Chairs! The Sequel

CHAIRS!

Firstly, in my own defense against perceived attacks, I'd like to state that there's alot going on in my life-- a hell of a lot more than just chairs!  HOWEVER.  Sometimes it is simpler, more effectively cathartic to focus on the concrete.  The little things.  the chairs.

So. 

You've met Ethan Allen and Lorraine, our wonderful new livingroom chairs.  Aren't they darling?  I'm in love.  I still think of the old pair.  I'll always love and appreciate them and what they meant.  But we grow... we evolve.

Hilariously, one of our cats used to hide under the orange chair, which had a skirt.  He used to hide there to escape his tail--he has issues with his tail--but our new one doesn't have a skirt.  Hilariously he still scuttles under there to hide.  Does he think no one can see him?  Adorbs.

Lolz, not like this...

So.  Diningroom.  Recently I decided to ask our landlord if I could clean up this big, gorgeous circular dining table that was languishing in the communal garage.  I asked him if I could just sort of borrow it--keep it until it came time for us to move out (no date set, just a sort of... you know... eventuality).

He, being a sweetheart, gave us an "of course! take anything you need"  which is the same message he gave us when we firts moved in, impoverished and living in the tiny studio.

BEFORE

Like a pledge commercial!

Getting a new (to us) table, however, spurred me to the task of getting new chairs!  The only didningroom chairs we had were the very first chairs we bought as a married couple-- purchased with a $50.00 gift certificat to IKEA.  If you know anything about the price of chairs, you will know that to buy two chairs for under fifty dollars is a feat!  We purchased the best chairs we could get: two folding chairs!  We've had them ever since. 

Ours are a dark stain, but here they are!

I've since purchased chairs from biglots or something.  Couple of futureistic IKEA inspired white ones, couple of sleek modern style imitation wood ones, but all have met their demise.  Turns out chairs are expensive because a good chair isn't easy to construct.

Facsimile

The problem with the IKEA ones, despite lasting this lobg, is that they just FEEL like folding chairs, you know?  The feel like EXTRA seating.  Like, 'ok, I'll sit here if I must", but certainly not sit-all-night-and-play-games.

So I started my search in earnest.  Yardsales, antique stores, thrift stores, INTERWEBS.  That reminds me-- when did EBAY become ri-fucking-diculous?  Remember when it started and you could find bargains?  Now?  Sheesh.  Don't go looking on ebay if you want to save money.  Go to ebay if you want to overpay for other people's bullshit.



Anyway.  Weeks of craigslist, garage sales, bargain sites, free-on-the-side-of-the-road-piles, and other such avenues yielded nothing.  You see, no budget, plus rather specific tastes, equals problems.

We'd both agreed right off the bat that we could not stand any "grandma chairs".  You know what I'm talking about.  Country chairs.  Fancy chairs.  My mother's chairs.

Bleck

grrr

Despite the orange background, these are still not doing it for me!

And the ubiquitous country kitchen chair!

The problem with this stipulation, it turns out, is that these chairs were, for some time, the most popular fucking chairs in north america.  The chairs that everyone is getting rid of now?  Grandma chairs.  Everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.








We thought: well, maybe we'll pick up some of those and spraypaint them some outrageous color.  It's all the rage right now, and I happen to love it!  take something so terriblyn old-fashioned and give it an amazingly dynamite re-do!

Aren't they the sex?!?!?!?  Hearts.


But still.  We'd prefer something more square.  Less... grandma-esque.

Well we'd had some close-but-no-cigar moments.  We'd had searches that actually brought us to some other fabulous finds!  Lorraine was discovered whilst looking for dining chairs.  So was my amazing new lucite bar stool for only FIVE FUCKING DOLLARS!  compare to market price:

Divinity.

Finally I took my mother's advice and stopped off at the Teen Challenge furinture store. 

Turns out these do-gooders have some AMAZING FUCKING FURNITURE, the sale of which benefits an incredible charity.  However, I couldn't afford it.  The furniture is top notch, (local furniture stores donate!  Way to go Bernie & Phylls, and Jordan's!)and while the prices are more affordable that they would be retail, they were still unrealistic for me. 

So i wandered next door to their regular old thrift store (like Sally's) and found, to my enormous surprise, some CHAIRS!

Were they perfect like Lorraine?  No.  But were they non-grandma, and non-farmhouse?  Yup.  Did they have a little something?  Yeah.  Were they solid?  Were they a strong possibility?  YUP.

I inquired into the price.  Really?  Oh.  In that case.  Yes, I will take four chairs at six dollars a piece.  Sure thing!

So I figured out how to fit four wide-seat (for my lovely big ass) dining chairs into my buick, and away I went.  And my dollars went to a good cause!

so here they are. 

Square!  Very 1930's

  
The upholstery is stained, but will be super easy to replace, and we just happen to have a good deal of fabric we love and purchased when Saftler's was going out of business.

Our fabric choices!

They'd be easy enough to spraypaint, too, if we want to go that route, but even though they're dinged up they don't look too bad as is.

So here they are.  they need a little tighteneing.  Will get a make-over.  But here they are and my search for chairs is officially over.  It feels good.  I went to IKEA the other day with my Sister-in-law and while I could appreciate the chairs, I didn't need to lust after them with an unholy yearning!

Aaron says that this detail makes them look a little "hobbity", lol, but overall approves!

I have chairs, I am happy, and now can't wait to get the rest of the apartment in order so that we can host VISITORS to sit in these amazing chairs!!

These people need more chairs!!