I LOVE the schoolhouse swivel desk chairs that are sold by Pottery Barn. They remind me of the chairs the teachers and librarians sat in when I was a kid. However the price has me cringing. They are asking $399.00. I don't know about you but I can't even begin to justify spending that kind of money on one wooden chair. Especially one that is a remake of an original design.
So...what's a girl to do? Renovate of course!
But where do you get a vintage schoolhouse swivel desk chair without paying an arm and leg? I'll tell you where I found mine. In the alley! Someone actually threw their chair away. Imagine how my eyes bucked open when I saw it. Discarded, unloved and tossed out like a bad habit. It's been painted who knows how many times, adorned with loads of rocker stickers and the casters are completely gone. Poor chair...
But as I have said before...one man's trash is another man's treasure. I had my daughter drag this baby into the house. The family looked at the chair. Then they looked at me. And then they said... "Mom, you can't be serious. This is ugly and it's short."
Oh, if only they knew the treasure that lies before them. This is not a chair "inspired by"... this is the REAL DEAL. It is still in great condition. It's sturdy. The wood is not warped, split or bent from what I can see. I sat in it, swiveled in it and even tried to rock it back and forth to make sure it wouldn't fall apart on me or have me flat on my butt from falling over. Guess what? It passed the test!
{YAY! The crowd cheers. The crowd being just me because the kids still think I am crazy.}
Oh, if only they knew the treasure that lies before them. This is not a chair "inspired by"... this is the REAL DEAL. It is still in great condition. It's sturdy. The wood is not warped, split or bent from what I can see. I sat in it, swiveled in it and even tried to rock it back and forth to make sure it wouldn't fall apart on me or have me flat on my butt from falling over. Guess what? It passed the test!
{YAY! The crowd cheers. The crowd being just me because the kids still think I am crazy.}
This is going into my home office/workspace. I plan to remove the stickers, strip the paint, sand it, repaint it in white, sew up an aubergine seat cushion or two, add new casters and roll it right up to the table desk that I recently completed!
Wonder how long this will take me. Let's find out together. Follow along as I share my process. I'm super excited!!!
