Maybe we should change the name of our site to WCL (Wire Chair Love), because guess who found four awesome vintage wire chairs for the kitchen for $15 a pop? This girl (*points to self with thumbs, notices there’s peanut butter on one thumb, and licks it off while beaming at pretty new chairs*)
Allow me to paint you a picture of chair-finding glory. We’re walking into our favorite local thrift store (Love of Jesus on Midlothian for any thrift-lovin’ locals). We pop in there a few times a month just to see what’s up, and 9 times out of 10 we leave empty handed, so it’s not like we’re always finding amazing things, but on this occasion we saw these guys from across the room. Angels sang. Little hearts floated around them. And I broke into a run to claim them before anyone else could snatch them up right in front of me as I cried “nooooooo, stoooop, waiiiiiitttt, whyyyy??” in slow motion.
Admittedly, the limp plastic-wrapped covers weren’t doing them any favors, but we knew that with pretty seat cushions like these, those nice clean lines would be an awesome complement to our chunky wooden table.
We’ve been aiming for a nice mix of rustic/modern when it comes to our eating area, but of course the old white chairs (from my NYC days 8+ years ago) were a little too small and spindly with our big chunky table. But we were happy to use them as placeholders until we found something taller and a bit more weighty.
The funny thing is that I’ve admired this photo of Jenifer Altman’s dining room, which has nearly identical chairs, just in a silver finish. I wish I could add the picture right here, but we don’t have her permission to post it on our site, so just click this link to see it. So nice, right? I love those spotted cushions too! Anyway, so now the old white chairs are chilling in the office. Since they’re versatile and good to have on hand for parties/extra dinner guests, I’m sure we’ll find some permanent spot for them someday.
We can’t believe the new chairs were $15 each, marked down from $25… which actually means they sat there a while and got overlooked (the thrift store lowers prices every week or two if folks don’t grab something). So how funny is it that I ran towards them fearing that someone would snake them out right from under my nose when they had been sitting there for a week or two with no takers and even had time to be marked down? And thanks to their low thrift store price, I won’t feel too bad getting some nice-ish (and super durable and food-friendly) fabric for the cushions I want to make.
But how did we get four big wire chairs home with only one small Altima on hand? Geometry, my friends. Somehow we got all four of them in the car with three of us in there too (one chair was in the trunk, two could be nested in the front passenger seat, and one was in the back to the right of Clara’s carseat while I sat back there to her left).
Once home, we dragged them all into the kitchen to see how they looked. It was LOVE, folks. We’re so glad they’re higher (it felt like the table needed something with some added height) and they tie in nicely with the rope chandelier thanks to their vertical lines (which play off the horizontal ones in the light kinda nicely, don’t you think?).
When it comes to their gold paint-job, we’re not sure if they’ll stay that way (if so, they at least need some touching up) – but a few other choices we’ve debated are something deep to tie into the stained lower cabinets (oil-rubbed bronze? charcoal? dark chocolate?) or something crisp (like white or even a soft mint color).
We’ve decided just to live with them until we’re 100% sure that we want to change them (and 100% sure about what color we’d prefer). Should be fun to see where we end up. Any color suggestions?
And as for the cushion thing, I’d love to eventually make leather or vinyl cushions for them like Dana’s, but until then we’ve had luck with a folded faux sheepskin on each one. I know that sounds crazy (hello food trap?!) but since they’re awesomely machine washable and so easily removed (they’re just folded and tossed onto each chair) I’ve had luck just shaking out any Clara-crumbs (and vacuuming the floor where they land with the hand-vac) without even having to wash them yet. I wouldn’t use them for the long haul, but for now they work better than I thought.
As for the comfort factor, I’m not one of those looks-before-function ladies who would compromise on that when it comes to our eat-in kitchen. We spend TONS of time at this table, especially since we don’t have a peninsula with stools or anything, so virtually all of our eating is done in these chairs. Thankfully with our makeshift cushions on the bottom, they’ve been nice and comfy for the last week or so that we’ve test driven them.
