There are two apartments that we are seriously looking at for our move this summer. Both of them are open concept, where the kitchen, living and dining areas are all together.
It’s taking all of my self-control (of which there is not much) to not buy furniture for our new place yet until we sign a lease. I really want a HUGE farm house style table and tons of chairs. I want a place to spread out our craft projects and to put down groceries. A place to do homework (I will have a kindergartner next year! tear…) and somewhere to lay out fabric samples and floor plans. We love to have friends and family over for dinner, and I want a chair for everyone!
For a long time, I’ve been dreaming of this Parsons-meets-farm-house oak table from the Lorimer Workshop in RI. I LOVE IT.
But over the weekend, I was doing some furniture shopping for a client and I stumbled across this 8-foot long table for $300. I don’t have a photo of the legs, but they were really cool – chunky and turned on a three-inch apron frame.
I decided to wait on the table (at least a little longer). But I did pick up this pair of bentwood chairs for $2 each.
Someone did a horrible glaze job on these and the seats are covered in grime. But they’ll sparkle when I’m finished with them.
I think it would be cool to have an assortment of chair styles, but all with the same paint and fabric treatment, surrounding my huge table.
Though, there’s nothing wrong with a full set of bentwoods…
Abbey Nova, via D*S
I LOVE Lorimer Workshop! I wish my little cape style home home had room for a large farmhouse table. They are the best!
Beautiful!! My apartment is open concept… living dining and half of the kitchen are exposed. (the half of the kitchen with the ovens/stove and sink are hidden… )Its really a pleasant way to live!
Love the chairs, especially in red!!!
Oh so excited that you found some apts that you are loving! Yay! No make sure you get some dining room chairs to have me over for dinner! :)
I have always wanted to 1) have a dining room and 2) have a collection of "NY STREET TRASH CHAIRS" all refurbished and painted the same high gloss color.
I don't have the dining rm – but I now have 2 – country french ladder back chairs and 1 bentwood chair – it's amazing what people toss out here!
i love that idea! I love the giant table (especially when filled with friends)and the assortment of chairs! Your new place will be GORGEOUS!
<3
Jen
Nothing beats a farm table! The best part of it is the more "worn" it gets, the better it looks! I found one on Craigslist for a steal. I am refinishing the table legs and chairs, so it is a work in progress!! Amazing find with those chairs. I cannot believe they were $2 each!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE huge chunky dinning tables. That is exactly my style. My husband and I are in the process of buying our first home and the only thing I can think about is getting my huge dinning room table. So I know the feeling.
TWO DOLLARS?! And when you're done, they'll look like two million – can't wait!
Have you thought about just building a table yourself? Knock Off Wood http://knockoffwood.blogspot.com/ has a bazillion dining table plans; I'm totally planning to do the West Elm knock-off once we're in a bigger place.
YES!
I love that you are a designer and love all-things-home but, like me, you live in city so your homestead will always be a bit smaller than a sprawling country home, thus creativity is required! I get SO many ideas from you Jenny, especially excited to see what you do with all open-concept.
Right now our rental is very seperated. It's the third floor of a triplex in Montreal and it's about 100 years old (LOADS of character) but our next place (this summer, late) will probably be a bit more modern so the walls will have come down, like most downtown triplexes for an open-concept look. IDEAS are needed!! can't wait to see what you've got for me :D
you are gonna have so much fun with this project…wow, that table is massive. Yes! all different types of chairs will be terrific…
That first table makes my heart go pitter pat.
Oh I LOVE this post! I modified some plans from knock off wood to build my own farmhouse table…but then we found out we needed a new place. We just put a deposit down last night for a place that has an awesome space for a table just like I want. I can hardly WAIT to get in there and get it built. I'm also on the lookout for perfect chairs to mis-match around the table. I'll be excited to see what you do.
This is my DREAM set up, a big barn table and bentwood chairs painted glossy black.
I've actually found some great farm tables on etsy, that's a great place to look!
I love that farmhouse table — it'll only get better looking as you beat it up (which is great with kids!).
Wow, great find on the chairs! Can't wait to see the "after"!
Cool chairs. :) Have you seen this farmhouse table tutorial? http://knockoffwood.blogspot.com/2009/11/plan-modern-farmhouse-table-knock-off.html#more
I'm not crazy about the full set in the first picture, but the picture from Design Sponge is pure perfection!! I think I still prefer your idea of different chairs with the same paint and fabric.
