AT:SF reader Kim wrote to us: I want to thank AT bloggers for tempting me back to hunt [eBay] for great furniture finds. I've only used it for 'cheap to ship' items and never thought that furniture could be shipped economically. Wrong!! I'm in the process of *completely* refurnishing / redeocrating my home (save a few casegoods) and I found some amazing chairs for 1/2 to 1/4 what I was thinking of paying retail...
...I found a regent chair for my guest room to accompany an amazing MCM sofa I had recovered in peacock silk (the back comes off and it's a twin bed). And then I found two danish modern lounge chairs for my front room to work with a *giant* abstract painting that my grandfather bought in the 1960s.
Check out the pics. I'm a bit giddy with the home-dec fever. :-)
Couch cost me $40 plus $375 to reupholster
Regent chair cost $230 BIN on ebay, plus $18 to ship FedEx ground
Danish chairs cost $430 BIN on ebay, plus $100 to ship UPS ground
Painting -- free
Anyone have advice for Kim?
Thanks, Kim!
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Comments (13)
Do you have additional pics of the room. Im know expert but Im sure that would help those who are.
If you're going for luxe, I think that gray velvet would be beautiful. If you want more of a contrast, I think wool in either a gray like you mentioned, or even something more saturated like red or emerald green-what I would think of as an Indian palette. But it really depends on where you want to go...but your chairs are great, and that silk is absolutely beautiful.
Excellent finds, love that peacock blue silk (but would hate for someone to sleep on it.) and the Danish chairs. I woulld love to see your place when you get it together.
That couch is beautiful! LOVE the color.. I MUST get back on ebay, wonderful purchases!
You really want to change the fabric on the regent chair? It's so beautiful as-is! If anything I would consider painting the wood a different color.
I would refinish the wood and change the fabric. I'm sorry, that print is way dated and not in a fun way. In my opinion of course. Then again, I never really loved that pumpkin color family that used to be hot way back when.
Thanks for feedback! The regent chair goes with the silk couch, and the lounge chairs go with the abstract. I'll post pics when it's all done.
Yes, the regent chair has gotta be recovered for sure. I hadn't thought of refinishing, but that's an excellent idea. Maybe ebonized? I want the fabric to look really luxe with the silk, but not argue. More color/fabric suggestions welcome!
Silk is very durable, but the way - it's a protein fiber - fragility is a myth. It's not terribly color fast and will fade in bright light or with warm water washings. The light weight weaves like chiffon and charmeuse give the fiber a reputation for being delicate. That said, I don't really want the cats lounging on it (they had amnesty over the holidays while we decorated the tree). But covered with a mattress pad and sheets it's totally safe for a great guest bed. For non-bed wetters. :-)
Go for a darker finish on the regency chair! With a gray fabric that has a texture, it'll be dramatically updated and go with your couch.
Take a look at upholstery fabric that has a Napoleonic-style print -- a little classical repeat, like neckties, or a damask pattern -- against a silver-gray background. You may end up deciding that it's too period, but a bold, current, extra-large damask or stylized floral could be fresh and luxe.
We all know that eBay is a great place to find items, but have you checked out eBay Live Auctions? EBay Live Auctions features lots coming up for bid at traditional auction houses worldwide. Unlike a traditional eBay auction, these auctions are in real-time and coincide with a "floor" auction at an auction house. There are definitely great chairs available as well as thousands of other decorative objects, and as these are offered at auction houses, they are often of a finer quality than one may find in a traditional eBay auction. For instance, I like a a velvet upholstered Antique French Louis XVI style side chair estimated at $250-$500 or a Jansen L-shaped Ebonized & Leather Bench estimated at $1,500-$2,500.
I love eBay! Been using it to find non-cookie-cutter stuff for years. ;)
Hi - this post has really inspired me to shop on Ebay. What beautiful regency chairs! Could anyone please tell me what BIN means, though? Thanks!
Tara1: BIN means "buy it now" as opposed to bidding for the item in an auction.
@kimg94 I know I'm waaaay late seeing this post .... but, wow! No wonder you're giddy! Love your finds (esp that couch!) ~ you have a great eye. Did you ever post photos of the room once you were done with it? If so, please share the link here.
My thoughts & use of ebay were the same as yours. You've inspired me to take a broader look at ebay as well! There is SO much on ebay that it can be overwhelming.
1. Did you already know that you wanted a specific style of chair from a certain era or did you do a more general search?
2. What types of keywords did you search with on ebay? chairs, regency chair, Danish chair ... or were you very specific?
3. Did you narrow your search to a specific region?