They’re sort of reclined by nature so you don’t tend to lean back in them very much, but if you do it’s not uncomfortable – it’s sort of like leaning back in any spindle backed dining chair (like this) or a wooden rocking chair (like this). And if you add a pensive face, a la Clara, you’ll look like you’re thinking about something really deep. Like the meaning of life. Or how much you love marshmallows.
So that’s the new kitchen view. Which beats the heck outta this one from about a month into living here.
Is anyone else trolling thrift stores for anything in particular? What are you searching for (or finding) lately?
Lauren says
Oh man PLEASE do an oil-rubbed bronze finish! Please please pretty please! I was not immediately as in love with the chairs as you were, but the minute i read “oil-rubbed bronze finish” I TOTALLY saw it and got freakishly excited. I’m talking jumping up and down in my chair at work and flapping my arms in delight.
Aimee says
ORB would fade those chairs right into the darker bottom cabinets.
Laura B. says
The chairs tie in so nicely with the light above. I like the color of them with the light.
Blaze says
I’m torn on color. If I look only at the table/chairs/light fixture I’d say leave them gold since that complements the color of the light fixture, but matching to all the cabinet and door hardware probably makes sense too. I wouldn’t use a “color” though – I’d leave that to the cushions and all the other accessories bound to creep into the room.
If you eventually go ahead with your idea to replace the wall to the LR with a wide arch and bookcases like the last house, then perhaps whatever color you paint the back walls of the bookcases would make sense repeated on the chairs.
FYI-years ago we had a table with legs that spread out like yours. Initially we placed the chairs as you have, but having to place your feet on either side of the leg got annoying so we put the chairs between the legs all around. Your room is large enough to leave the chairs as they are and just turn the table a 1/4 turn. In a tight space it’s better to move the chairs so they push back toward the corners rather than directly at the walls.
CrayolaJW says
I know it’s a bit girly but I thought ‘pastel pink’ straightaway…awesome chairs!
YoungHouseLove says
I thought that too! Clara would put two hands in the air for yes, but I don’t know if I could get John to vote with us…
xo
s
Danielle Ferretti in Miami says
Love it Sherry ! Now I want awesome new chairs for my kitchen table, toooooooo…. yes, I just whined.
Would also love a great Thrift Store around me – there is really nothing, they are all very cramped, dark spaces that pretty much only sell overly priced junk. I sigh just looking at the pics you post of thrift stores around you… Yes, I have “Awesome Thrift Store” envy !
Clara looks SO grown up in that picture ! And a mini you !
xo’s
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Danielle! Sending you good thrift store mojo – hope one pops up and it’s awesome.
xo
s
Amy E. says
YHL, you loaded super smoothly for me this morning! don’t want to jinx it, but i hope it continues working for you.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Amy! After 48 hours of tech support we think we have it solved, but I’m about to put the link on Facebook (which has been rough the last few days), so feel free to cross your fingers and toes for me!
xo
s
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Wow! What statement chairs! I am in love with them. Kudos to that find. That table was pretty fun too. It would be fun to make that over too! Your kitchen is really looking amazing now!
Martha says
I just can’t decide what color! I think if you’re shooting for darker flooring (for the long haul) go for the gold but if you’re going lighter on the floors ORB all the way.
Kimberly says
Amazing find! I love the faux sheepskin paired with them but I can see how it’s not that practical for the long run. Would you say that you have better luck on Craigslist or in the thrift store?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s really a toss up! Maybe 60-70% of our secondhand finds are from thrift stores and 30-40% are from craigslist?
xo
s
Meghan says
I have to admit… I’m loving them in Gold! I am very into gold at the moment, though.
Kimberly says
I know gold/brass is in right now. But these scream ’80’s thrift. Beautiful chairs, but for the love of all things new millenium, do not leave them in their current color. It will just look like you bought $15 chairs from the thrift store. Definitely paint them, ANYTHING but gold/brass.
Just my humble opinion.
Jalene says
Agree. I am not digging the chairs because they feel “totally 80s”, but I may feel differently in another color.
Blaze says
What happens when you need to strap a booster seat on for the tiny man? I assume one will be replaced by a highchair for a while, but once he is ready for a booster seat those chairs seem to have a definite curve to them that might make securing a booster seat difficult.
