You can at least get the right kind of fabric and probably even in a color you like for under wholesale. But yeah, the other two factors---good luck. I live in the same area as you and I never see any, not even in shops (though i don't go around to all the area shops all the time so I could be wrong there).
I used to want the really fabulous stuff when i started out collecting, but then I realized it was enough to just be able to see these things in person once in awhile---sit in the chairs, touch the tables, etc. I do have some pretty nice things that I lucked into on CL and thrift stores and at auction, and I'm content with these.
Or step up your rate of saving, work overtime, have a bake sale (not literally, but you know--something) and every now and then re-evaluate. At some point you may realize your tastes have changed.
The budget limitation is not so much set by actual affordability but moreso by a spouse who doesn't like the look of the chair and does not feel it is worth the amounts being charged for it. I realize that the cost of upholstery will be steep, but psychologically, spreading out the cost makes it more palatable to her. Guess I'll just be hoping to hit the lottery someday and find some person who has no clue what they have and may sell one inexpensively.
The budget limitation is not so much set by actual affordability but moreso by a spouse who doesn't like the look of the chair and does not feel it is worth the amounts being charged for it. I realize that the cost of upholstery will be steep, but psychologically, spreading out the cost makes it more palatable to her. Guess I'll just be hoping to hit the lottery someday and find some person who has no clue what they have and may sell one inexpensively.
Is this one real?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-1965-Arne-Jacobsen-Egg-Chair-Original-Da...
I know nothing about egg chairs (I'm a wood furniture fan myself) but I saw this one get bought in like 5 seconds after it was listed on eBay (it's sold now, so I hope it's OK to paste the link.) But if it's real maybe it will give you hope. 🙂 Good luck!
P.S. Spanky, I love your attitude! I also try to be content with the finds I've gotten, including a few pieces I really adore, even if they're not the most desirable or rare.
Thanks, chelle. There are some beautiful pieces out there that were not produced long enough or in large enough numbers to become iconic the way the Egg chair is, but that are just as striking in their own way. They are the ones that often fly under the radar. Sellers have a hard time ID'ing them so they get listed with titles like "Danish chair" or even just "mid-century modern chair". Those are the things to keep an eye out for.
Seth, do you find the Egg chair to be comfortable? I think it's a stunning piece of living room sculpture but it's not something I'd choose to lounge in. The Saarinen Womb chair is one that just pulls me in. It looks like it was shaped to accommodate the human form, while still looking beautiful. Those are qualities I want in a chair if i'm going to spend $$$$ on it.
Case in point (but the reverse of what I just said): i had a Hans Olsen chair that was to-die-for comfortable, that I had redone in a fabric I loved---but it wasn't my most favorite thing to look at. Then I snagged a Kofod-Larsen hoop chair for $176 at a thrift store a half mile from my house (what??!?), made some new cushions out of a Girard fabric that I had from an outlet that is now sadly gone, all with the intention to resell it.
It isn't very comfortable to me but it looked so stunning in my home that I ended up selling the Olsen chair and keeping it---because it was in a part of the room where i never sit, but where I get to look at it. And everyone who visits me DOES like to sit in it, so it really worked out perfectly. And that's just with me being the sole arbiter, no housemates to negotiate with!
So I guess what I'm saying is that sometimes there are a lot of things to consider and balance out.
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com