And now for a little chair-related riddle: What sucks more than buying eight chairs on craigslist only to realize that they’re really really not working after a year and a half of trying?
A: Buying eight chairs on craigslist only to realize that they’re really really not working after a year and a half of trying while you blog about it to the world at large. Haha. But you know we like to keep it real, so here’s the unfortunate chair lesson that we had to learn through trial and error. And boy were there trials. And errors. But you win some and ya lose some when it comes to making your house a home. So if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And again. And again. Haha. The good news is that this whole journey into home-making has a happy ending, so let’s skip to the fun part:
But wait. We’re getting ahead of ourselves. First let’s flash back to the whole struggling-to-make-our-original-eight-craigslist-chairs-work rundown:
- First we found our $25 craigslist chairs and snatched them up – even though we hated the crazy hotel fabric
- Then we hunted down some inexpensive slipcovers at World Market (score!) but they were too big (boo!) so we tossed them into the dryer and they shrunk up and fit a lot better (score!).
- Then we dyed them a nice mocha color in the hopes of letting the dark teal backs of the built-ins do their thing (the original off-white tone clashed with all of the white trim and the built-ins in person).
- Then we lived with them a bit and learned that they got baggy and messy looking after a week or two of washing them (boo!). Although they snapped back into shape whenever we washed them again, it was more maintenance than we initially thought (boo!).
- So I actually tried painting one of the chairs a happy apple green using textile medium (epic fail!).
- Then I tried spray painting them (knowing I could just toss the brown slipcovers back on if it didn’t work out, so I didn’t have much to lose). They were sleeker than the baggy slipcovers thanks to the tighter lines, but the swirled pattern showed through in texture, which was a little less than ideal.
I actually ended that spray-painting post with this somewhat deflated statement: “As for how we feel, we’re still sort of on the fence. They’re definitely better (muuch better) than the green painted chair debacle. And in person we think they’re marginally better than the baggy slipcovers. But we’ll probably recover or replace them someday down the line. There’s probably a lesson in here somewhere about how $25 craigslist chairs might not always be the answer if they have a crazy pattern and don’t fit typical store-bought slipcovers. Ah well, live and learn.”
In other words I took all of my crazy out on those poor hopeless chairs. Then I gave them the silent treatment for a few months while slowly growing more and more frustrated with them. Eventually we faced the they’re-just-not-working music and said things like this and this to folks who asked about them. And the good news is that the fifth (eighth? I’ve lost count) time is the charm! The key wasn’t saving those chairs and desperately trying to make them work, it was setting them free.
We’re planning to craigslisting the old guys in the hopes that someone who is much better at reupholstery than we are will be interested (they’re a great classic shape, but the fabric has to go) so we’ll keep you guys posted on what brave soul wants to keep giving these chairs a chance at survival.
But now let’s talk about the new chairs! They were actually a really good deal (just $62 a pop) and best of all, we love them just as they are. No more chair-speriments. At least in this room. The larger/cozier chair idea actually hit me one night while thinking about casual and super comfy dining room setups like this one from West Elm and this one from Ballard Designs:
Why do our chairs need to be tiny and why do there need to be eight of them? What if there were six big armchairs around the table? We still have seating for an additional four people at the peninsula (literally three steps to the left of the table) and if our family gatherings eventually get so big that we need to seat more than nine or ten people, we can always set up a kids table in the office since the middle of that room is clear (and that’s just three steps from the dining table in another direction). Plus seating for six in our first house’s dining area worked for the 4.5 years we lived there, so even just the four extra spots at the peninsula will be gravy.
So then I was on the hunt for armchairs, but because I worry about kiddos (& even adults) with a whole bunch of fabric + food, I had this very specific hankering for something wicker or woven. Just to add more texture and not have fabric that I have to worry about staining. The only bummer is that most wicker armchairs are in the $200-300 range a pop (like these $319 options from Ballard Designs, and these $299 ones from Pottery Barn). And then I found these. Four of them for less than the price of one of those others! And angels sang. Wait, that was just Clara in the background doing her Katy Perry impression (in case you’re wondering, if you ask her who her favorite singers are, they’re listed as follows: Katy Perry, The Chipmunks, Adam Levine, and Barney).
