Stylish Seats

Shawna Robinson's Happy Chairs feature vibrant fabrics on vintage chairs

The move from a driver’s seaT to a designer armchair might seem like a long way, but for Shawna Robinson, it was a natural shift of gears. Robinson, a former NASCAR driver, earned acclaim as the second woman in history to compete in the Daytona 500 before trading in her helmet for Happy Chairs — a collection of refurbished vintage chairs. Robinson’s imaginative, wild designs include the flirty Barbie, a Victorian-style armchair covered in bright pink fur, and the more retro Tolulu, a sixties-style leather chair hand-painted with bold, geometric patterns. The chairs — which start at $350 — can be found at Post & Gray and Sleepy Poet Antique Mall, or you can peruse the collection at shawnarobinson.com.