So, here it is, Docksta! Wille and I love it. Clear view of the TV for both of us and the round shape makes for cozier dining
Oh, and new lamp too! I’ve been wanting a drum shaped lamp for years and Martin has insisted on the metal one that was there before. As soon as Martin left the lamp got packed away and this new one entered our lives. It also makes for much cozier dining.
About the chairs that some of you were asking about. Martin wants them along with the old table and I’m happy to oblige. I’m stealing Anne’s idea of mismatched chairs around the table and will go chair hunting as soon as I get a chance. I’ll be picking them one by one and will share the process along the way. They will most likely be thrift store finds that I’ll have to spruce up and I really look forward to that!
34 Comments
Nice! I look forward to following your chair hunting! Or I guess that you will post after the chairs are in place? What kind of style are you looking for? BTW Have you looked for new arm chairs yet?
I’m hoping to find a nice mix but at least one Thonet inspired one… Unfortunately I’ve been so crazy busy so I haven’t had a chance to look for an armchair other than on-line and no luck there yet.
Cool. I can picture it in my mind!
Javisst! Especially with the new lamp, a super change! Enjoy!
Benita, I think it is wonderful how you are making your home more like you and you Willie. Brava! I think you are so talented, I cannot wait to see what you come up with next.
Diana from San Francisco
I love the table, unfortunately Ikea doesn’t sell it in Germany… it reminds me of the Tulip table, I really like the round shape, very inviting to sit there and have dinner with Wille and/or a couple of friends 🙂
I also love love love the lamp, it gives such a cosy look!
For anyone who can’t remember what the metal light looked like (I couldn’t) here it is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chezlarsson/2360453231/in/set-72157603439433970/
🙂
🙂 Thank you April!
I remember you refered to blocket one time, so I checked it out and searched for “thonet”
http://www.blocket.se/stockholm/Antikt__vintage___designklassiker_29781997.htm?ca=11&w=1
Something like that??? ;D
It’s amazing how much more open and airy that whole area feels now..
I like the symmetry of the drum shade with the round table too.
Funnily enough I’ve been toying with the idea of mixed chairs in my kitchen the last few months. In England it’s called a Harlequin set…
The name comes from a tradition amongst upperclass families [especially the impoverished ones] to have a mixed set of good china, rather than a matching one.. which was called a Harlequin set.
A theme is picked.. like blue and white, or plain with gold accents, and as long as the pieces adhere to the theme they’re OK. The advantage is that if you break a plate or a cup, you don’t have to worry about matching it to a complete set. Any good quality blue and white pattern plate or cup will do. It’s especially relevant today because a lot of traditional bone china patterns have been discontinued, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to replace broken pieces.
It works just the same with a collection of anything, and it gives that lovely impression that it has evolved over time.
I’m not welded to the plan yet, but I have bought a single old chair with a view to painting and re-upholstering it for the kitchen. I’ll let you know how I get on… and I can’t wait to see what you find.. and what you then do with it.
Jo xx
Thank you! Exactly like that! Too bad the white one sold already. I’m still at my mom’s so I can’t take a look at the brown one yet but when I get back to Stockholm I hope it’s still available. Fingers crossed!
I love that they’re called Harlequin sets! Makes it sound much more glam than “mismatched thriftstore finds” :).
Oh but of course.. After all, it does come from the Upper Classes dontcha know. ;o)
Jo xx
Lovely! Where is the drum shade from? I like that it’s not a big gap at the bottom to blind the people round the table.
Yes, thank you 🙂 That was actually my first thought – ‘wonder how it looked like before’. Problem solved!
That is such an interesting story, and I love the whole concept – so useful thinking! To miss match on purpose is one of my favorite hobbies 🙂
Love it and I can just imagine how great it will look with the Harlequin set (great name). I have a Thonet stool that I tried to refinish with a chocolate colored stain a few years back. I plead temporary design/taste insanity for that idea. Been thinking about painting it now. Can’t wait to see how you spruce up your finds and hope that the Thonet chair is still waiting for you.