Guess why they were so marked down? They’re actually outdoor chairs! And it’s the end of the season so they were on super clearance. I was really nervous to buy two 4-sets of them sight unseen, but I read that:
- I could return them to any Target store instead of having to pay to ship them back if they didn’t work
- By using our Target credit card the shipping was completely free
- Also by using our Target card we’d score an additional 5% off (wahoo!)
So it felt pretty risk-free. Thank goodness, because at this point I’m suspicious of chairs having unforeseen issues. Haha. Oh and getting eight of them would mean that we’d have two extra chairs we wouldn’t need, so we could craigslist them, hopefully for $62 each since they’d be new/in the box and there are far uglier outdoor chairs on our local CL for $75 (so although we’d have to buy eight, we hopefully won’t lose any money getting those extra two by reselling them, and the per-chair cost will stay at $62). Update: Lots of folks are suggesting that we keep the other two for our deck or patio, which was definitely our first instinct, but we tried them in a few places and felt like we were forcing them, so we’d rather sell them and save up/wait for something that could work better in those outdoor spaces :)
Then we crossed all of our appendages and knocked on wood while waiting for them to come (which makes Burger bark enthusiastically, btw – more on that here). And huzzah! They’re awesome! They make me want to sit cross-legged at the table for hours and draw with Clara (done!). I think they’ll be great for doing homework with her and stuff (they’re kind of cozy like an armchair) and I can’t wait to have a big family dinner with the grandparents and John’s sister so we can all sit and chat for a nice long time in them (who am I kidding, I have a toddler, I’ll be running around while they sit and chat).
Here’s a shot of John relaxing in one. We’re so happy they’re comfy and the right height for the table. Whew.
Another great thing about them being outdoor chairs is that they have these great little durable seat cushions (they’re made to work outside, so they definitely can handle spills and wipe-downs – they actually feel impervious, like most things should bead up – which’ll definitely come in handy).
I’ll keep you posted when it comes to how these babies wear – and how they work for homework, drawing, and hosting bigger dinners with the fam. So far they’ve been awesome for our little crew (they’ve already passed the Play-Doh test). The coolest thing is that because they’re outdoor chairs we can literally bring them outside and spray them down with a hose if need be.
And I sort of love how everyone gets arm rests. It’s like we’re all sitting at the head of the table, which is kind of fitting since a round table doesn’t have a head.
We’re so thankful. Seriously, I thought we’d never crack this chair code and in 2040 we’d still be blogging something like “so we cryogenically froze the chairs and we think that’ll work! Fingers crossed!” Why is it that failing a few times sometimes makes the simplest accomplishments feel monumental? We finally got dining chairs we love almost two years into living here! Somebody strike up the band!
Here’s the view from the kitchen. We love how the slatted wood stools and the woven dining chairs work together without feeling too matchy. They both bring a nice texture and warmth to the rooms without feeling overwhelming (since having so many seats in two adjoining rooms could easily get crazy-competey-looking).
And so ends the epic 2010-2012 Chair Olympics that we hosted at our house. Sure, we lost the first six events (and you have to hand it to us, we really bombed a few of those times) but I might just be found standing on one of these chairs raising my fake gold medal up and happy-crying at the crowd. So it pays to keep at it until you finally get those “this is IT!” butterflies… even if they don’t come easy. In the end, we’re just happy that we didn’t have to spend 1K on a bunch of chairs, which was definitely our fear ever since we got our big ol’ table – but even with the loss that we took on those first ones (including all of our desperate attempts to save them) our total spent is still a few hundred less than that… and will hopefully be even less when we craigslist them. I think we just had to try the parson’s chairs and live with them to learn that we didn’t want to live with them. Haha. It’s like how you have to get that glittery purple eye shadow to learn that no (NO!) it’s not gonna work, and you should probably try something else.
