Chairs Are People, Too by ZOË NARDO photography by ALISON HARBAUGH
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few miles from downtown Annapolis, one will find Tallulah Bankhead shimmering in luscious Zoffany velvet, Romeo and Juliette complementing each other with their matching medallions and tassels, and Elvis Paisley draped in a funky paisley print trimmed in turquoise. These are only a handful of the personalities and personas that have been crafted over the years by high-end furniture designer Monica Cortright. “I really get to know each piece that I design, and once it’s finished, I name it, and it comes to life,” she says. “Chairs are people, too.” Cortright, who is referred to by some as the Chair Whisperer, started designing one-of-a-kind furniture after inheriting two chairs
that needed new reupholstery from her father six years ago. “I wanted to design something special and dedicate them to him,” she says. “The designs had to be as unique and wonderful as he was.” After unveiling what she refers to as “the chair experiment” to her family and friends, the uproar of praise and demand for more chairs motivated her to officially start her company, Monica Cortright Designs. In Annapolis, where seersucker fabrics and anchor embroidery are the more common decors, Cortright’s designs stand apart from the nautical norm by boasting exotic patterns, overlapping vibrant colors, and ornate details dangling off of every wooden edge. Her favorite designer is Manuel Canovas, from Paris, whose work is instantly recognizable
Detail of Talulah Bankhead, Dahling, designed by Cortright.
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