Add a modern chair and you're up to date!

We love to make a statement in a room to make it feel unique and not straight out of Decor 101.   Incorporate a bold contemporary piece of art in a traditional room, or a large old masters reproduction in a modern room or add one of these chairs to any decor to kick it up a notch.

Iconic modern chairs have a history rooted in the 1940's-60's and have become classic over time, yet still they remain viable in contempory decor today.

Let's look at some of these brilliant designs:

1: The Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen

2: The Bertoia Chair designed in 1952 by Italian furniture designer Harry Bertoia.

3: The Papa Bear Style chair, by Danish designer Hans J Wegner

4: LC3 Chair by Le Corbusier

5: The Eames lounge chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames

6: The Swan Chair by Arne Jacobsen

7: The Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer

8. The LCW Plywood Chair by Charles and Ray Eames

Here is my favorite iconic modern chair, the Barcelona Chair, by Mies van der Rohe, who designed this chair in 1929 for the king and queen of Spain.  It also won the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977.

Some sources for original or reproduction mid century modern chairs and other furnishings are Design Within Reach, Thrive, All Modern, IFN Modern, Modern Mobler, Acme, Kardiel, One Kings Lane and of course Ebay, Craigslist, local classifieds and estate sales.  With these favorites on your radar you may find the deal of the century in an unsuspecting place.  I know I have passed up some that I now regret.

Do you have any favorite places to shop for modern chairs?

Chairs on the brain

In sourcing chairs this week we have come across some beauts... I mean every time I do a job I want new things for my home, like these chairs from Caracole,

or these similar beauties from Crate and Barrel.

Hoping to re-do my family room in the future, I am in the market for a non-recliner- looking-recliner myself and love this one from West Elm:

 Ok, enough about me, FOCUS....we are looking for a comfy accent chair for a client's master bedroom.This neutral MCM chair was at Home Goods for $199 and we saw it on Overstock for $500.  It would have given the room we're designing a little more California-natural look.We loved it but thought the client wouldn't. 

 This one is a contender and a bit out of the ordinary with contrasting backing- love it.

This chair is more of our client's taste, and its a great price point but sold out.

Our time frame is limited, our budget is limited and we are looking for comfortable, just the right neutral color, free shipping, in stock to quick ship, returnable..all those variables we need as a designer for this job.  Stay tuned to see the finished room in a few weeks and see what we found!
BTW, I absolutely cannot stop spending every spare minute reading Erin Gates book, Elements of Style...fantastic!

Happy Weekend!

The Statement Chair

  Do you own a "statement chair'?

One King's Lane launched a new a Decor Resource Center where you can learn about the history of different types of chairs.  They have compiled a timeline describing which chairs were popular at different times.  My personal favorite chair, The Falcon Chair, was not listed on the timeline but is too good not to mention.

The Falcon Chair rose to popularity in the 1970s during the Scandinavian Modern movement. I acquired mine when I got married in 1975 and still love it today!  The Falcon chair was designed by Sigurd Ressell and manufactured by Vatne Mobler Norway.

 My husband and I loved Scandanavian Modern when we got married; since we were both raised in homes with antiques, this was our attempt at breaking away from our roots and developing our own style.  Some of our early acquisitions are no longer with us, but this chair and several other teak mid-century modern case goods are mixed into the 'transitional' style decor in my home.  Here is the Falcon Chair in our master bedroom today.

Bookmark the One King's Lane Decor Resource Guide for your design files today! Hopefully the Falcon Chair will be added to their guide!

Do you have a 'statement' chair?

the holy trinity

Have you ever heard someone talking about something they want to do to their home and you cringe?  I often think my friends think I'm off my rocker when I talk about the outlandish things I want to do to my home.  But if you are a risk-taker, then just go for it and go all the way.  If you aren't, stick to your safe-ground and don't push the envelope. Half-assing it ('scuse my French) will always show.  Do what makes you feel good, and is within your comfort zone.  But if you are looking to make your mark, put all your chips in!

Where people get into trouble is taking some risks in an otherwise low-risk environment. The lack of confidence in their risk will always show through.  The wrong piece of stylized furniture in an otherwise Pottery Barn house.  Or a bad paint color with really classic or traditional furniture. 

There are some rules of thumb to keep in mind when looking to make an impact in your home.  Remember Mom's post on the BRAGG theory?  There are some elements that make or break a room.  We call them the Holy Trinity.  I know, I know… it's just decorating.  But these things can really make you say 'oh my GOD' when done right.

First up - LIGHTING.

This is true of all of these categories, but lighting is especially worthy of spending a bit more money to get just what you want.  Even if it means making sacrifices in the budget for other areas, lighting is supremely important.  Lighting is one of those things that can be extremely costly,  especially if you have a lot of fixtures to replace.  But choosing impactful lighting will increase the allure of your space arguably more than any other element of decor.

Jan Showers is famous for her murano lamps and fabulous lighting in her interiors

Numero dos - RUGS.

So many crazes out there like over-dyed or the Beni Oushak trend.  But whatever you are into, spend a little bit more to get a quality rug.  It will make all the difference in the way it 'wears' and how much impact it has in a space.  Poor quality rugs shed and pill and show wear much easier than ones designed to weather the test of time. And one of the biggest mistakes I see people make with rugs is SRS.  Small Rug Syndrome.  We all make this mistake at some point.  And after a while, it nags at you that none of the corners meet the furniture or the walls and eventually you bite the bullet and upgrade to the bigger rug.  There are far too many 5 x7 and 6 x9 rugs in large lofty living rooms. And maybe that's a function of the number of those size rugs being sold in the big-box stores.  The pocketbook takes a huge hit on a custom or large room rug, but just make sure your rug grounds your room and fills the space its meant for. 

                   Lastly, CHAIRS.

Occasional chairs and dining chairs are some of the most sat in when company calls.  They are also the most noticeable.  And there's nothing worse than an uncomfortable chair.  Saving your pennies for a few more months will be well worth it in the long run when you avoid the Ikea chairs and splurge on the real hardwood framed chairs.  I regret my Ikea Parsons-esque dining chairs every night while we eat dinner.  They always creak and shift and the legs often loosen. Oddly though, the Lucite Ikea chairs I have intermixed are not as bad as the cheap softwood Henriksdal chairs we also have.  A chair is all about sitting.  Sitting should be comfortable.  Not rickety or unstable.  

And when you have all three elements together… BLAM.  There's your impact!

Do you have purchases that you regret not spending a little more on? 

-Bethany