Young House Love

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Buying A Thrift Store Egg Chair

I have been obsessed with egg chairs for at least a decade since seeing this hanging one in Domino magazine back in college and this guy from Marie Claire Maison (their French house-related magazine) who has also been in my desktop inspiration folder for at least five years.

So as you can imagine, every time I’m in a thrift store I’m on the eternal egg chair hunt. I dream of hanging one in our sunroom next to the daybed for Clara (or me) to swing around in without killing ourselves. Not sure if we can handle it, but the universe has taken some safety measures and insured that every time I look I have no luck. Yup. So far, no dice. I did get close once (imagine me telling this story like a gal who leans in and whispers that she once nearly caught some mythological creature like Bigfoot or Nessie).

The year was 2011. I saw a picture on cragislist with a giant collection of items that were for sale at a local thrift store. There among the junk was the most amazing egg chair I ever saw. I dove for the phone, knocking books off my desk and pencils to the floor. I probably made some sort of sound like “gaaahhhhh” or “woooooooooo.” When someone answered I said “Egg chair” and panted like a dog. Seriously, I momentarily lost my mind. The woman was very nice but said “oh yeah, as soon as we posted that it sold.” I hope I said goodbye and thanked her but I honestly don’t remember anything after that sentence. I blacked out.

Since then I’ve always been keeping an eye out – even from mainstream stores with higher price tags. For example, Pier 1 now sells this hanging chair for $280:

Swing Chair 280

They also sell this Papasan guy for $80 (they’re known to pop up in dorm rooms and is a little too “reclined” and “wide” to really be as egg-ish as I’d like). So let’s just say the guy above is more my speed and the guy below is more in my price range. Such is life.

Papasan Chair 80

They also sell this guy, who is sort of like Sir Papasan’s fancy cousin who spent the summer in Europe and came back with some swagger. The shape is definitely more egg-ish, but the cushion is a little too frumpy for me (is anyone else getting maxi pad?).

Swinging 179

Fast forward to a recent thrift store run when we popped into about five of our favorite local places (I snapped lots of photos so we’ll have to write that whole adventure up for you as soon as we can size all the pics). Anyway, at the third place I walked by this little set of two chairs and I took this picture. End of story.

Egg Chair 1

Then I got home and uploaded everything and had this “what the heck was I thinking?!” moment when I realized both of those guys above were:

  • very egg-ish
  • in my price range
  • in need of love (which is actually a selling point for me)
  • marginally harder to get hurt on than a hanging egg chair (which is a good thing, since something swinging might spell disaster for uncoordinated runs-in-the-family gals like me and Clara)

So I did the following:

  • lunged towards John who was typing at his desk next to me
  • probably made some sound like “meeeeeeeeeeeep” or “haaaaaaaaaaaaah”
  • pointed to the picture on my screen of the two egg chairs
  • said “can these fit in our car?”
  • convinced John at least one could fit in our car
  • grabbed the kid and ran to the car so fast that we were all strapped in and ready to go when John sauntered up a minute later and started the engine

Oh yeah, it was on. About twenty minutes later we were back at Goodwill and you’re not even going to believe it. The guy on the right was gone. Sold. Sadness. But the guy on the left was still there! And very much egg-ish. And very much in our budget. As in: thirty beans total. And get this- it even swivels!!! So the wind can still be in my hair while the chair is safely planted on the floor of the sunroom. Basically it was very much like buying the Pier 1 Swivel Chair above for $179 but for 150 bucks less, and I’ll get to freshen it up and put my own spin on it (pun intended) with some new pillows instead of anything resembling a giant feminine hygiene product.

Egg Chair2

Sidenote: I totally made an omelette for dinner to celebrate my little egg chair coup. Is that sick of me? Like I was eating his ancestors or something?

