) print on a black background…http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/ProductImages/Large/mc3505black.jpg

those chairs are so cool and goth! if mine i would paint them white and spend 12 years deciding on fabric - but probably end up with something very pop-y and vibrant or maybe paint the frames gloss black and upholster in a heavier natural cotton with a cool stencil in black of a family crest or crown or shield or initial.

I’d be temped by a dove grey paint in eggshell, so it wears well and the back of the chairs doesn’t overawe whatever room you put them in.

Then you could go for either suble colour patterns, or something bold.

This ‘fashion for home’ pattern would take the chairs on at their own game:
http://tinyurl.com/5qojdj

Or this two tone blue sale fabric:
http://tinyurl.com/6qn586

Or an unsubtle colour with a subtle print:
http://tinyurl.com/5owu78

I actually love the wood and would *not* paint over it at all!!! I’d use a striped or ikat fabric on the cushions, Black and white or navy and white…

If I could get the wood cleaned up (maybe use soft steel wool and amonia diluted with water to start), I would cover the seatswith a vintage floral: http://www.babylonmall.com/browseshop.php?storenum=312&user=1662&itemnum=34227&previewpage=item
that has orange and brown details. I would paint the walls a pale cantelope.

Or, failing the natural wood, I would paint them a high-gloss white to go with this circle motif vintage mod print: http://www.babylonmall.com/browseshop.php?storenum=312&user=1662&itemnum=34228&previewpage=item–which would pick up the circles in the cutouts. The walls would be a very pale, sheer lime.

don’t paint! just sand and stain it… perhaps a more honeyed colour than what’s on there originally. then i would definitely go with a fabric with circle motifs on it, to reinforce to circular design on the back. possibly in a navy colour

but if you were to paint it, i’m with everyone who suggested an off white gloss. white would be a bit too harsh i think.

If i was redoing those chairs, i’d go crazy and paint the frames a matte black and use a black and white geometric patterned fabric for the cushions. After doing that, I would use them as accent pieces, I wouldn’t want to pair them up in the same room, it might be too much.

I would sand down the finish, and put a clear gloss on, but use a little gold for the edges so the woodwork would really stand out. For the cushion - a deep, rich, cobalt blue velvet with a self welt - so regal!

how about this fabric? http://www.marimekko.fi/FI/sisustus/kankaat/annadanielsson/jatkuvamallisto/bottna_701.htm

I would paint it a pearlescent grey/silver and use a pale blue flocked velvet that had a grey background to upholster the seat.

I would love to see the chair white (in high gloss) and the seat in navy with a kelly green contrast welt.

Cool find! If it were me I would sand it down to its natural wood finish and do like you said where you use navy for the cushion but I would do a white contrast piping. If sanding it down is too hard and labor intensive then I would paint it an ivory and do the navy and use a patterned ivory contast piping. Have fun with it!

I’d paint them and keep the seat cover the same solid color. Keeping everything the same color would allow the ornate back to speak for itself and not be overwhelming.

I’d leave the wood, because I like wood and also… easy. And then I’d use one of the geometric fabrics from Ikea for the cushions. Like this HJÖRDIS - the flowers nicely echo the shape of the cutouts.
http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/81184_PE205762_S3.JPG