What oops moments have you guys lived through lately? Any other furniture switchouts or upgrades going on? Between our new kitchen stools and these guys we’ve deemed this phase of home-making: “turning a corner.” It seems like we’re finally refining things, working out little nagging issues, and bringing in more texture & natural tones (which we loved in our first house) to mix with the pops of color that we’ve fallen more in love with since moving into our current house. It’s actually pretty normal for us to take a year or two to get our bearings, so needless to say, it’s pretty fun to be making those “that’s it!” tweaks in a few rooms that we use all the time. We knew we’d get there someday. Never mind those five other untouched rooms that we have yet to start. Haha.
Amanda S. says
Have you thought about painting either the table or the chairs? In the example photo you have, there is a nice contrast between the white table and the wood chairs. I like the shape of the chairs with your table but the colors look like they clash a bit- or are maybe just too much brown together- it feels heavy.
YoungHouseLove says
We love them as-is for now, but you never know where we’ll end up!
xo
s
how2home says
249.50 for 4 chairs!!!! That is not bad at all. Great find Sherry and John! Will you be adding some pillows on the chairs? I vote for a fresh yellow color !!
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to add some pillows down the line when we’re past the play-doh and spilled yogurt stage with Clara. Haha!
xo
s
Annie R. says
I like them!! I saw the first photo and I wasn’t so sure- but by the end of the post I’m convinced I need them :) I like the comfort factor!! Plus, you could jazz them up with differen cushions easily enough. Also, I think the usability/functionality of being outdoor furniture is SO cool. If you’d ever decide you didn’t like them and wanted different chairs- you could just move them outside!
We have SUCH a problem with our kitchen. It’s way to big to not have some sort of table/seating, but too annoying to have anything there too because of a bi-fold door closet containing our washer and dryer… I never know what to do there- we’ve had probably 6-7 different tables, no table, a bench, 2 captains chairs, etc. I STILL dont’ know what to do there!! Some day!
hyzen says
Wowsers! The old ones looked… fine. But these ones look AWESOME! Totally meant to be, just perfect in that space. congrats. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Hyzen!
xo
s
jenny nusse says
your place is findinding its own personality! :) i love the textures you’ve brought in and the way your very own vibe is infusing your home with such warmth! the beauty of your process – and why i love to check in – is how, in keeping true to yourselves and open to trying new things, you continue to listen to your instinct and to the walls surrounding you in creating a space in harmony with your spirit. the chairs and those stools are brilliant and unexpected – great finds!
Debra says
thank you for controlling me from the only negative I would ever want to say about your choices. Those other chairs made me crazy. I love love love the wicker!!! And those stools you just found on craigslist were so amazing!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Debra!
xo
s
Ashley says
Love the new chairs! I especially like how they tie into your new stools!
Sometimes you ned to fail a couple of times to get what you really want. Last week our fail was wall hung shelves that fell after I put books on them – rookie mistake but well fix it!!
MelissaG says
I got a little lost trying to follow the whole post (and will try to read again when a newborn isn’t “calling” for me)…but are you keeping the patio chairs? I know I may get bashed for this and I’m not saying it to be rude but it looks really odd that way. It looks like patio furniture inside your house. Anyway, to each their own and I’ll try to re-read to see if I’m missing something.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes! We love them! But it’s definitely not something everyone would choose for their own dining room :)
xo
s
Sarah K says
These look super comfy! So glad you find the right chairs for your dining room. I love how the right dining room chairs can turn a dining room table into a gathering hub for the family.
I recently found my perfect chairs too. I posted about them here: http://ournextgreatadventure.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/new-dining-room-chairs/
YoungHouseLove says
They’re so handsome! Love them!
xo
s
Sarah K says
Thanks Sherry!
Louisa says
I love your new chairs, they look sooooo much better. Your old dining chairs were about the only thing I didn’t really like in your house, they just didn’t seem very YHL! And eight seemed so busy ;) Love how you just keep switching things up. Good work.
Debbie Jo says
I love the chairs so much I went to check them out at Target and they’re only 20% off now, boo! I like the comfortable look and the fact that there are no places to hang things from (a problem I have with my chairs and my collecting problem). I am generously sized, so I’m wondering what the actual dimension is of the inside of the chair (just the inside measurements from side to side) and the height to the seat. Actually, if I lived anywhere close to you, I’d be happy to buy those 2 extra chairs from you (I live in northern Illinois).