I should have taken a photo of John sitting in it for scale, but the back goes up to his shoulder blades  (and he’s 6′ tall). So it’s not a child-sized chair, although it’ll definitely be Clara-friendly (and me-friendly since I plan to set up camp in this chair for the next 20-30 years). This picture of it on a low coffee table in the sunroom doesn’t help with the whole scale thing, but you can see the potential right? He has good lines I think. Good egg-ish lines. Of course that cushion was grody and should not have even been brought into the house, but it has since been relegated to the carport. And you can see the shape even better without it. Me-ow, right?

  Egg Chair3

After playing around with some pillows (which look crazy, but gave me a general idea of what I think could work), I’ve decided I’ll make or find a better fitting seat cushion and then just add a casual back cushion. But it’ll be taller than the little pillow in the picture below because I want the back to be as comfy as the bottom.

Egg Chair4

Will keep you posted for sure. Oh and you know I’m going to freshen this guy up beyond just adding some cushions right?

Egg Chair5

Might have already started on that actually. More details in a few days when he’s all dry and ready for his close up. And of course amid egg chair happy dances work slowly continues on the deck…

Deck Tease

… so we should be back with an update on that front next week for ya. Inch, inch, inch…

Psst- We announced this week’s big giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

    • lindsay says

      Anthropologie has some pretty amazing egg chairs, but they are also pretty expensive. I cant wait to see how yours turns out.

  2. Katy says

    HAhahaha, can’t wait to see how it turns out! Are you going to name the Egg? I feel like it might need a name but is it a boy or a girl?

    ~Katy

    Reply

  4. Kristen | Popcorn on the Stove says

    Cool find! The chair does have a great shape and I can’t wait to see what you do with it :)

    PS – I usually make weird noises at Joe, too, since I seem to forget how to verbalize my excitement. The noises may sometimes accompanied by puppy eyes.

    Reply

  6. Kathy says

    I had one of those “hanging basket” chairs in my room when I was a teen. Totally wish I had it now to put on my porch! I spit my coffee out when I read your comment about the cushion of the chair you bought looking like a huge feminine product! But man o man does it ever! Can’t wait to see your’s after you’ve added your special touches.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      You’re right, the chair in Clara’s nursery is egg-ish too! Doesn’t swivel, but the curves are there. Me-ow. Maybe I just want to fill my house with at least a dozen of them. Eggs come by the dozen, right? Haha.

      And Greta’s chair is so cute!

      xo,
      s

  8. tae says

    you crack me up! the cushion your chair came with does look exactly like a giant feminine hygiene product. hilarious.

    but the chair is fab! is it comfy? it looks like you’d have to fold into it at a 45 degree angle. maybe some sitting pics when you get it all paint-if-ied?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, we need to share sitting in it pics to show how it feels. Basically it’s not as reclined as a papasan chair (you’re not tipped back as much) but still sort of cupped/supported. Very cozy.

      xo,
      s

  10. Kathy says

    Reread my comment and had to laugh at myself – let me clarify that by “Can’t wait to see your’s after you’ve added your special touches” I mean YOUR CHAIR! See, I really needed that coffee!!

    Reply

  11. Karen L. says

    Have so much fun making it your own. I’m old enough to remember the original ones and they were fun for sure! I loved sitting and swinging in one in NC on a covered patio of a friend of ours. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it…..will be the place for sweet memories for y’all.

    Reply

  13. erica says

    Good find!
    My grandparents had a hanging egg chair and I LOVED it. Yes, it got beat up, and we scratched up the walls playing in it, but it was so fun. I’d love to have one someday.

    Reply

  15. Crystal @ 29 Rue House says

    Nice find! I love the egg chair and I love rattan too! I could totally see you curled up in that thing with your laptop. Maybe you can carry it around the house (it will be one of those ever moving things in the house) and use it everywhere you go! haha

    Reply

  16. Lindsay McGowan says

    Sherry, you were exceptionally funny in this post! Also, I have said this on Katie’s blog but you two much have some stellar Goodwill’s near you because our’s is always full of grimy toys, smells like burnt cabbage, and I always feel like I need an antibiotic shot when I leave. I need to go to your Goodwill. Oh, and your likening that cushion to a feminine hygiene product made coffee come out of my nose. I’m not even mad about it though because it was funny, and worth it. Can’t wait to see what you come up with for Mr. Eggy!

