Wednesday, March 08, 2006

ETC: What's Wrong with Kids These Days?

I like tattoos. I mean, I'm not a freak about them or anything, but I have two tattoos that are almost ten years old and I still don't hate them, which is pretty cool. Or just lucky.

And I love chairs. Yes, that's right, I said I LOVE CHAIRS. I'm a bit of a design enthusiast, particularly about mid-century modern design (along with about a gazillion other people these days, it seems), and in my opinion, furniture design reaches its apex with the chair. Any schlub can design a decent sofa or a nice table, but it's the chair that challenges designers and reveals true genius.

A few years ago, if you'd asked me which chair I'd choose if I had a few thousand bucks burning a hole in my apron pocket, I would've answered in a heartbeat: the classic Eames lounge chair (with the matching ottoman, natch). Preferably in cherry and upholstered in black leather.

But lately -- and maybe it's the brain-softening effect of motherhood at work -- I've got a wistful hankering for Eero Saarinen's Womb chair, also with the matching ottoman. Ooh, baby... bring mommy the comfy!

(My second choice -- and it's tight finish -- is the Bertoia Bird lounge chair and ottoman. You're sensing a theme here with the ottomans, right? Let me be blunt: life is nasty, brutish and short. If you can't at least PUT YOUR FEET UP from time to time, what's the point?)

Where am I going with this?

Quick recap of topics discussed: Tattoos. And mid-century chair lust. Much as I dig both, they just don't strike me as two great tastes that taste great together.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gross.

Anonymous said...

But imagine, if the person has kids, they'll be using the tattoo as a chair for their dolls all the time! It's functional! *cough*

Anonymous said...

I also love tattoos and chairs but I won't be getting a tattoo of a chair any time soon (i.e., ever). If I did it would probbly be a Stickley Harvey Ellis Cube Chair though.

Tammy said...

Ooh, ooh, ooh... the Stickley Cube chair! I love that, too! (Arts and Crafts is a close second behind Mid-C Modern in vying for my design love.)

KT said...

That's just ... weird. I mean, it's a good tattoo, but couldn't the artist have found something more ... tattoo-y that still showed off his awesome skills?

I have to say it's better than the Old English lettering tatto of his AREA CODE that my ex got on his back. There are reasons why he is my ex.

Anonymous said...

If you like chairs, go watch "Fruhling," an animated German short from 1997. It's on one of the "Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation" DVDs and is absolutely enchanting. My two-and-a-half-year-old is entranced by it, so good for kid entertainment too!

Anonymous said...

My parents had one of those Eames chairs for my entire remember-able life and oh my, it is comfortable. It is the best place to read or nap. Our German Shepherd used to lie on the footstool, most of her back end precariously drooping over the side. My brother scooped up the chair and took it to live in BC a few years ago. It's now a bit creaky and unpredictable, and the '70s brown leather is worn and fraying in places, but it is still a great chair.

I used to dream that one of my careers would be Chair Maker, because there is no piece of furniture as fine as a well-designed and well-built chair. But I've decided to put my energy into working hard enough to BUY fabulous chairs instead. I think that's easier.

Paul said...

I love tattoos, too. I only have one (so far) a floral band around my wrist.


The link below is to a gorgeous tattooed table.
http://www.reddishstudio.com/furniture/yakuza01.htm

Anita said...

I just have to chime in here because I LOVE mid-century modern furniture. I can't believe how "in" it is right now. Of course, it isn't big where I live - - upstate NY. I have a house that uses minimalist architecture, and I bought almost all my furnishings here:

http://www.dwr.com.

They have some great chairs. I have this:

http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=8099

and while it may look like something in a shrink's office, it is so comfortable you wouldn't believe.

I wish I owned some originals, but I don't have the bucks. But now CB2.com, westelm.com - - you can get the great, clean look without spending a whole lot.

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