Wow, I would LOVE to run across some bentwoods for $2! I'm in the market for some, and the only ones I saw over the weekend were $85. What an awesome bargain you found (even if they do need a little love).
i love the chairs but particularly love the idea of different chairs in the same color and fabric à la sarah jessica parker's home in the hamptons. i did a post a few weeks back professing my love of farmhouse tables if you have a moment to check it out:
http://mackenziehoran.blogspot.com/2010/03/farmhouse-table.html
Gotta love a $2 score!!!
Love love loving! I can't wait to hear about the new place.
Did you get my e-mail?
Those chairs are a STEAL! Can't wait to see what you do with them.
I think that image from Martha Stewart strikes just the right balance. Yes, they're all bentwood chairs, but they each have a unique shape. I like this so much better than completely mismatched chairs (which, done wrong, can have that "had to scrounge chairs from every part of the house to accommodate this many people for dinner" look!)
Plus, wouldn't it be fun for each member of the family to choose their special chair?
$2?? What an amazing find! I've never sat in that style chair before, so I wonder if it's comfortable. But hey – it looks great!
have you checked out knockoffwood.blogspot.com? she's got your big farmhouse table courtesy a little elbow grease via you!
the wood on that table is gorgeous! Love the pics of pedestal tables! yum!
Lila Ferraro
Queen Bedroom Sets
So funny! I'm in NYC with an open-concept apt (LR, DR, Kitchen used to all be separate rooms). My farm table is actually my great-grandparents' table from their farm. We've got the mismatched chairs, too, but have yet to determine the color they want to be. Thanks for the inspiration photos – maybe I can finally choose a color :)
love em!
you are so talented! amazing. i cannot wait to see all the chairs together!
Next year's tax refund check is going to a giant farmhouse table for the backyard. The one from Lorimer is unspeakably lovely. And I love the idea of doing the same paint/fabric treatment to different styles of chairs! That's why you're the pro.
$2 – What a great find – you are one lucky lady!
that's my dream table.
I adore the Thonet chairs with nearly any style of table. This table is an amazing steal!
What a great find – congrats!!!! I can't wait to see what you do with them.
I love the idea of different chairs but with same paint and fabric…if you do go with that then I can't wait to see it. I know what you mean about a table to spread out for crafts, laying out feasts.. the kind of table that really becomes the heart of the room especially if you have children. Good luck with your decisions about flats.
Different chairs, same paint treatment and fabric sounds yummy. I am sure you saw this already, but I can't get this dining room set out of my head.. @ Decor Demon, http://www.decordemon.com/2010/03/15/group-therapy/
love your idea! i am working on bentwood chairs right now too. mine have an upholstered seat like yours, so i've been going back and forth between caning or reupholstering. can't wait to see your new home!
Seriously, $2 what a steal! Can't wait to see what you do with them. I'm also contemplating dining room chairs right now. Thinking mismatched might be a good way to go.
Looking forward to seeing where you move! Janell
Great ideas for your new space. I do love the 1st image! A long table for entertaining is perfect for wine, dinner, and ambiance. Think of all the ways to decorate it!
Karena
Art by Karena
That table is awesome. Have you checked out knockoffwood.blogspot.com? They have plans for knock off versions of expensive furniture. You could probably find a plan for a similar kitchen table and make it for dirt cheap! Those red chairs are fabulous!
I can't believe you snagged those chairs for $2!!! I know what you mean about the urge to want to buy furniture for your future apartment. I found an amazing old table at a pub, here in the UK, that was going out of business. I passed on it because we hadn't bought our house yet. I think about that table often…go with instincts, their obviously very good:)
You certainly can't go wrong with $2 chairs!! And $300 for that gorgeous table?! Wow! I can't wait to see how you pull it all together.
I just did a post on my blog about bentwood (after picking up a set of chairs off CL) Haven't decided what to do with them yet…
Great minds think alike.
Great blog! (Heard about you on SRT)
Best,
Ashleigh
Halcyon House
anika baxter tam
There is a chair in the April Veranda that is very similar. It is made by Formations. That is the only chair I have seen. The one in Veranda has an ottoman.
Teresa
SO jealous of your finds. How do you score so many ridiculous things for the home? I so want to hire you just so you can help me find some similarly cool yet affordable goods. Well, that and a number of other reasons.
will you die when I tell you that I just got a set of 4 metal ones for $5.
Going on the the patio. Painted Kelly green.
I can't wait.
I'm excited to hear about the new apartments.
I'll email you back soon.