Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Dining envy

Lately, I have been thinking about my kitchen and its serious need of a makeover. I have been collecting things over time which will eventually take up residence in my kitchen.

I am hoping that this pendant will be hardwired into the ceiling above the small dining area. A dining area which I feel somewhat ambivalent about. Sometimes I think I am happy with the furniture currently as is, but then, every so often I get a yearning. A yearning for some Saarinen.

It started with these chairs. These are not my exact chairs. I have the chairs below in a much lighter teak wood. I found them one day when I hit a thrift store. There were four of them seated around a huge heavy wood table. This particular store reduces the prices by date. I think that the original price for the entire set was around $125. It had since been reduced to $90. I just so happened to have wandered into the store when it was 50% off of the current price. So, it would have been $45 for the set. I had to have those chairs, but there was no way I could fit that table into my kitchen, much less transport it. I was also pretty sure that the table was not an original set with the chairs. It just did not look right. Anyway, I decided that it was deal no matter what and that the shop was for charity so I offered to pay the $45 and just take the chairs. They could keep the table and sell it again on its own. They looked at me like I was crazy, but OK. As I said, I had to have those chairs. So into the car they went.

I have been enjoying my chairs for many months now. I had no idea who they were designed by. I just loved them. Finally, this weekend I came across a very cool site that has many mid-century chairs for sale. It is called By Design. I found my chairs. They are designed by Kai Kristiansen. Let me just say that they have turned out to be another instance where I got an incredible steal without even knowing it.

I then decided that I wanted a round pedestal table for these chairs. I did not have one. I had a rectangular wood table. Perfectly nice, but I wanted a change. I really wanted a Saarinen tulip table, but that is one table that is not anywhere in the neighborhood of my budget. What was in my budget? This wood pedestal table that showed up down the alley from me one day. I just happened to be there when this guy was loading up a million boxes into his car and placing a few pieces of furniture in the alley for scavengers. Scavengers like me.


Now, I would say that the table is just fine. It serves it purpose and actually looks nice with the chairs. And it was free!! I think that I am just turning into a guy. You know, wanting the next bright shiny object that just happened by.

It did not help that I saw this article in Elle Decor last July and they had these chairs around their Saarinen table. It looks nice, doesn't it?

I know. I should just shut up and be happy with what I've got.

From Elle Decor Photographer: William Abranowicz

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