Today, surfing through the ATLA Flickr pool, we happened on Amy Rice's fuzzy ball chair (a few months ago we blogged her stenciled shed). Our first thought was "wow!" and we shared it with a friend, exclaiming how much we'd love to have it in our own home. Our friend was puzzled. How exactly would we fit something like this into our home? For all of you who are wondering the same thing (or have a piece that wish you could bring into your home), here's our thought process...
How To: Fit A Playful Piece Into Your Home
As with any piece of furniture, the first question is, do you love it? Then come a series of practical questions: Do you need it and would it be useful? Is it comfortable (because if it's not, if it's the wrong size for your body or it's too hard or too soft, you will never use it and you'll begin to resent its presence in your home). If you can answer "yes" to those questions and it's within your budget, we say, "go for it."
Taking this particular chair as an example, we love it. It's playful, inviting and colourful and we could easily see curling up for a long afternoon of reading "Twilight." It's such a strong piece (after all, it was designed for an exhibit), we know that the other pieces in a room would have to be equally strong but probably neutral and perhaps streamlined in order to balance it out. Modern or Mid-Century Modern would probably be the best foil for something this rococo (maybe a Saarinen side table next to it to hold a cup of tea?) but Modern Farm, with its strong rustic lines would also work. The chair's strong pinks and pops of yellow would form the cornerstone of our colour palette. Orange could come into play (for an analogous colour scheme) or we could bring in blue-green for a jolt. Suddenly, from one piece, a whole room's come together.
If you're not sure what your style is, and you've taken our one minute test hoping to figure it out and you're still stumped, this is a good way to start. Determine the pieces you love, then use them as a jumping off place and design your home around them.
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Love it. but unfortunately couldn't fit it in my home. But there are many ways to fit playful unexpected pieces into your home. In fact, without one totally unexpected piece or vignette, a room is not complete, IMHO. But be careful. Too much and it becomes tacky really quickly. Eclecticism is hard!
view quiltmaster's profile
This makes me want to play with Koosh Balls again!
view Stephie_is_a_dork's profile
After lots of use wouldn't the all the fringes flatten out?
view Daniel Poitiers's profile
I used to love those Koosh Ball things growing up, I'd have a hard time talking my partner into this chair though. Regardless of the colours chosen, it's going to be a very attention-grabbing item.
view MsUnreliable's profile
There's playful...then there's just plain ridiculous.
view lilithslair's profile
How many bathrobes had to die to make that chair? Koosh balls? ok, never mind.
view K T G's profile
Hey! That chair belongs in the ugly couch contest that was posted just before this. Not a couch, but FUGLY!!
view Daily Nuance's profile
Actually reminds me of sea anemones. Like a part of a coral reef in your home. I have no idea how I'd fit this into my apartment.
view sciencegeek's profile
that is one wild shaggy chair!!!
i just wanna jump into it!!
don't know if i'd want it in my own home, i think i lack the room actually....but i'd sure love to visit this place!
view little flower's profile
But if you think reading Twilight won't destroy brain cells, then this is certainly the chair for you.
view Palmetto's profile
AT's gone "through the looking glass"...
A thought: What's the decorating/design equivalent to "jumping the shark"?
view ldevere's profile
what were they thinking? the people who made the chair I mean (and I guess the people who bought it).
view Tabitha (From Single to Married)'s profile
I think this belongs in the next post . . .
view ChrisToronto's profile
There are numerous House Tours and color contestants whose apartments are full of kitchy stuff, and I think a chair like this would be great for those, because often what's missing in those is a LARGE stroke of something whimsical, because they're so often filled will LOTS of small bits of whimsy.
To me, the slightly broken-down color bits of this piece would help bridge that gap by relating to those smaller elements to something bigger.
view Curtis's profile
One thing that I like about this is that it reminds me of a float in the Rose Bowl Parade. You should re-post this on New Years Day. No. Really. I mean it. Waddaya mean seriously? YES, seriously!
view Curtis's profile
Is this what we are supposed to do with all those toilet hugging rugs?
view palest_green's profile
Its like a parade float threw-up on a chair.
view msjessiemeghan's profile
I do not know if it's all the pink haunting me, but I love it
view La loca's profile
Curtis got it right.
view Mr. Dangerous's profile
WTF?
view bepsf's profile
Oh the bed bugs and dust mites that could hide in that thing...
view PrettyKitty's profile
I would have expected to be horrified, but this is CUTE. I think it's the colors and the way they've been carefully set into a nice pattern. Is it made of Koosh balls for sure? I wouldn't want to sit on that. But if it's made of fabric, then YES!
view kuroneko's profile
That chair makes Pee Wee's Playhouse look butch.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
Looking at this chair makes me smile!
The world would be a more happier place if everyone had a chair like this!
view tinnie's profile
this has got to be one of the uglier things i've ever seen posted here
view staticfritz's profile
kuroneko,
I doubt it's actually made of Koosh Balls, I just said it makes me want to play with them again. Sitting on Koosh Balls would be insanely bumpy!
Koosh Balls = awesome
that chair = not awesome
view Stephie_is_a_dork's profile