The Dining Room Dilemma

So I am having a dining room dilemma. Our household cannot come to a decision on what type of dining chairs to get. OK, so the kids aren't really involved in the decision making being under 5yo, so really I mean my husband won't come around to my designer way of thinking and has that dirty word 'budget' as the number 1 (O.N.E) priority!
I'm not a ridiculous spender. In fact I am quite fiscally tight. But when it comes to my home, I want quality. That doesn't have to cost the earth - I can happily sit on sturdy well-made chairs from a past era road-side collection that have been buffed back into shape. I just don't want to give in to the fast and frequent flashes of 'Vintage replicas' all over my screens and junk mail pages.

Currently we have four of my favourite white Eames Eiffel based DSRs. You know the ones that you probably see everywhere, as that filthy filthy word 'REPLICAS'. Yuck! If I am to accept crap, it at least has to be original crap! Don't mass produce someone elses hard work and (previously) inimitable creativity and flog them off at $39 a pop. It just shits me.

I'll admit to owning two *shudder* replicas at one stage. I had my four beauties from Living Edge and on moving from an apartment to a house, and bringing two kids into the world, needed at least two more chairs. I succumbed. But boy did they grate on me. Every time I walked past the room those ugly shiny plastic things glared at me. Sure, no one else could tell the difference - apparently - but I could. And I had given in to the mass marketing of these cheap charlatans riding on the coat-tails of others.

So when I could stand them no longer, when I'd had enough of moving them to the most unused corner of the room, when I had scrubbed at dried Weetbix (that seemed to wipe easily from the others) one time too many, I made the decision. Those puppies went straight onto gumtree. The respondents came fast and eager - even though I assured them that they were… *ewww* replicas. I got the same price I had paid for them originally back in my hands, along with my now relieved conscience.

But now we only have four chairs again.

EamesĀ® Moulded Plastic Side Chair Eiffel Base (DSR) from Living Edge.
{Eames® Moulded Plastic Side Chair Eiffel Base (DSR) from Living Edge}



So now the decision is, do we save and buy four more of the same, do we do the old mix-and-match of white DSRs with other styles or colours, or do I sell up and start completely over. I love what we have, but my husband still sees them as 'plastic outdoor chairs', a sacrilegious falsehood perpetuated by those damn knock-off merchants. Plus, I can't seem to open a magazine without someone else having them. I know I'm not original. I know they are a mid-century modern design icon for a reason and I am therefore not the only person wanting to own a piece of history - it just sucks that every house down the street has the same.
Surely the girl who saves all her remaining pay cheques to buy a limited diamond and rose gold Michael Kors watch, then sees the Bali-version on her neighbour, understands my woes.
Is it snobbery to want to buy nice things with hard earned and preciously saved money?!
We have a crap car if that is any consolation.

I guess the thing making my purchasing decision hard could be metaphorised like so - I don't want to bring four stunning pedigree puppies into a house where they are not loved and appreciated. If my husband is going to sneer at their snub-noses, wonky eyes and sideways fur just because of a little pedigree in-breeding, and see no difference between them and a mutt from the pet store, then what is the point. Don't get me wrong, we have a mutt. A bitsa (this bitsa that) dog that could never be replicated. But thats another point. No replication. I don't want a mistreated puppy farm dog. I don't want a robot dog. Well, maybe a well-crafted i-dog that will last for years. But not one from a sidewalk stall in SE Asia somewhere. Damn, I'm getting lost in my own metaphors.

In short: I'm anti-replicas, but we don't have a Scrooge McDuck room of money. Guess it just means saving and saving and hopefully ending up with a little bucket of money (or itty-bitty bin of gold coins) to buy four more chairs that I can live with.

Designer Chairs by Grant Snider
{Designer Chairs by Grant Snider}


If you are still with me, what should I do? 4 DSRs with 4 others something-or-others? 8 new chairs? 8 refurbed vintage-finds ? What is your preference and have you found something that works in your dining space?
I love the idea of some black seat black base DSRs, especially with my future-planned mostly white and concrete space, and these would mix in nicely with my existing white and chrome. What do you think?
Are you a die-hard designophile or happy to settle for the inexpensive copy?

PS. If Chris from Living Edge NB is reading this, don't weigh in - you are too good at your job and I'll end up with 8 more DSRs.

xo Romona


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