POTD "The Chairs That Started it All"

 

A couple weekends back I decided to forgo a much needed nap, and instead, while the boys slept, I snuck out and hit a few yard sales. It was a beautiful day and it felt good to get out. Well, as fate would have it, I got very, very lucky at my first stop. I spotted two of these chairs and was immediately drawn to them. (When am I not drawn to old chairs???) I kept looking and looking and touching and going back to them and finally I asked about them. I could NOT believe what the woman told me: The chairs came from Spain. Rota, Spain.

 

 

NO WAY. First of all: what are the chances of these coming all the way here from ROTA?! Insane. Second of all: what are the chances of me finding them here all the way across the world during a quick two hour outing?! Crazy. Third: can you believe she was actually parting ways with such precious, invaluable pieces?! And the last unbelievable part: I need Spanish chairs. Not I need them like I need more pieces of pottery or more chocolate chips in my cookie. I actually really do need them.

 

You see, Matt and I custom designed and purchased a dining room table while we were living in Spain. We really focused on the design, but didn't pay much attention to measurements. We just walked around the dark (and magical) shop in Ronda, found a table that seemed like a good size and just said... "Okay. Like that one. Make it the same size as that one." However, (the big however) we did not purchase any chairs to go with the table. None of the designs were really jumping out at us and custom chairs would have about doubled our already lofty price. So I figured no big deal, I'll find some fun chairs back in the US. WRONGGGGGG. It wasn't until we pulled up a few of our own American chairs to the table that we realized Spanish chairs are taller than American chairs. And it wasn't until I started searching the web and craigslist for taller chairs that I realized they are practically impossible to find. So for over a year now, we've been sitting like little kids at a picnic table, with our plates in our faces. :) So you see, when I tell you that I need Spanish chairs, I mean it.

 

So I scored these two beautiful boys (with a pile of other small trinkets) for a whopping $40.00. Amazing. And I have to tell you, in a way, these chairs just may have changed my life.

 

Since finding these, I have discovered that I have a real interest in upholstery that I was basically... unaware of. I have had a ridiculous amount of fun looking for fabric for these, I've started a list of all the other things around the house that I also want to tackle, I took about 10 books out of our local library on my new trade, I have arranged (hopefully) weekly lessons from my neighbor down the street (a former upholsterer) and even worked out a deal with the local upholstery shop so that I can go there a couple times a month on Matt's days off to observe and learn. An unpaid internship of sorts. Today was my first day at Island Upholstery and it was awesome. I arrived there at 7am and dove right in, ripping off fabric and prying out staples: tearing down a chair to its bare bones. I loved it. I worked just until they took lunch at 11:30 and then went back home to all my boys. It was so nice to talk to other adults about something other than children. Moms need a creative outlet and I think I found one. To think... it all goes back... to the chairs. The chairs that started it all.