    Reply

  18. Beth says

    Very cool! Can’t wait to see how the egg hatches. Those old cushions definitely hid their potential.. I burst out laughing at your description.

    Reply

  19. Barbara says

    I had two of these and loved them, but ultimately needed better seating in our living room. I had purchased them at Goodwill for $7 each. My husband thought they were hideous, but whatever. When I was forced to sell them, I could NOT find a buyer anywhere. ugh! I ultimately donated them back to Goodwill, but not without some heartache. We don’t have a sunroom, and they wouldn’t work on our narrow front porch. So sad.

    But so happy there’s still love out there for you and that you’ve found a home for at least one!

    Reply

  20. Taya says

    LOVE hanging egg chairs, and any kind of comfy chair that rocks or swivels. Can’t wait to see his makeover!

    Reply

  21. Kara J says

    I love egg chairs! We plan on adding a patio to our backyard next spring and I would LOVE a pair of outdoor egg chairs to plop my bum on when it’s done.

    Reply

  22. Kelly Reber says

    That post just made me laugh out loud!! I needed that this morning!! I LOVE egg chairs! My aunt had one hanging from the ceiling in her bedroom when I was little and I was in AWE of it. My brothers and I fought over it all the time!

    Reply

  23. Mandy S says

    Love it!! Hubs impulsively bought a hammock from the Renaissance Fair a few years ago. Can’t wait to have the front porch built so we can hang it out there!

    Reply

  24. Debbie says

    we have a couple of wicker (resin) hanging chairs outside in the stucco open air gazebo at our AZ home (the kind w/ a roof, 4 supports & sheer curtains that can be drawn for privacy) & i used a little (washable) plush sheepskin rugs for the seat cushion. i just discreetly sewed some ties onto. since its an obtuse shape & i placed them askew, it hangs off a little in the front & on the sides. & then i used a couple bright colored pillows for the back support, which i also sewed ties to just to keep everything in its place.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tips Debbie! I definitely can’t wait to see how a faux sheepskin looks on it – perhaps in combination with a cushion to make it more plush!

      xo,
      s

  25. Lindsay Huff says

    Fantastic find! I’ve got an idea for you. What about a large flat, round, dog bed for a cushion? You could problably find one for cheap at a Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Big Lots…etc. (Does Richmond have a Big Lots? We’ve got 2 in Lower Delaware!) Then cover it with some beautiful fabric to match the sun room. So excited to see what you’ll do with this!

    Reply

  27. Erica says

    Love it! I wonder if a Euro sham would be the right size/shape for a cushion? (As you noted, it’s hard to get a sense of its scale from the pix.)

    Reply

    • Linda says

      And, make sure you know where Berger is when you swivel in that chair. I have one chair that swivels – almost caught my cat in it during a revolution….since then, extremely careful about that type of thing.

    • RA says

      Children can be very creative and resourceful when getting stuck in places you wouldn’t ever think possible. Just ask my son the 911 call dispatcher.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we have no doubt that Clara will get into her fair share of trouble over the next 18 years (and beyond!) but rest assured, we do our best to keep an eye on her and are happy to report that at least for now her head is way too big for the small areas of the chair and way too small to get stuck in some of the larger ones. Of course you never know what could happen, but I promise we’re obsessed with her, so we pretty much stare at her all the time. Haha.

      xo,
      s

    • RA says

      I’m sorry if that came across as a slam of your parenting skills. I didn’t mean that at all. Your love and care for your sweet bean comes shining through every post and is there in her happy, confident face. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you two are most excellent parents.

