Small Measures: chair swap

via Cote de Texas

Amp up a lovely dining room in 30 seconds flat: bring in a pair of chairs from another room and add them to the mix.  Instant energy!

See also.

I'm looking for a....

To be honest, I have been feeling pretty stumped for content lately (not to mention pressed for time and energy).  But I love this forum and love connecting with you as close to daily as possible.

I've been thinking a bit about more ways to share content that I am producing anyway.  I realized I really like it when other bloggers share their finds in a certain category, so I'm giving it a go, too.

We have made tons of progress over at this house, taking it in a different color direction with teal, raspberry, and grey.  We are looking for a tall, leggy grey armchair--something without a huge footprint but with a lot of presence from it's height.  While rounding up options, I thought I would turn it into a high/low thing.

So.  I'm looking for a tall grey armchair!

Sources:

Wing, high to low: Crate and Barrel, Lulu and Georgia, Home Decorators Collection, Overstock

Leather, high to Low: Crate and Barrel, Room and Board, West Elm, Home Decorators Collection

Button Back, high to Low: Room and Board, West Elm, Overstock, Ikea

Only some of these were actually recommended for the project.  Curious to see what they choose!

What do you think: do you like this sort of post?

Cafe chairs

I am a big fan of what I think of as the "frenchy cafe chair."

I recently used Serena and Lily's riviera chair in this client's kitchen.

(There will eventually be a blue, skirted, backless bench on the window side of the table.)

I just noticed these new cafe chairs from a very affordable source.

It's the "Almsta" chair from Ikea!  $99.  I would love to see a bunch of these at a table paired with a built in banquette, kind of like this.

Someone go ahead and snap these up!

Woven leather seating

Do you ever have an obsession just sort of sneak up on you?

When I recently uploaded my phone pictures, I noticed that I had photographed these vintage woven leather chairs not once, but twice (H& B Gallery),

And then snapped a modern version with the leather strapped on a sexy chrome base (Francis King Showroom)

It's official: I am suddenly, inexplicably into woven-leather chairs.

Jens Risom is the classic, but there are a ton of options out there, new and old.

Fabulous, no?

Tell me: any surprise obsessions these days?

Also.  Someone local please hire me to do a room with those vintage chairs!

Seating in the Round

So often we think of a living room layout as grounded by a sofa, paired with assorted chairs.

I've been seeing a lot of this seating arrangement lately with four chairs in the round.  This makes for such a cozy little conversation area, and can work in all design styles.

What do you think--do you like the look?  Would it work for your lifestyle?

Peter Dunham for Steve Tisch

Country Living

via Color Outside the Lines

Source: architecturaldigest.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: emilyaclark.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

A couple more variations rounded up over on my pinterest!

Home Decorators knocks off DWR

Just got the April catalog from Home Decorators Collection, and man are they knocking off DWR! Of course, I have no idea what the quality is like, but here are three seemingly excellent deals.

Bertoia chrome side chair with black seat pad (shown here in green and white): $648

Home Decorators James Wire Seating Side Chair: $99

Phillipe Starck for Emeco Kong Chair: $1275 side, $1385 arm

HDC Samantha: $99 side, $129 arm (for some reason, this one is in the catalog, but not online, hence the crappy scan.)

Emeco 1006 Navy Side Chair- brushed aluminum: $440

HDC Sandra Side Chair: $119

So if you're in the market for some chrome or aluminum design classics, now might be the time!

All high end chairs: dwr.com
All knock offs: homedecorators.com

Sliding Scale: Galvanized Garden Chairs

I remember first falling in love with the "1934" chair many years ago, in the Sundance catalog (which I inexplicably received at frequent intervals). Over the years, they seemed to pop up now and again, and while I never actually had a place to use them, I felt awfully tempted when they showed up in a Home Decorators Collection catalog for just $99 each. Now, they're officially everywhere: all the major retailers seem to offer their own version. I thought I'd round 'em up, just in case you're interested. (Plus, I think they'd look awesome in my aunt's kitchen; this way, she doesn't need to do the research.)

From most expensive to least:

Design Within Reach, Marais Chair, $250

Sundance, 1934 Chair, $245

Pottery Barn Tolix Cafe Chair, $225 (currently on special for $199)

Crate and Barrel Lyle Chair, $199

Home Decorator's Collection Garden Side Chair, $99

Overstock.com, Silver Tabouret Stacking Chair, $197.99 for a set of 4 (today's price!)

Some of these come in other fun colors, but I still love the classic aluminum. So. Did I miss any? I bet there are more out there....And I'm still partial to the original Sundance version. What's your favorite?

Bare Legged Chairs

[Better Homes and Gardens]

I picked up the current Better Homes and Garden at Wallgreens today (to subscribe or not to subscribe? That is the question), and love this idea for bringing a little color to existing chairs, giving a contrast on the legs of an upholstered piece or halfway up the legs of a wood chair. Like a lady bearing her ankles, or running around in nothing but her socks. It made me think of the Hermann Czech lacquered beech chair,

which I first fell in love with in a story in Domino oh, long about 2006.

[Domino]

With these beauties ringing in around a dime a piece, I might just settle for the DIY version. It's amazing how much cheeky, sexy, attitude just that bit of paint can give an old chair.

It's also kind of like splitting the difference on the raging debate over the classic Hans Wegner wishbone chair, now available in many, many colors.

[Hive Modern]

Classicists say this is a travesty, color lovers can't get enough, I say, have it your way. But I guess I wouldn't give a Wegner ankle socks.