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Debbie Jo! The inside of the seat measurements are 20″ wide by 20″ deep. And the height of the cushion is around 20″ from the ground. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Susan says
Ahhh!!! I was literally waiting for this to be an oddly timed “April Fools” post. Wicker, really? This line alone, “The coolest thing is that because they’re outdoor chairs we can literally bring them outside and spray them down with a hose if need be.” Spraying down chairs for the dining room?!! Ahhh!! Sorry, I’m not a fan of the chairs, but HUUUGE fans of you guys.
I love the shelves in the dining room, but the other parts are starting to look a lil mis-matchy. But I hope you all love them and use them! Love that we all have different styles- don’t mean to be snarky.
The Shelving Store says
As much as I love those chairs you somehow snagged so cheaply (*shakes fist in jealousy*), the part I love most about your new dining room is the dark green accent color you put amidst the back of your built-in shelving. It looks so subtle, yet perfectly compliments all the green details scattered throughout your home.
Very good work, as always.
Vicki says
That last shot with the view from your kitchen: duck – chairs – stools. Perfect harmony!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Vicki!
xo
s
Ellen says
OMG – I’ve been wanting that set, but only need 2 chairs (for our screened porch) and we are empty nesters and just want to chill on the porch and I live in Fredericksburg, so if you CL them send me the link!!
YoungHouseLove says
Will do!!
xo
s
Stephanie Trombley says
Target has them listed for $399 now. Total score for the P’s! I am totally looking for outdoor furniture inside when the time arrives!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that weird?! I have no idea why they would go down and back up. Makes me wonder if prices fluctuate like that all the time!
xo
s
Susan says
You crack me up!! Thanks for sharing and letting us know that even the experts make mistakes sometimes. Great resolution of the issue, love the new chairs. Susan
sara says
“Why is it that failing a few times sometimes makes the simplest accomplishments feel monumental? We finally got [something] we love after [sometime]! Somebody strike up the band!”
This is the absolute best feeling, and excellent live-in-the-moment, enjoy-every-breath appreciation. Awesome as usual. Thank you so much.
Ali says
I love them! And I might be interested in the other two on CL if/when you post them. :)
Jennifer Harrup says
I really like them, much improved for sure! I also love those happy green leaves (are they called elephant ears or something?) you have perking up the table. Oh and I worked for several years as an interior designer and we ALWAYS upholstered dining chairs with outdoor or commercial grade fabric, it really is such a great idea!
Summer says
Wow…is your house just never messy?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I have a two year old! I had to scrape the play-doh off the table for this pic. Hahah. Just picture a pile of stuff right behind the camera in any shot we share :)
xo
s
Erica says
The chairs look great!! Don’t you love that feeling of satisfaction when it all clicks into place?
alex says
I appreciate the look of them…but the issue with me is that they aren’t practical. There is NOTHING worse than sitting at a full dinner table and having to manuver huge chairs to get up from the table and then having to shuffle yourself back in…it’s fine when everyone is spaced out…but that close is just not very inviting…it feels super closed in.
YoungHouseLove says
The wicker makes them nice and light! They’re easier than moving a traditional wooden dining chair (especially one of those “head” chairs with arms) for sure! And since they have a lower back than the parson’s chairs we used to have, they feel less closed in to us, not more. It’s definitely one of those personal preference things though :)
xo
s
Asten says
I think these make the room. All of a sudden, it looks perfect. Well done.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Asten!
xo
s
Anna Sebok says
OMG you guys! These are so much more your style! And to think of all the different kind of chair pads you could find/make!
HeatherM says
Oh I wish you would just reupholster those chairs yourself! It REALLY is not that hard. I have VERY limited DIY skills that only include dreaming up projects for my handy hubby to execute, helping with painting or laying a hardwood floor, BASIC sewing, and re-upholstery. All you do is take pictures of every step of removing the fabric, use the existing fabric pieces as templates to trace out your new fabric, then follow your pictures in reverse order in order to know which piece of fabric gets applied when and where. Have a ball with your staple gun.
