Do you know this feeling: the elation of solving a small problem that has been occupying an outsized percentage of your mental space?
I am feeling that feeling right now.
I am elated.
Perhaps you are wondering what problem has had me tied up in a knot?
Kitchen chairs.
I told you it was a small problem.
I bought a pair of these chairs in 2005, when I was single, shortly after moving into my current apartment. They are Victorian reproductions, probably from the 1920s or 30s and I hipped them up by having them re-covered with white cotton duck, which I trimmed with double-welting made from a red and white toile.
I love them in my lavender kitchen.
Unfortunately, they are not incredibly comfortable.
Since getting married, I seem to spend more time sitting in the kitchen. This is partly because I spend more time eating meals at home (prepared by The Photographer) and partly because my marriage has coincided with improvements in communications and technology that make it very easy for me to work from home.
The Photographer spends a lot of time in the kitchen, even when I am not around.
So I decided several years ago to purchase more comfortable chairs for the kitchen.
Oh, were the decision as easy to execute as to make!
I’ve been looking for the right chair for two years.
Last week, I found it: the Remix Side Chair from Knoll.
How charming is this? It incorporates principles of ergonomic design (the seat back flexes!) but has neo-classical lines (as if Michael Graves had reinterpreted a chair by Adams). And if I elect casters, they’ll look like claw-and-ball feet. C’est parfait.
Finding the chair is more than half the battle and the customization that remains is the fun part: fabric, finish, casters.
I have to talk to the showroom about whether there are any choices for the color of the legs. It may be that black is the only choice. But if there is a steel grey or white, I might opt for one of those. I can always have them painted an exciting color later.
Casters might be a terrible idea on a hardwood floor, so I would only consider locking casters. I found two websites that sell nothing but casters, which I will explore at my leisure. Something translucent might be fun.
Now fabric. I have a few ideas.
More will be revealed. Have a fantastic weekend!
The photos of me are from old posts: Chameleon Jacket; A Rainbow of Non-Colors; The Directrice On Location. Reuse, reduce, recycle.
You are giving me food for thought since I’m not fond of my dining room chairs, which we inherited from my husband’s parents…. and also – websites of only casters! Love the citrus and zinnia prints – lively and charming!
Ah! I’m THRILLED that the Directrice is branching out into the world of Apartment Therapy! Now the world is your oyster. Love the new chairs (‘tho I’ve always loved the old as well). I’d go with the Citrus. No contest. Charmant!
I just covered the seats of my dining room chairs in the Chiang Mai Dragon in Jade and love them. If you haven’t already, Google pictures of this fabric and you’ll see how great it is.
Add me to the ‘Woo! La Directice branching into design chez elle!’ club.
I am so glad to hear about your interior design questions/decisions/process as well! Please do more of them!!
I’m digging on the pomegranate in current.
That’s a lovely and versatile chair. As a collector of midcentury through contemporary furniture, please, I beg you, DON’T paint the legs. Upholster to your heart’s content, but don’t paint the legs. The legs and base look to be a combination of plastic and powder coated metal, if the brochure is any indication. It will never look as you envision it (trust me), and you will destroy their resale value instantly. Some food for thought… 🙂
You have convinced me! I promise that I will not paint the legs. I’ll let them be.
these are cute, but i love your old kitchen chairs! are you selling them?
Love, love Oriental prints which mix with many very traditional styles and modern as well. Your chair choice will be wonderful. The casters are so great at saving wood floors. I have them on many chairs even those with skirts. You are having fun building your nest. Very cozy project. Lucky to have a man who likes the kitchen. Hang on tight! Kate
The Oriental Bird in Stone wouldn’t be my choice in a lavender kitchen — to me it would be leaning into Old Lady-land. I like the bigger brighter prints.
Citrus or pomegranate! It’s a kitchen, get it?
I like the Oriental Bird in Stone. I think it would be lovely with your lavender kitchen. I also like the Chiang Mai Dragon. If it is color and interest you want I think this has both.
The four Galbraith & Paul prints are so nice, especially together. Could you by any chance upholster the chairs differently from one-another, using a different pair out of that four, for each?