And this time there might have been a little blood involved.
Not really. But it's a good story. Read on.
So, I have a bit of a Craig's List habit. Looking through my previous thrifting posts I'm realizing that there are quite a few things I haven't even told you about. Hiding the evidence? Uh oh—classic addiction symptom. Actually, too many of my Craig's List finds sit around in storage until I give them enough TLC to be proud of them. Maybe I'll do another post to show you the ones collecting dust. But for now, the newest acquisitions are sitting proudly in my living room exactly as-is:
Bam: a pair of 50's mid-century upholstered chairs.
I knew I eventually wanted a set of statement chairs—my leather sofas are functional but boring—to round out the seating in our large living room. I figured it would be a down-the-road investment since I had more pressing matters in mind (a rug). But when these beauties popped up, I couldn't resist.
I spotted the ad on Wednesday last week and immediately responded, "I want to buy these! If I pay full asking price, will you save them until I can come get them?" I did a little research, and the brand (Tomlinson) appeared to be an American company. I figured they were probably worth quite a bit more than the $200 asking price.
But I didn't hear back.... and didn't hear back.... and figured I'd lost out on them. However, that Saturday morning I noticed the ad was still up and decided to e-mail again. This time I received a phone call right back. She said she had received an offer but it was for less than she wanted, so if I came and got them that day, I could have them. So we packed up immediately and headed in to get them.
This is where the story gets interesting. Later I received this text on my phone:
"Joellyn, this is Kristi [my cousin]. I was going to buy the chairs you are buying today. She said she sold them to a lady from Ft. Benton and I knew it had to be you! Aren't they amazing? I can't wait to see what u do with them. And if u decide u don't like them, call me! :)"
O.K., small world. I had a good chuckle over the coincidence, but then I just felt terrible. Even more so after I found out that the seller had actually accepted Kristi's offer and she was on her way to pick them up when she called to say she had a better offer! I assure you, I did not know this when I picked up the chairs. And she did make me pay full price. But that was pretty sneaky business on her part.
Luckily Kristi is a cool person and very gracious about the whole deal. ;) Later she texted me asking me if I was planning to have them reupholstered. She said,
"I thought they'd be so cool with black and white pillows. Like those ones from Ikea."
Which I happen to own.
"Wow! Well even if u don't like those pillows on it u better post a pic so I can see how they look :)"
Least I can do. Turns out, I do like them with the pillows. The original backs on the chairs are made of a hard (almost crunchy) foam. Replacing them with the pillows makes them much more comfortable.
My initial intent was that these would make a great reupholstery project. I could picture them in a burnt orange tweed of sorts. Something with attitude and a vintage vibe. However, the upholstery is in great condition considering its age, and for now I am quite happy to live with them as is and enjoy the happy orange pop of color.
If you are curious, the info I have indicates these chairs are from Tomlinson Furniture Company, the Sophisticate Line, and this is the Casual Chair No. 4648. Tomlinson started in 1901 in North Carolina.