Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[FlyingMonkey]

We have mixed colour Artek Chair 69, like this (this is not our place BTW):

 

[Van Veen]

In my opinion, the risk for bizarre to bad is high.

Sometimes: Various colors of the same design, if in plastic or upholstery, can be OK (but can also look overdone or far just too "cute", can get tiring).

Never: Various colors of the same design, in leather or wood, always looks terrible.

Never, except: Mis-matched designs, whether the same color or not...no, never, and why?
(Unless one is still in college or slowly accumulating the same design piece by single piece over time as @Kaplan in the post quoted above.)

I was going to say different armchairs vs. side chairs can work, but I'm having trouble finding good examples. It's harder to pull off than it seems. (I don't consider armchair and side chair from the same family "mismatched," as in this pic.)

This is the only legit mismatch I found that I think works, at least in theory. It's because the shapes are similar.

 

[venessian]

I was looking at the new 7 series colors and thought it could look good to mix earthy tones
View attachment 1484958

Yes, those could look good in various colors imo.
The odd choice is with typical 4 chairs: what color combinations? 1 + 1 + 1 + 1? 2 + 2? Etc? Not so simple.
It gets easier with more than 4 chairs.
But, depends also the context: floor, wall, table, etc colors too.

 

[retinafaucet]

Yes, those could look good in various colors imo.
The odd choice is with typical 4 chairs: what color combinations? 1 + 1 + 1 + 1? 2 + 2? Etc? Not so simple.
It gets easier with more than 4 chairs.
But, depends also the context: floor, wall, table, etc colors too.

Ya that's what I'm afraid of, especially when I look longingly at the catalogue where everything is of a piece with everything else, and perfectly lit, then I see the same furniture in household settings and don't get the same vibe. I tend to be very safe and neutral because I either don't know any better or I know that sometimes my color palette is influenced by my mood that day and I'll regret it later.

 

[venessian]

I was going to say different armchairs vs. side chairs can work, but I'm having trouble finding good examples. It's harder to pull off than it seems. (I don't consider armchair and side chair from the same family "mismatched," as in this pic.)

View attachment 1485063

I agree that arm versus armless/side of the same design is not at all a mis-match. After all in many 8 seat combinations, the 2 (or 1 in some cases) head chairs are arm, the other 6/7 not. There is a "head of the table" primacy which is longstanding and logical.

Arm vs armless of different designs though is often if not always odd and unattractive.

This is the only legit mismatch that I think works, at least in theory. It's because the shapes are similar.

View attachment 1485064

I disagree regarding different bases. I think that mis-matched bases (colors, materials, shapes), including for example the various Eames or Knoll bases with same seats and your second image above (the material disjunction is also jarring), are awkward and incoherent (and again raise the question "why?")

 

[venessian]

Ya that's what I'm afraid of, especially when I look longingly at the catalogue where everything is of a piece with everything else, and perfectly lit, then I see the same furniture in household settings and don't get the same vibe. I tend to be very safe and neutral because I either don't know any better or I know that sometimes my color palette is influenced by my mood that day and I'll regret it later.

Exactly.
There is certainly no need, or even great benefit in my opinion, to use different colors in 4 or fewer chairs, just "because". Using 4 chairs of the same (hopefully beautiful) color is not "bland".

Forget the seduction presented in the magazines; that is not your world. Find the color somewhere else, in a rug, art, lamps, tableware, etc.

Again I think mixing dining chair colors is more risky than not. That's my advice, aka "KISS; keep it simple and straightforward".

 

[Van Veen]

Are there any other sofas out there that have a metal frame around the bottom, like the LC3 or Florence Knoll?

 

[venessian]

Are there any other sofas out there that have a metal frame around the bottom, like the LC3 or Florence Knoll?

Spectrum BR02 (Martin Visser) definitely. Polished or black. Beautiful. Ours is 20 years old, polished, looks new.

Herman Miller "Eames Compact".

Various Cassina, B&B Italia, etc.

Older Modernica "Split Rail" (the new models are wood frame only, unfortunately; the steel frames were much nicer).

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I was going to say different armchairs vs. side chairs can work, but I'm having trouble finding good examples. It's harder to pull off than it seems.

When I said we had mixed colour Artek chairs above, I should have mentioned we also have a couple of Wegner wishbone chairs mixed in there. Strangely enough because they are so different it works well - or maybe we are just used to it.

 

[kevenmee]

Are people still shopping for new office chairs? Wirecutter's top pick, the Steelcase Gesture, is on sell at Amazon for a good price if you don't mind black fabric. These rarely go this low.

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Intensively researched, hassle-free deals on Wirecutter picks and recommendations from our editorial experts.

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Anybody have these and have feedback to offer? Worn out my 150 dollar staples chair from WFH and looking to upgrade.

 

[otc]

Anybody have these and have feedback to offer? Worn out my 150 dollar staples chair from WFH and looking to upgrade.

Find an office furniture liquidator near you, try some chairs, buy some sort of steelcase, haworth, or Herman Miller chair for $200-400.

Huge savings so long as they have something you like.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

Are there any other sofas out there that have a metal frame around the bottom, like the LC3 or Florence Knoll?

Milo Baugham comes to mind as well, but he didn't do it in great abundance.

@venessian -- You've long been repping that Visser daybed/sofa pretty hard. Never used one myself. Looks cool, but how do you deal with the no arms situation?

I've seen photos where it looks like there's an ad hoc pillow that looks like it functions as an arm. I have hard time imagining lying down on the sofa in comfort. Do you use it more as couch for socializing with guests and/or a place for guests to sleep?

 

[GeneralEmployer]

 

[shortlefty]

Going to get my first apartment myself. Have no furniture, what brands should I look out for in second hand classifieds? No specific style in mind, just want quality pieces that are hopefully affordable for someone that is a few years out of college (no debt, moderately well paying job)

 

[gomestar]

buy all Ikea and ***** about assembly.

replace each piece bit by bit with some long term keeers.