We have chairs like this from Ikea in brown leather, and I love them because they are comfortable and they wipe clean. The nice clean lines of the chairs look great as furniture everywhere- I have one in my foyer for putting shoes on, and another in my bedroom for setting clothes on. Then when we have lots of people over for dinner, I just round up all of the extra chairs. I hope they find a good home- they have beautiful classic clean lines!
Megan says
Love the chairs!!! The natural tones look great with all the white in the room. Are you going to get a rug at some point or leave it without?
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love a rug someday down the line, but we’ll probably wait until Clara is a little older and past all the yogurt spilling and play-doh spilling.
xo,
s
Natalie says
The new chairs look so great!
And holy cow, some people said some pretty snarky stuff about your old chairs! Good grief, they weren’t even that bad! Tact, anyone? Kudos to you both for grinning & bearing it! Excellent testimonies. :)
Kristy says
AHHH!! I LOVE IT!!! I feel like your “turning a corner” phase started when you rearranged your bedroom.. since then, I’ve gotten super excited about every new change you’ve made, and I really like the way your house is evolving. :D Love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Kristy! It’s true- about that time was when I got really antsy and felt like rooms were “together” enough for us to start making some more general changes/updates instead of just bouncing off to other projects! Haha.
xo
s
HeatherM says
I am picturing one of your old chairs reupholstered as a statement piece in a gorgeous chevron fabric (perhaps red, yellow, or real an white chevron). The lines of those old chairs are just DYING to show off some bold modern (and perhaps slightly architectural) fabric!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s fun!
xo
s
Natalie says
I like that you guys always own up to not always getting it right when it comes to choices you’ve made for your home. I’ve been going through this a bit with some things in my own home so it’s nice to know I’m not the only one! I love your new chairs, they definitely give the space some tropical resort glam :)
Shary says
Great chairs! Did you know if you used Ebates you could have gotten an additional 2% cash back? Check it out. http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=Ig7%2FgL4rRNTS%2Bmz5ZpcWzw%3D%3D
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah I love ebates and sometimes forget to use it. Next time!
xo
s
Dawn says
I feel compelled to jump in here and comment on how much I am loving the natural wood showing up in your kitchen/dining. The blue stools in the kitchen were very peppy and I thought perfect until you brought the wooden stools in-Totally grounded all the white, pops of color, and stainless appliances. And now these plushy- summertime all year- bring the outside in dining room chairs??? Seriously you guys?!?-nailed it!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Dawn!
xo
s
[email protected] says
Are those green leaves on the center of the table from your yard? Are they hostas or the infamous banana leaves. I think I can see they’re in water how long will they live & stay green. I’m always on the hunt for those leaves! If you bought them where’d they come from?
YoungHouseLove says
They seem to be giant weeds! Haha. John found them in the back. Just growing in a giant mass. So sorry we don’t know what they are!
xo
s
Melanie says
Love, not just the colour and texture but their curves give an organic zen-ny (zenish, zenified, zen-like?) feeling to the space and tie in nicely with the new (by-the-way-totally-jealous) bar stools!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Melanie!
xo
s
Hally says
I totally love them. Your house makes me want to cook in your kitchen, sit cozy in your dining room, and sip tea on your porch. Is that weird? lol I don’t care, it’s amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s not weird at all. Come on over!
xo
s
Kaitlin says
Love the new chairs! I’ve been trying to make an entertainment center and sofa table work together in the corner of my apartment for 3 years just because both tables fit. I decided about a month ago I was tired of that corner looking weird so I’ll be craigslisting the entertainment center.
Your new dining room set up reminded me of the last picture on the page linked below; I like the unusual dining table setup:
http://arcadianhome.com/blog/using-drum-pendant-lights-in-your-home
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo
s
Rebecca says
I love those new chairs! They look amazing! They really fit the space and just look perfect – like they were always supposed to be there from the beginning. Great job!
