Lydia Likes It

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?

Poufs

The casual style of poufs -- also called ottomans, hassocks, or footstools -- livens up any decor, and I plan to mix and match several in the small living room space in our new Boston digs. The perfect pouf is firm enough to serve as extra seating, but not so heavy that it can't be moved easily around the room. The pouf in the top left photo is the traditional Moroccan style; my favorites are the Indian-style ones with tassels, though the tassels might prove too tempting for my cats. I found all of the poufs in the photo on Etsy, a wonderful site featuring handmade and vintage items. If you were going to pick two or three, which ones would you choose?