I too have a set of seven mismatched chairs around out dining table (which we like never ever sits down by, unless we have company). But the chair could really really (REALLY) do with a make over, all of them. Some have textile seats, some are just in a big need of some scraping and a new coat of paint, but at the same time I kinda like the way you can see they’re old. Some of my favorite parts in decorating is the contrast between old and new. What I’m trying to say is – I will follow your chair hunt with big interest, and gladly pick up on any tutorials concerning renovating them. Good luck!
I know it’s fascinating isn’t it. I heard it when I dated a rather posh chap for a while many moons ago, and his grandmother [who must have been 80] told me over dinner. They had one and I commented about how much I liked it, and she filled me in on where the tradition came from. I went straight home and started one myself. I now have a huge blue and white plate collection.. although I use white for everyday.
The chap on the other hand didn’t last 2 weeks. But he had to go.. he was an idiot.
Jo xx
There’s a link in the post :): I got it at the local DIY store, Clas Ohlson of all places! I loved it because it’s white and doesn’t cast that yelllow glow that a lot of so called white shades do. I always test drive them in the store by taking the shade and trying it against a lamp somwhere in the store.
I`ll cross my fingers for you!
I’m flattered that you’re inspired by the idea, that’s how I knwo it’s a good one :). However, I know you’ll succeed to make it come true before I do. I’ve been chair hunting for two weekends IRL and blocket and still no more chairs around the table… I saw the thonet ad though – should have got the white one for you if I only knew.
(and look at you being so nice linking to my blog and all, embarassing since there are no new posts…)
Love it! And the drum pendant is great!
I bought a pedestal dining table last winter and have been searching for chairs off and on since then. I just haven’t found the right ones. I am looking for a Thornet inspired chair for sure and hope to find 2 of them (which i’d like to be a little different from each other). My issue is that since it’s pedestal table all the chairs I end up finding are too boxy for the style! My first design crush EVER was the idea of getting a farmhouse table when I had my own place, so I think that’s why I’m drawn to the boxier chairs. That thought has sat in my head for years and when we looked at the house before we bought it, my first thought was “oh no. no no no. there’s not enough room for a my dream table.”
Can’t wait to watch your chair transformations when you find them. 🙂
Nice of you to do the work for us, April… thanks!
Such a pretty room..I love that the flow from the kitchen to the living area is so smooth. The blue wall looks especially nice in the photo of the two rooms!
Wow!! The last picture is wonderful! Your new light looks great–like you say, much cozier. Is it on a dimmer? I have to say, I’m jealous of how relaxing and soothing your rooms look. Love it!!!
It is on a dimmer. At first I tried a regular LED lightbulb but realized it wasn’t dimmable so I got one that was. It’s not smooth dimming though, these environmentally friendly bulbs sort of take their time to get there but I like that we can light the candle in the hurricane and add a little bit more from the pendant.
I love your new table and the lamp. One question, do you put your feet on the table bottom when eating and if so will this damage this part as the time goes?
This is actually the only worry preventing me to buy something like this.
Hi Benita!
Looks so good! Round tables are my favorites! And it works greate with the lamp! It will look also great with orange or aqua colors on the table, sssso lovely!
Looks great! I am a fan of eclectic mismatch, so looking forward to the chair evolution. Also, love the pic showing the dining area in relation to the livingroom, the great space and flow. But my fave is the wall of framed pics to the left. Searching your past posts to see if there is a detailed view somewhere of the cool mix you’ve got going there!
We don’t ever wear shoes indoors and slippers and socks won’t damage the base. I did see that the sample that was on the sales floor at IKEA had black scuff marks on it so wearing shoes will probably mark it.
Check out this post: http://chezlarsson.com/myblog/2009/10/art-wall-update.html
I’m glad you found something YOU like! I got a divorce at the end of 2005 so I appreciate what you are experiencing, though we never had any children. I didn’t get a new table but my ex-husband worked for IBM Lotus so we only had PCs in the house, no Macs allowed. So the week I moved out, I went to the Apple store and bought a beautiful new (at the time) Powerbook with money from my divorce settlement 😀
congrats because it looks fantastic!!! i love the whole look of it!!!