have you seen this dining chair???

August 8, 2017 1:25 PM

I have 4 dining chairs like this that I bought some years ago. I need two more. The chain where I bought them has been unresponsive. My dream is to find two more like this to buy, but I'd be willing to purchase two of another, coordinating style, if I could find one that looked reasonable.

What it says on the tin. I think these were purchased at Scandinavian Designs in... I want to say Oakland? In 2002. (But I wouldn't swear to it in court.) I think they were available in "teak" and "cherry" and that these are the "cherry." Folks at my local Scandinavian Designs have not been helpful in tracking these down.

The fabric here isn't original, obviously, I reupholstered them (and it wasn't easy, those curving backs were a project and a half) and I'd be reupholstering any new ones too, so any fabric is fine.

I am resigned, if necessary, to buying two of another type that could be the "end" chairs, as long as it was all similar enough to look nice together... but I'd much rather find two just like these. They're so comfortable. See those crossbars? I always have my feet up on those. I love these chairs, even with my babies having meticulously removed and discarded most of the little wood screw-covers over the years...

I feel like I've scoured the Internet but come up with nothing. School me on how it's done, AskMeFi!

posted by fingersandtoes to Shopping (8 answers total)

Here are two inexpensive & really cool vintage schoolhouse chairs on Bay Area Craigslist. You could sand and stain the wood parts to match, and maybe spraypaint the metal parts black (a deep greyish blue would look great with cherry wood as well) to match the cushions of your existing chair.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:45 PM on August 8, 2017

you should be able to get a lot closer than that by looking for pairs of Danish Modern chairs...
posted by acm at 1:55 PM on August 8, 2017

Best answer: try searching with terms: Library chairs or upholstered library chairs. There are several available which, while not an exact match for your image, are very close.
posted by Chrischris at 2:33 PM on August 8, 2017

Response by poster: oh shit you guys

I swear to God I have been looking for months on every obscure site and here it is on Amazon.

Thank you Chrischris, the term I was missing was indeed "library chair". 15 minutes later here we are. It's not the same chair, but close enough!!!
posted by fingersandtoes at 3:42 PM on August 8, 2017

Response by poster: even closer but twice the price, now I'm all kerflummoxed again. Still! Options!
posted by fingersandtoes at 3:48 PM on August 8, 2017

careful, neither of those have that crossbar between the front legs! (It's farther back on both chairs). Still, looks you're on the right track. Good luck :)
posted by brainmouse at 3:53 PM on August 8, 2017

Best answer: This one and this one are a little farther from your original chair (they have the whole bar across the bottom instead of 4 distinct legs), but they do have the crossbar in front.
posted by brainmouse at 4:03 PM on August 8, 2017

Response by poster: It isn't obvious in the pic I posed, but the original chair has the crossbar on the sides and in back, but - curiously - not in the front. Yes, I tend to sit gracelessly enough on these that I hook my foot on the side crossbar! And, the Amazon guy just told me they'd pay for return shipping if it doesn't work out within 30 days. Cheers and thanks to all!
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:08 PM on August 8, 2017