YoungHouseLove says
We have Clara’s yellow highchair for when he’s bigger, but before that I’ll probably just bring in one of the white bentwood chairs (those work with our seat that straps on).
xo
s
Cathy C. says
Can I laugh a little? your site is loading fine today, whereas it appears Jennifer’s site wont? maybe its all the YHL’ers trying to check out her cushions :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’m still waiting for ours to freak out. Fingers and toes are crossed over here!
xo
s
Cathy C. says
One more thing, they didn’t have the table included in the chairs? Lucky duck if not, we have a thrift store here I love, but they group price things, so inevitably i end up walking away because I don’t want all 32,657 pieces in the group. I have asked if they will split things, and they said no :(
YoungHouseLove says
The table was separate, but we were happy for that since we didn’t need a table that size (it was too small for our eat-in area and we have a nice white pedestal table that we already love hanging out in the office).
xo
s
Jen says
LOVE the chairs! You’re definitely right about the height. It really elevated that side of the room and made it look more polished. Personally, I like the gold finish and the faux sheepskins. A little touch of glam!
Emma says
I say leave them gold!! They’re gorgeous! I too walk into our local thrift store (my little town only has one) and mostly walk out empty-handed, but occasionally there’s a great, cheap find that satisfies your exact needs- good for you guys, they look amazing!
Melinda says
love love love those chairs! What a great thrift store find! I also think it’s really smart to use the sheepskin blankets as cushion…def. not anything I would have thought of!
http://poshpurpose.blogspot.com
Nikki says
I found a large (probably 36″x48″) decorative mirror with an awesome frame. I have some coral spray paint leftover from another project and that things is going to look great…for $15! The mirror was a new arrival…it didn’t even have a price on it yet :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds amazing! I’d love pics when you’re done!
xo
s
Julie says
Please please please keep them gold!!! Those chairs are amazing and I’m slightly(ok, who are we kidding, extremely) envious that you found them!!! They are awesome :)
Heidi says
What a great find! I’m definitely leaning towards a metal chair to put in our renovated dining room because we’ll have too many different wood variations going on that I don’t think I can bring in one more.
Amy says
Ahhh, love them so much! I’ll throw in my two cents in.. I vote gold for the mid century vibe. Absolutely love the two styles you’re mixing with the table/chairs! I also vote for light-ish gray/greige textured floors & a big white artwork with some charcoal/deep tones next to the window wall to echo the cabinet bottoms. Now I’m just getting ahead of myself! Excited to see this house evolve!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Amy! Sounds awesome to me!
xo
s
Sarah C says
“Gold, gold, gold, gold…” Sarah chanted enthusiastically. :D
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Enthusiastic Sarah!
xo
s
Emilie says
LOVEEEE your new chairs!!!! WOW Very Cesca! I have looking similar ones but with big cushions, prefer your sleek line ones.
Beth B says
Can I just say how much I love all the thrifting posts? I could virtually thrift with you guys weekly. I like the idea of gold or the espresso colors- I just think dark would really give more high-contrast against the light walls and surroundings. I LOVE the feeling of snagging something for such a great deal PLUS knowing its vintage/not in everyone else’s home. I am still on a high from finding the ugliest large metal diamond-shaped photo holders this summer (2 for 2.99) and knowing I could spray paint them red and put them in my son’s room with felt bows going down the wall below to look like kites. The glossy red spray paint totally changed them!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Beth! Glossy red = awesome. I love it!
xo
s
Holiday says
Hmm, I’ not seeing it. Maybe with a different floor or color I will see it, but right ow they look really random. The shape, with the table…just not working for me. And with that lamp…I’m not sure what would work better, but something solid. Like tulip chairs or even just better quality Jacobsens. It’s all very “stripey” and kind of fighting for my attention, I guess that’s it. I could see those chairs looking cool with a Saarinen table. Hmmm. I’ll watch to see where this goes.
Lauren says
Whoa. Not gonna lie, those chairs are terrible. Sorry :\
Sarah says
I really like the gold and think that it really helps the light fixtures look more cohesive with the rest of the room! I can’t wait to see what you end up deciding for cushions.
