A lot of newer products are reflecting the trend toward a handmade aesthetic by using natural finishes, exposing hardware or stitching, and combining interesting patterns. In fact it seems like everywhere you look bold bright patterns and patchwork are cropping up. While I love finding things like this second hand, these new chairs (and a side table) from Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, are some of my recent favorites.
I am in love with this amazing folding stool design from Pinch. The Imo Stool is made with a walnut frame and a elm top, the stool folds through its centre allowing it to be wall mounted. To top it all off, there is even an accompanying walnut peg, which grantees it will look amazing even when hanging up!
Images via Pinch
Designed byPatricia Urquiola, each Tropicalia chair uses colored thread, woven round a steel frame. I love the vibrant result, and I think this would be absolutely amazing in an outdoor urban environment, or pretty much anywhere really.
Images via EST Magazine, Wallpaper, and Crocodile Tears
Really liking these Offcut Stools from Tom Dixon. Made from discarded wood, the stool makes use of the irregular shaped pieces perfectly, and is assembled with wooden pegs rather than screws or glue.
One of my favorite sources of the random and eclectic (other than second hand obviously) is Urban Outfitters. First, its close. That helps. Second, the prices (for things other than clothes) aren’t as outrageous as they can tend to be in similar type stores. Typically, the things I buy from stores like this will end up placed on shelves well off the ground, on walls, or in other locations specifically out of the reach of small arms. But things from Urban do just fine living in the 3-4 ft. high range, an area of our home dominated by tiny energetic females.
Floor cushions are fantastic. Our kids love to sit on the floor to play, read, watch TV, or do most anything. That means I also spend a great deal of time on the floor, despite the comfort of our couch. A short stack of cushions nearby is a very useful idea.
I love the padded storage benches. What a brilliant solution for our children’s foreheads. The toy box is a necessity for us, but also a popular source for head wounds. I am sure other parents have trained their children to walk slowly and gracefully throughout the home. Our daughters seem to always be late for something and so prefer to enter any given room at a dead sprint. This is only a problem because their upper halves have a tendency to outrun their lower halves and they end up head first into things at their destination points. A padded storage bench would be a wonderful solution for my top heavy children. It comes in many other colors and finishes, check online to see what is available.
Another good idea is couches with no arm rests. Or arms high enough that a toddler who prefers to stand on, and fall off, of everything wont pitch backwards over them. I have found our preference is for the lack of arms. This reduces the temptation to hang over, or climb up the sides of couches.
Finally, some of the DIY/Desktop items, such as the All Out Of and Cook This tablets are as helpful as they are fun to use.
Image: Desire To Inspire
Image: Home Sweet Home
Image: Apartment Therapy
It could just be our house, but it feels like there is always a shortage of chairs. I am not sure why, we always seem to need one more. In a growing family like ours the problem gets compounded. My wife and I began with three (the vintage table we bought only had three of the original four chairs). Later we realized we needed another unless we planned on only inviting single people for dinner. Fast forward to the present and we have a three year old in her own chair, a toddler in a chair with a booster, a chair for my wife and I, chairs for guests, and their possible children…
If your table set is recently new, you may not have any trouble finding matches for additional chairs. In our case it was a little harder and not as practical. Eventually we decided finding mismatched chairs would be easier, more cost effective, and more fun.
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