Luke says
Weren’t the slipcovers dyed green before they went mocha? I like that color, but these look awesome – really fills the room and matches the scale of your table. Would it be too tight to face the two extra chairs to kitchen fireplace? I can’t wait to see what decide on for the chandelier.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Yes I did dye one of the covers green first and then went right over it with brown! Ah, memories. Haha. Yes, we thought the two chairs were too crampy in the corner of the kitchen, and as for a chandelier we can’t wait to get our mitts on one!
xo
s
HK says
Your last two chair updates have made me swoon. I was wowed with the kitchen update – because those wooden slatted stools are divine, but this…this may be the most amazing upgrade you’ve made ever… IN LOVE!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks HK!
xo
s
Kelly says
How exciting! They look so amazing with the new barstools and they really make the whole dining room feel finished – I like the way they lean away from the table and take up more space. Congrats!
I’ve learned that same lesson about not buying things on CL that need to be reupholstered. Spray paint I can manage, but fabric is a whole different ballgame!
Tet says
Love it! Your dining table and new chairs looks like a flower in bloom!
Sarah says
I never realized how pretty your table is until you made this switch! Yay for happy surprises!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah!
xo
s
Kristin says
You definitely won the gold with the new chairs. They’re perfect in that space. But here’s the thing…
I WANT YOUR OLD ONES!
I had bookmarked those chairs here on the RVA craigslist even before you guys bought them. I was thrilled with your original post on them, which revealed that the guy had a barn-full! I thought he might post them again…. And yet here I sit, chairless. (Not literally, of course. I am, in fact, sitting.) I can already envision the beautiful slipcovers I’ll make! Some day.
I’m local, and I have access to a truck. Pick me! Pick me!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I’ll email you about it!
xo
s
Terresa says
Oh, that’s such an amazing improvement!!! I love your blog. Love everything about your blog, your house, your quirkiness, your style, your ability to share everything. But I HATED those chairs!! so glad to see them gone. And I was just admiring those great Ballard chairs before I jumped online to check your blog. Now I’m off to check the Target site for those chairs:)
Terresa says
well that stinks, I’m seeing $399 for the 4 chairs. Not such an epic deal:(
YoungHouseLove says
I have no idea how that happened! Others told me Target upped the price and I can’t believe it! Makes me wonder how many things go on “clearance” for a second and then go back up. Ive noticed that on Overstock (every week it changes).
xo,
s
Leah says
I actually went “ooooh” as the first picture appeared in my reader, and have even clicked over to comment, so I think your new chairs are good to go! LOL I especially like them alongside the new kitchen stools.
Carla says
Whenever I post here, I tend to mention fluffy things like yin and yang and calming the energy in your home. These new chairs accomplish just that. Six is much more restful than eight, and the shape and wicker has a new layer of depth and interest. I’m loving them! Sometimes I can feel closed in when eating with high armrests, but these look great.
This is why I keep coming back. I love how you’re always innovating and changing and really hammering out your design preferences. You’re such an inspiration!! :o)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Carla!
xo
s
Erin @ WriteTasty says
I thought that the wooden bar stools really were a great idea, but thank goodness you’ve pulled the plug on the Craiglist chairs that weren’t. Just, no. These new guys aren’t my style at all but you’ve made them look good! So so so much better than the old version. And I think that they’ll be super comfortable. :)
Kierstin says
I have to say….THANK GOODNESS!
I’ve been with you from the beginning of the chair journey, and though I love all that you do, I just couldn’t get behind those $25 CL chairs. Excellent choice on the Target wicker! Bravo!
Alison U. says
So, this is totally random, and not even really related to this post (or maybe it’s related to all your posts), but I saw this wedding shoot at a local Home Depot (http://www.blog.curtissbryantphotography.com/2012/06/jessica-and-nathan-home-depot-wedding.html) and thought of you guys. What an amazing shoot – so many great backgrounds there! Happy Monday. Enjoy!
**for all those in the back, I don’t have anything to do with this page, it just reminded me of you guys.
YoungHouseLove says
SO cute! I love it!!
xo
s