Butterfly Chairs

January 31st, 2011

I’ve been slowly amassing butterfly chair frames to use as seating around the fire pit for the past year or so. Unfortunately, buying individual frames over Craigslist is a bit of a problem when it comes to having all the chairs and their covers match. Why won’t a bunch of unconnected strangers in different towns have exactly what I want?! So inconsiderate.

Mismatched and falling apart, the random ugly slings on each chair were making things look a tad dorm room ghetto.

I recently received an email from Steve Dunning of Circa50 whose subject line literally read “help is on the way”. He had noticed my past post and how terrible the chairs were looking and then a wave of embarrassment about the state of my ghetto chair covers hit me like a tuna in the face. With much shame, I admitted that they had been neglected for far too long.

Thankfully, Circa50 rescued me yet again.

They sent six white indoor/outdoor vinyl weave slings in size D. The heavy duty exterior vinyl is a Circa50 exclusive and so very thick and fabulous to sit in – they are like white clouds of slingy heaven.

I can’t decide if six chairs may be a bit much around the fire pit, but once we install the stock tank pool I have a feeling that a pair will navigate over to the other side of the yard. Then it shall be decided…do I need still more? Probably…because I am obsessed with butterfly chairs…

It’s amazing how a matching set of slings instantly changes the patio area. It’s like the whole thing just went up a thousand notches in the über fancy design category.

Honestly, I kind of don’t want anyone to sit in them since they look like the hotness.

Thanks again, Steve and everyone at Circa50! These really did save the side yard. Now everything else needs to get better to keep up.

Stripes

January 27th, 2011

I found this amazing striped sofa that has these Milo Baughman style chrome supports and barely rolled arms. It has vintage tags but the maker is unmarked and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. Mystery sofa.

I love it. I think it’s a spectacular and unique piece that is incredibly graphic and says hi, I’m the star of this room, make way for my stripey awesomeness. Then again, it’s a whole lot of look for someone like me who prefers their vintage sofas uncomfortable and neutral. Problem is, this thing is squishy and delicious to sit and in the most incredible vintage condition that lulls you into cushioned cloud like nap time.

I pulled apart the den to accommodate this 93″ extravagance after about a month or so of going back and forth wondering how to mix things up in here.

Well. This mixed it up. We will see if it sticks.

*spoiler*

I know it won’t – but the comfort, oh my is it nice. I’m just not loving the wainscoting and the stripe and the burl together, it’s almost like this sofa needs a clean white wall and an open floor plan that just isn’t available in our den. Plus, I hate that WAINSCOTING, and no, it’s not on top of the wall and easy to remove. It’s this thick weird solid wood stuff that actually creates the wall, studs and all. That’s why it hasn’t been removed, the house would fall down, and that is why – sadly – the sofa won’t work for me.

Soon. Very soon. I need to sell a bunch of things including this baby. Keep an eye out and I’ll keep you posted…

Thrifty!

January 26th, 2011

Whilst out thrifting with Summer, I spotted a wee bit of color poking out from behind some crappy motel style prints in the art racks. In all honesty, at first, I thought it would be some stupid motel art since the ugly crappy frame was lacking any sort of glass.

Once released from the stacks of pure suck, the piece was immediately recognizable as an Alexander Calder lithograph. Those long college years studying art is finally paying off, check me out – I can distinguish Calder from motel art.

I was shocked at the perfect condition of the litho, especially considering it had been passed along through all kinds of thrift store sorters and handlers and then wedged behind a bunch of schlock. It’s in amazing shape, only the mat is a little scratched and banged up.

The back still has the original tags and I used the DLM 141-1 NOV 63 to figure out that this was Derriere le Miroir #141 by Alexander Calder from you guessed it – 1963. Hey now!