      The hubs and I are both from big families and rather large extended families so we’ve seen (and personally done)what children can do when you least expect it. Our two number among those. Add to that our son’s work experiences and there are plenty of stories to tell. Thank goodness most are funny in the re-telling.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no worries, I didn’t take it as a slam at all! You’re so sweet. I could tell you a ton of Clara-mischief stories already, and she’s only two! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  30. JK says

    I just got a little creeped out, in a good way. My bf’s parent’s had two of that exact chair with the same nasty cushions in more or a golden yellow tone…in our guest room that used to be their designated bedroom when they visited. After they passed, I redid that room, but couldn’t bare to Goodwill them. My bf had too many memories of his parents reading in them, and they were in otherwise good condition. They’ve been sitting in our garage, and now our basement since. I just couldn’t get over the distinct 70’s feel. Just this week, I was in our basement and was trying to figure out how to makeshift a new cushion and what color to spray the frames. I plan to put the finished product in the sunroom at his parent’s old house since we don’t have a room for them. Looking forward to your outcome! Good luck.

    Reply

  31. Lindsay Butler says

    I wish we lived closer. I have a hanging egg chair, that I loved as a child. My aunt recently said she was going to get rid of it, and I said she couldn’t…I needed it. Sadly, I do not have a single space in our home for it… I still have it, but would have loved to see you give it some “love” and enjoy it for years to come.
    If interested, if we are ever in the area I will shoot you a message and if you want, I’ll load it into our SUV and it is all yours.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      OK, I am not even going to be coy – I would die for that chair! Definitely give me a shout if you’re ever in or around Richmond! I might not be able to form sentences, but I’ll grunt enough to communicate that I’m beyond excited. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  33. Karen F says

    you have such a great eye! I’m sure I would have passed it up due to the maxipad cushion. When you showed the pic of the chair without it, I suddenly “got” it. I can’t wait to see it all spiffed up!

    Reply

  34. Elizabeth says

    I have that EXACT green cushioned papasan chair from Pier 1 in my living room. Like, right now it I am looking at it! I liked it when I bought it three years ago, but now not so much :( I kind of wish I bought a slipper chair instead. Oh well!

    By the way, at Pier 1 in Canada, the green papasan chair cost $130!

    Liz

    Reply

  37. toni from says

    I totally thought it looked like a feminine hygiene product, and then you said it, and I was like, wow, we really do think alike. I sound like a valley girl, LOL

    Reply

  39. Teri says

    Can’t wait to see what you do with it. I’ve been stalking the hanging egg chairs for awhile too, but they are all so expensive :(

    Reply

  44. Lindsay says

    The middle picture of the green one for $80….my grandparents had one growing up. It wasn’t wood though – or at least had something covering the wood. But we have some great memories in that chair. When grandkids were together one at a time someone would sit in it and we would spin it as fast as we could until you couldn’t take anymore! My mom has it and is planning to recover it because the leather fabric is wearing away. Love these chairs!

    Reply

  46. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    I’ve never really been a fan of these chairs, until I visited a friend in Florida a few years ago. I literally moved out of my dorm the night before and got like 3 hrs. sleep before my 5 am flight, then ran around all day. That evening I plopped myself in one of these chairs and I was OUT! Ever since then I’ve been totally open to getting one ;)

    Reply

  47. Jessica says

    Ok, I’ve had that same photo from Domino saved for ages, but I’m in love with that green bedside table. Does anyone have any idea where that glossy green beauty comes from? I <3 it.

    Reply

  49. CohoesMom5 says

    My mother has had an egg chair for as long as I can remember (we always called it the “hanging chair”). She still has it hanging on the stand on her enclosed front porch. My kids love to sit and swing on it.

    She has been on a give-away kick lately so I will remind her that if she ever wants to get rid of it, I will take it. I would love to have this in our sunroom or maybe even our loft area. Or better yet, in my bedroom where I won’t have to share it with the kids.

    Reply

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