I really appreciate your phased upgrades — I’m planning to buy my first house this summer, and it’s helpful to see that I can make such big improvements with a little bit of time and a little bit of money!
Stefani says
Love the look, but DEFINITELY paint them something besides gold! Too matchy-matchy with the table & light. Congrats on the great find.
Tabbitha @ Turnip Tootsie says
I’m thinkin’ crisp white, but then I wonder if your sweet seat cushions would blend in too much? Can’t wait to see what you guys do! Sherry you are the cutest little pregnant lady!
<3
Tabbitha
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thnks Tabbitha! Love all the color votes from you guys!
xo
s
Marianne says
What about a bright pop of color, like orange or glossy red? I think soft mint might blend in or clash somehow with the blue walls. . .
They look comfy with those sheep skins on them, though!
YoungHouseLove says
That could be fun too!
xo
s
Melissa@TheChicDream says
Lucky find! I’m looking for dining room chairs right now. I’m hoping to get a chucky table like yours but in a rectangle and darker stain. I want some interesting chairs that I can paint to go with it. I need to get off of my butt and hit the stores instead of just browsing Craigslist on my couch!
Jessica D. says
Pretty sure we crashed Jennifer Altman’s site, lol woops! I’m loving those chairs. The gold is great, keep them lighter in tone. I’m an ORB lover but I don’t think that it’s right for this application. Gold white or mint are my choices. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! So sorry about her site. Hope it’s back up again soon!
xo
s
Christina says
Team Gold! Adds a touch of luxe and glamour and they’re just too mid-century perfect to alter any other way.
Stefani says
Paint them something that plays off the light/bright look of the other half of the kitchen. Too much brown going on in the dining area!
Jillian L says
I will admit that the chairs are a little crazy for my tastes but I trust you guys! They are definitely interesting architecturally. The gold makes me feel like they could be in American Hustle (Have you seen it yet? AWESOME set design & costumes… and movie). Mint green is intriguing though!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’m SO EXCITED TO SEE IT! We keep hearing it’s great and I love JL, so I hope we can see it soon!
xo
s
Jillian L says
Yes, love her!! And she and Bradley Cooper always seem to be awesome together
YoungHouseLove says
Totally! LOVED their last movie together.
xo
s
Nicky says
These chairs are really cool! Honestly, I think if you are going to do something with the floors, maybe do that first before you pick a color for the chairs? Right now the gold looks great, because the chairs are so wiry and the floor is dark, the light color allows them to light up in contrast. Maybe if you went with a lighter floor the chairs would need to darken up to show up against the floors. Just a thought.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart cookie. You’re totally right, since those throw us off a ton!
xo
s
Alicia says
I vote gold or bronze
Lindsay says
What I enjoy most about reading your blog is how you guys choose things for your home that I never would, but then you make it work beautifully in a fun and unexpected way. Love the fluff of the seat cushions against those vertical lines. White paint on those babies or maybe mint like you suggested would be cool. Thanks for all the interesting design ideas and following along with your growing family is adorable! Sherry, I hope you’re feeling great.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Lindsay! You’re so sweet!
xo
s
lauren says
i vote TEAL! A nice pop of color in with all that wood and white.
Shelly M. says
I vote for ORB. Maybe it is the Libra in me, but I like the balance it would provide for the other side of the room. It would also provide a beautiful contrast to your GORGEOUS table. Right now, they all seem to blend together. I would then use some of that luck of yours and find some bold fabric at UFAB to add that punch of color you like to add around a room. I know whatever you decide, it will be amazing. I can’t wait to see it :)
Samantha Cobos says
Love the chairs!! Am an eco-friendly furniture & fabric designer and I just want to give you some info on vinyl – If you can, choose faux leather made with Polyurethane and not PVC. It is more expensive but so much better for the environment. PLUS if polyurethane gets punctured it will not split because the fibers create a web so the hole does NOT get bigger – vinyl will just split open making your cushion useless. I use eco-leather from Brentano for my line of furniture and it comes in BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT colors – http://pureinspiredhome.com/products/ottoman-21×28-eco-friendly-furniture
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Samantha! Good to know!
xo
s
Megan says
Great find with the chairs! I love all your thrift store finds, the “unmatchy, but still goes” vibe in your homes always feels so comfortable to me.
