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Furniture for My New Apartment

TheFoo

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So, my fiancee and I are moving into a new apartment and looking for new furniture. We're essentially starting from scratch since our existing stuff is all Ikea and at the end of its life.

What we're working with: 850 sq. foot apartment with a 15 x 16 foot living room. For now, we are not bothering with the bedroom. We'd like to concentrate on the living room and dining area. Our preference is to buy things that we can keep for a long time and move with us (to a house, eventually).

This is what we've come up with so far:

florenceknollsofa.jpg

Florence Knoll sofa (but in ivory/cream leather, not cloth)

eameslcw.jpg

Two Eames plywood lounge chairs in palisander, side-by-side at a right angle to the sofa

poolcoffeetable.jpg

Pool coffee table, the low square one, but with a frosted glass top

flokati.jpg

Flokati rug in grey/white or black/white

saarinentable.jpg

Saarinen pedestal table with white marble top, 42" or 47"

tulipchair.jpg

Possibly the Tulip chairs to match the table

eamesmolded.jpg

But maybe the Eames molded plasic chair on the tower base instead

I know, not very inventive. But what do you think? We're playing around with different dining chairs to mix things up, but we love the Tulip chairs.

Any thoughts, opinions, or criticisms would be very welcome. Thanks!
 

oscarthewild

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I used to work in a building designed by saarinen


watson2.jpg

. The library had these tables and chairs. They looked great.

saarinentable.jpg
 

gdl203

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Why don't you just move into iammatt's place?
wink.gif
 

TheFoo

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Originally Posted by oscarthewild
I used to work in a building designed by saarinen.

Funny, the building my law school is housed in was also designed by Saarinen:
lawschool.jpg


It's filled with Womb chairs, Tulip chairs, and Pedestal tables. Unfortunately, most of the student body doesn't appreciate any of it. They pine for oak-paneled walls and stained glass windows instead.

Originally Posted by gdl203
Why don't you just move into iammatt's place?
wink.gif


Hmm, do you think he'd trade it for our apartment . . . and leave all his clothes?
 

TheFoo

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Oh, if it matters, the floors are oak (medium brown), and the walls are white.
 

RJman

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When I was little I had the Wayne Foundation Batman building by Mego for my Batman and Robin action figures. It included furniture including little Saarinen tables and chairs for Batman and Robin just like the ones you picture. I never realized what design divas they were until 20 years later.
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by mafoofan
Oh, if it matters, the floors are oak (medium brown), and the walls are white.

Something like this?

sf1.jpg


Our FK-style sofa is a grey windowpane fabric
 

binge

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Have you sat in those Eames plywood chairs? I find them extremely uncomfortable. As iconic a design as they are, I find it a bit unhospitable to seat guests in them.

I have a pair of the Eames molded plastic chairs, with the tower base, and I'm kinda "meh" about them. The plastic seems cheap and flimsy compared to fiberglass IMO.

If you go for the Saarinen table, find some other chairs for it. The tulip chairs are too matchy-matchy IMO.

You're in Chicago right? I thought that area had really good mid-century vintage furniture stores. When I was buying a whole new set of furniture last year, it seemed that the Chicago area had lots of great vintage kit.
 

freshcutgrass

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I know, not very inventive. But what do you think?
About the same...not very inventive.

So why not make the effort and be a little inventive? A "home" furnished entirely of that standard issue stuff is going to have no personality, and convey a "sheep" mentality. In fact, I would rate it a notch below going back to Ikea.

To throw you a bone, I'd say go with the tulip table, and abandon the rest.
 

LabelKing

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Saarinen tulip tables are everywhere--they are the Ikea of the high design world. I'd get something like Mangiarotti's Tisettanta marble table:
228734.jpg
 

freshcutgrass

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Saarinen tulip tables are everywhere--they are the Ikea of the high design world.
Even better, as they make a knock-off.

Some mainstream classics do very well in high-style, eclectic interiors, and the tulip table is one of them. But sticking them into a place that's all decked out in DWR is when things start making you cringe.


I'd get something like Mangiarotti's Tisettanta marble table
Yea sure...and while she's at it, why not get a Paul Evens sculpture front console to go with it.

That is no longer in production (far as I know), and good luck finding one for under 10k.
 

LabelKing

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I have seen them at auctions, and dealers so they are not that rare.

I'd definitely buy one for $10,000.

Things like the Tulip table look best in either eclectically traditional interiors or high-design of the most period-correct variety, complete with mustard green tweed, weird floor-to-floor carpeting and mirrored walls.
 

matadorpoeta

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mafoofan,

it seems to me you are just buying what they are selling, rather than seeking out pieces which reflect your own style. i suggest some introspection.
 

Nataku

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You're lucky you and your wife can agree on furniture and interior decor. When my wife and I bought our place, it was a nightmare. I prefer the modernist style such as your's - she, on the other hand likes the more "pottery barn" contemporary look. We had a tough time.....you seem like you have it easy.
smile.gif
 

freshcutgrass

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I have seen them at auctions, and dealers so they are not that rare. I'd definitely buy one for $10,000.
Yea...that's great. But it doesn't sound like her budget is going to allow her to do much shopping at Todd Merrill.
 

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