Lydia Likes It

Settling in

Do you have furniture that no longer fits your lifestyle, your space, or your needs? Here's an idea: give your furniture a second life in the home of someone who really needs it. We donated this couch -- only a few years old, and in nearly mint condition -- to the International Institute of New England, which, among the many services it provides to refugees and immigrants, sets up apartments for families moving out of shelters. IINE arranged for someone to pick up the couch and deliver it to the new apartment, and they provided us with a donation letter for tax purposes -- along with lots of gratitude, on behalf of the organization and the new couch sitters. If you are planning your own move and have furniture or other household goods you'd like to donate, please don't hesitate to contact an organization like IINE.

Power of the blog

Never underestimate the power of the blog. After I posted about my search for the perfect reading chairs, several of you sent suggestions for where/how to look for them. I wrote to Levenger, the company that sold the chairs, and several back-and-forths with customer service convinced me they had no secret graveyard of unsold, returned, or discontinued leather club chairs. I scoured big online sources for vintage chairs, Chairish and eBay and Etsy, and looked at new leather club chairs on dozens of sites. And then, quite by surprise, I received an email from someone who lives in Brookline, the next town over from Boston, saying he had two Levenger leather club chairs for sale! How did he know I was looking? He'd done a Google search to get more information about his chairs in preparation for listing them on Craigslist, and my blog post popped up. When he realized the post was recent, he reached out to me. Yes, he had a matched pair, ten years old, both recliners (a bonus), lovingly cared for, with only slight wear, quite similar to the chairs of my dreams. Redecoration of his condo meant the oh-so-comfortable chairs no longer fit, and might I like to come and try them out? Two days later my husband Ted and I were sitting, reclining, relaxing, dreaming of them in the new configuration we plan for our own living room. We made a deal, paid for the chairs, and now will figure out how to get them moved here, and we feel great knowing we're recycling and giving these beautiful chairs a second life.

Perfect reading chairs

Have you seen these chairs? We have, at the Lower Mills Branch of the Boston Public Library. We've seen them, and tried them on, and they are absolutely perfect reading chairs -- and we want them. The backs are high enough to lean your head on, while you're pretending to be reading but you're really taking a nap, and the seats are wide enough for real comfort. Other than at the library, though, I haven't been able to find them anywhere, online or in person. The tag on the bottom (yes, the librarian helped my husband Ted turn them over to check) says Levenger, but the chairs are nowhere on their web site. Or on eBay, or Etsy, or Chairish, or any other site. Help me find a pair of these chairs, please. We're going to offer the library a pair of new leather reading chairs in trade for these, but we're not optimistic about our success. So, if you have any ideas -- or if you happen to have a pair of these chairs in your basement, and you'd be willing to sell them -- please let me know. I'll be your best friend.

The IKEA Poäng chair

My husband Ted and I bought our first Poäng chair at least 25 years ago, and a few weeks ago we bought this one, which I believe is at least the fifth Poäng we've owned. (Our decor changed over the years, but the chairs would have lasted forever, except for the two we left on the porch at the log house through several brutally snowy winters.) In 1976, Japanese designer Noboru Nakamura collaborated with IKEA's product manager, Lars Engman, on the beechwood-frame chair that initially was named "Poem," and to date, IKEA has sold more than 30 million Poäng chairs in various colors and fabrics. The chair comes flat-packed, and it's easy to assemble with the included Allen wrench. Poäng is an insanely comfortable chair at a very affordable price, and if you don't live near an IKEA, you can now buy the chair and matching footstool online. 

Artful dining

I love these Doodle By Stitch Tablecloths that turn every meal into a work of art. Each tablecloth comes with special markers, and after your crowd doodles its way through the meal, simply toss the cloth in the washing machine, and it comes out clean and ready for new art and new artists (the photo on the right is after washing -- like magic!). It's great family fun, or the perfect icebreaker at a party. Why not bring a Doodle By Stitch tablecloth as a gift?