The needlepoint canvas, centered in the kidney pillow, features a single monogram “P” representing the owner’s surname, which she lovingly stitched. Gold brush fringe and a small ¼” cord marry the thread colors of the needlepoint to the Scalamandré silk seat upholstery and curtains.
Would you like your guests to linger longer at the dinner table?
Traditional chairs such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and ribbon-back are not meant to support your back. Many dining room chairs are inherently delicate due to their pieced backs and delicate splats (the exposed portion of the wood design behind your back). Formally, your back should never touch the back of a chair. Your parents taught you to sit upright with brilliant posture, along with no elbows on the table, right?! You know not to lean against the back of an antique or delicately carved chair, because the mere pressure of one’s back, especially a gentleman’s back, is often enough pressure to break the chair back… which I have indeed witnessed! So, it is thoughtful to have the addition of a “kidney pillow” to enhance the comfort of your dinner guests, and of course, you too!
Our little dining room, at Petite Fox in Palm Beach, has six George III dining chairs. The kidney pillows add comfort to everyone’s back!
A decorative kidney pillow, despite its name, is actually a rectangular-shaped pillow. It is not shaped like a kidney, mind you! It is there to support your lumbar, but is not as large as a typical lumbar pillow either. A kidney pillow traditionally varies in size, from 18” W x 12” H, up to 22” W x 14” H. Of course, the appropriate size of the pillow will vary to accommodate and flatter the chair size. It can be larger or smaller accordingly, especially when used as a decorative accessory for any chair. Filled with down, they are divinely comfortable.
This is from a page in my book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room, from the chapter: Preppy and Posh Pillows.
At dinner, a kidney pillow offers gracious support to the lower portion of one’s back while seated. Whether a chair is new and sturdy or has a comfortable upholstered back, the addition of a kidney pillow can be a lovely gesture of your attentive thoughtfulness. After all, they look quite pretty too!
The slightly oversized kidney pillow on this chair complements the Chinoiserie design theme at Petite Fox in Palm Beach.
Scully and Scully offers a divine selection of decorative pillows, including charming kidney pillows.
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