Question though – when you end up redoing the counter top for phase 2, have you and John thought about extending it over your cabinets so you can add some stools to the peninsula portion? I know you had them in your last house (I don’t recall if you had them in house #1 or not). Or did you not sit at the counter often? We’re big time counter-sitters in my house (and my mom’s). Eating lunch, hanging out, doing homework, grading papers, etc. Because there’s just my husband and myself in my house (and my mom and one brother in her house) we end up eating at the counter more than the table. Just wondering! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! We did think about that, but it would mean shifting the table over so it was no longer centered on those windows (or the chandelier) and since I think we only need one casual eat-in area in the room (and that would be two right next to each other) we’re ok without a peninsula this time around – since our table is right in the kitchen this time (in our last house it was in our adjoined dining room).
xo
s
marianne says
I’m just not feeling it with that gorgeous table. Sorry! I actually had to think a minute and make sure this wasn’t April 1st! Maybe they will grow on me….
Kim says
I love how the lines of the chairs bring out the lines in the chandelier. We have four white Bertoia chairs (craigslist all four for $125!) around a dark wood pedestal table and I love it. I think it’s a great balance of old world charm with modern clean lines.
We will be selling our house this summer and recently a friend came over and asked us if we were getting a new dining table to stage with. When I asked why, they said that our chairs look like “lawn furniture”!! I was floored, but let it drop knowing the look isn’t for everyone. Now I’m wondering if I should stage with more traditional box store furniture…
Anyway, great find and I love how your kitchen is coming together.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re totally right to let it drop! After 6+ years of blogging we’ve learned that hardly anything that we share is universally loved. Home decor and furniture choices are just such a personal thing. I joyfully say “to each his own!” – and I bet plenty of buyers will be completely wooed by your house without any staging!
xo
s
Isabel says
I’m a fan of ORB but I think leaving them gold would be the way to go here. However, I also like the idea of using them as a way to infuse a fun/bold color in the kitchen if you wanted to go that route, although you could always do that with window treatments and/or cushions. Whatever you guys do, I’m sure it’ll be awesome :) Both my husband and I have become estate sale and thrift store junkies – he’s always on the hunt for this next tool; I just go for the hunt. Next on the agenda are stools for the new kitchen counter/peninsula.
Jen says
Love the chairs! I’m looking for kitchen chairs right now and you’ve inspired a whole new line of thinking! Question: are they sturdy? We have a problem with our (cheap) wooden chairs from Ikea not holding up well.
I’d keep them gold or paint copper (I’m slightly obsessed with copper right now). I don’t think they’d have quite the same appeal if they didn’t have that shiny finish.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, these are thick metal, so they have some give when you lean back (they arc ever so slightly, which is actually comfy) but they’re very sturdy with those big chunky bases, so we don’t worry about them wobbling or falling over.
xo
s
Steph S. says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Isn’t it so great when you find something such as these and for such a great price. I like the idea of a dark chocolate to tie into the cabinets, but gold is beautiful too. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together!
Erin says
I’m inspired! I still don’t know what to do, but at least I’m inspired. We’re getting a heavy round pedestal table but have been so lost about what chairs to use. We also want upholstered seats (and vinyl or leather just makes sense with little ones!). I’m looking forward to seeing the upholstery updates for you, but in the meantime looove the metal flair to the space.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Erin! I would check out Pinterest to see if any dining combos (wood tables + chairs) woo you. I love also loved how other modern chairs (like white Eames ones with those wooden legs) can mix with an old rustic table. Good luck!
xo
s
Megan says
Another off topic mention here – but have you SEEN the ceramic animal planters from West Elm yet???? With all the beautiful kitchen light, you need some on your window sill immediately!!! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Ahh, how have I not seen them yet?! Off to check them out!
xo
s
Amanda Taylor says
Soft mint would be scrumptious!
Erin says
agreed!