As you all know I'm up to my third forehead wrinkle with kitchen renovation plans. Figuring out where stuff goes, when to order things, what day cabinets will or will not arrive.
Plus of course, there's keeping up with the blog, the animals, the house. And I was hired for a rather fun, but time consuming, side job last week (which I'll tell you about later). These are all things I need to do. Not just should do, but need to. Otherwise, you go unentertained, I make no money, the animals die and the house falls in on me, with my little nostrils peeking out of a landslide of garbage for their very last breath.
So it should come as no surprise at all that I am spending 12 - 14 hours hours of the day ... looking for a living room chair. That I don't need.
It all started with a chair from Urban Barn. A very retro looking leather chair. And then the search for the chair I don't need became an ongoing, never ending obsession. I have no idea why.
I'm sure a psychologist well versed in midcenturymodernitus could probably pull it all out of me in less time than it takes to skim an old issue of Dwell magazine.
What I needed was a midcentury modern wingback chair. Not an easy thing to come across. So I widened my horizons and decided I'd accept other offers that beckoned to me as well.
These are some of the wingback chairs I came across in my Internet travels.
Lawrence Peabody on Etsy - moulded plastic midcentury modern chair
Crate & Barrel - gray new traditional chair
Lawson-Fenning - blue/gray velvet chair
Costco - bonded leather chair
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Restoration Hardware - curved lines, beige chair
Urban Barn - retro inspired leather chair
Ikea - gray and orange chairs
Etsy - houndstooth chair
Lawson-Fenning - beige chair with sharp lines
West Elm - black leather, button back chair
Made - yellow chair
Some of the chairs I love, some I like and some I'm not sure about. What I am sure of is, I may not need a new chair, but I want one. And that's a dangerous thing.
Once I tried to ignore the fact that I wanted french fries. For 3 days I fought the urge. Then, on the 4th day, my head exploded.
True story.
Which would make an even bigger mess in the house I'd have to clean up. Seems smarter to just buy a chair.
Meg
I had a wingback chair once. It died in a frozen pipe incident.
It was tragic, because it was my favorite chair ever. It was heavy and old and kind of horrible fabric, but it fit my body perfectly-even when I sat with my head in a wing corner and my legs over one of the arms. It was the ideal chair, and my goal was to have it reupholstered....alas. I will someday begin the hunt for a new wingback chair. It'll probably be used, because you don't get the kind of springs and solid wood in new furniture. Also when you try putting your feet up on things at a furniture store the people look at you like it's *their* personal living room....But this is how I'm GOING TO SIT. I need to know if it'll work out!! Have fun choosing!!! :)
Barbie
I LOVE the houndstooth chair....I have a similar one...but I really love it in black and that is a good price. I wonder what the construction is. I'm kind of a furnitureaholic myself!
Lisa B
I have been on a chair hunt for about 6 months (since deciding to sell all my living room furniture and start fresh). I could not find one that I loved, so I bought the Ikea chair as a interim chair for the holidays since it was a good price and matched my decor. I have to say that I may not replace it! We love it SO much! Comfortable and it looks great....
Debbie
Love the Crate and Barrel chair. You have to get what you love!
Kim from 3 peanuts
West Elm, Made, Urban Barn. I'll be very honest... I think the Costco one looks like a cheap imitation and you would eventually regret it. And I like Costco but this chair does not look good. This first Lawson Flemng is gorgeous too if you can swing the cost!
Margaret K.
Buy the one that fits you. We spent about 5 years sporadically shopping for a wingback chair that was comfortable for my husband. He sat in a lot of chairs before he found the right one [it was his idea that it be a wingback]. His legs are a lot longer than mine and it is NOT that comfortable for me. I ordered extra fabric that matched the fabric he chose and had my not-quite-a wingback highback armchair re-upholstered to match his. I have had mine for about 40 years and it is still the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in.
And for the person who asked why it's called a wingback, the "wings' are the extensions at the top that partly block drafts and give you a place to prop your head when you fall asleep watching TV or videos.
Anita
You will be looking for a new project once the kitchen is finished, so I say go to a thrift shop and buy one that has good bones and recover it yourself. I know you can do it! Just think of the fun you'll have choosing the fabric!
Karen
Yah, I know I could do it too Anita, lol. But ya know, sometimes you just wanna buy something that's already made. :) ~ karen
jenny
Just buy the Urban Barn chair. The amount of time you've spent looking for something else times your hourly average salary and you probably could've already bought it. And the big ass stock pot from the specialty store.
Bols
I was extremely tempted by the Ikea chair when I saw it in the store in September. Of course I don't need it, but the orangey-red matched perfectly some decorations I have and dang, on top of that, it was VERY comfy. But then I reminded myself that I also want a sectional plus a new kitchen and that I would need to win 6/49 to accommodate all my wants.