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
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.
Laura Bee
Might just be the snow, but the Made is the only one that made me say "Ohh.." .
gabrielle
I love wing-back chairs, and we have a few of them sprinkled about in our farmhouse. I can really see you in one too, leaning out over your paper and peering over specs, Alfred Hitchcock style. Any one you get will make you "Queen of the Castle". I however have abandoned my wingers for recent new adition: a fainting couch. It's ergonomically correct for reading, TV and laptops. Because, at the end of the day, I am no queen - I am roadkill!
Susan Dulley
Well, I just realized, I should not try to type at 5 am. Sorry for the typos...I think I will go back to bed....
Mary
the UB chair appeals to my sensibilities. Back not to high or too low, nice squishy looking seat, and it's covered in leather so when you sit on it in new jeans it won't turn blue. Remember it caught your eye in the first place.
Susan Dulley
Well, it being Thanksgiving Morning and me sitting here at 5:00a.m. with absolutely nothing to do???? I like the Etsy, the Houndstooth might be a bit much, but it is very nice. The "Restoration Hardware" is actually meant to sit in front of a fireplace. The reason for the large Wings on the Chair. Holds in the heat and protects the person sitting in the chair from cold drafts....The "Made" is also very nice, I like the lines and the look of the chair...looks like something you would have in your living room. If the yellow is not for your I am certain they will have several color selections to choose from. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving, Cincinnati, Ohio style. I am celebrating the holiday in an Historic Home, in Norwood, Ohio, that was built in the late 1800's and still has the original Gas Stove in the Kitchen, you know one of those bit Cast Iron stoves with the fancy legs, beautiful Chrome Handles and amazingly enough that is were our Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared. Should be an exiting day. Have a great one Karen and Yes, you should have Turkey...
Michael H
I would say the Etsy houndstooth looks more solid and comfortable. Second choice would be the leather Urban Barn.
SeaDee
Why look for a chair you don't need?
Because you CAN!
Happy (American) Thanksgiving Karen. I am thankful for the entertainment and the learnin' you and your chickens provide. Gobble gobble.
Emily
Both my husband and I think the Ikea chair is very comfortable (having just been to Ikea on Monday) and we have NEVER agreed on the comfort of a chair. And the matching ottoman takes it to the next level, if you'd like an ottoman you don't need as well. I, too, had a chair obssession earlier this year, but remedied the situation with Craigslist before Ikea had this model available.
Sarah
We've been looking for matching chairs for our bedroom for over a year now. We've reached the point where I'm banned from checking craigslist and we're thinking about re-painting the room (that was painted over the Christmas holiday last year). I sincerely hope you have better luck and that you pick something that would work in our bedroom so I can stop obsessing over this.
Stephanie Hobson
Can we vote? Are we allowed to vote? For myself, I'm pretty traditional so I'd vote for the West Elm, or even the Ikea or Costco. Or maybe the $2500.00 Lawson-Fenning - it's really quite lovely. However, this is your dilemma, not mine (fortunately) and the ones I would vote for are likely not very high on your list. For you I would pick the Made, even though it is priced in pounds and I have no idea what it would cost. The $750.00 Lawson-Fenning looks like it belongs in the 1960s cartoon show The Jetsons. And the Lawrence Peabody just looks uncomfortable; my bones need some padding. (Now aren't you glad you asked? But then you didn't, did you? lol)
sandra
LOL Karen, I can relate....during different periods of my life I have obsessed about pillows, chairs, lamps, sofas, rugs, wall art.... not because I needed any of them...I am just an interior design junkie I guess!! Chairs I have lusted after, include the Bubble Chair and the crème de la crème....the Eames Lounge Chair in Walnut with White Leather...sigh ;-) I happen to have a cool retro wing chair and matching ottoman that I picked up a looong time ago, with the intention of re-upholstering it in a cool fabric....but it still sits in the basement , wearing its lovely gold itchy fabric covering....so sad ! You should have them and work your magic on them....for a lot less than the prices you are looking at...want/need another project, LOL???
Peg
Love the houndstooth then the brown leather from urban barn,good luck.
Lauren from Winnipeg
I really like the Peabody, but it doesn't look like a good chair to curl up in with a good Kindle. I also really like the Made one. Actually, I think it's my fav. Or the West Elm. Really like that one too. And who says you need to "need" a new chair to get a new chair?
Carolyn
Ugly".............. Well, maybe two I like. The price is crazy.. I would go to good well before buying one of them. That or make your own chair. You can make one out of any thing. If your in the garage or basement. Sit on a five gallon bucket. You could probly use that at the dinner table if you don't have enough chairs. Growing up we had no back seat in our car, so my dad make us sit on those buckets for years. Best part is you can paint them any color you like....
Lin
I like the Ikea chair and the Made chair.....
Grammy
I'm doing some surmising. Here are the facts as I know them:
1. You first loved the one from Urban Barn
2. You are currently remodeling your kitchen and, therefore, don't have unlimited funds for the chair you think you don't need.
Seems to me that the one from Costco is the most closely representative of the one from Urban Barn (which is the BEST!) while also being a more reasonable price.
So, you're splurging for the one from Urban Barn. Am I right?
Jessica Filipovich
I just started reading your blog and I am utterly, completely obsessed. Just as you once spent 12-14 hours a day searching for this chair, I spent 12-14 hours of my day reading all of your previous blog matter, thumbing through your Instagram and/or other social media. I just know- did you get the chair?!?
Karen
Hi Jessica! As you get closer to my newer posts you'll see that I found a hair, but not a wing chair. :/ In fact, there's another post on chairs coming up on Wednesday, lol. And ... it features a wing chair. ~ karen!
Laura
They are almost all pretty irresistible!!! I love that Lawrence Peabody chair.
Jamieson
Instead of one giant club chair for about $600, I bought two smaller, brown leather club chairs at GH Johnson in Toronto a few years ago for $700 and I love 'em. The smaller ones work better for my size of house and now 2 people can sit instead of one. Happily they're also very comfortable, not like that nutty plastic number you've got posted here! That's the kind of chair I imagine Emily Carr would choose* so that people wouldn't overstay their welcome.
*Emily Carr kept her guest chair on a pulley up near the ceiling, and she would only bring it down for her guest if she enjoyed their company and wanted them to stay.
Jeannie B
That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Suspending your guest chair from the celing and lowering it when she had company.Why didn't I think of that? Would make a visit memorable.
Elizabeth
Emily Carr is my hero! Great solution for unwanted company!
sandra
Get the chair right away. Much better than cleaning exploded head matter.
Valerie
Love wing back chairs. Criteria for chair selection:
*choose the one most comfortable for your body (upper leg length consideration)
*get a matching ottoman at the same time
*choosing leather is a good choice as leathers blend well with plain or patterned fabric covered furniture, age beautifully and are basically animal proof (cats)