it's hard for me to believe that those ugly & ubiquitous 80s chairs are popular vintage finds!

I had the same (gag) reaction, Sydney.

I agree! My mom had those same ugly chairs in her kitchen...and I thought they were hideous back then!

geez - i have six of those with orange upholstery that I don't use. I wonder if anyone will buy them, I didn't know people thought they were that ugly..:(

I echo your sentiments. My mom had those ugly chairs too. They were ugly then and are still ugly now. "Vintage" or not.

Oh, good grief. I have those chairs at my dining room table right now. I have them recaned and will continue doing so. They are great chairs and the caner said he would gladly pay me $100 for each chair if I ever wanted to sell them. He said they are very popular. So, maybe it all depends on who you are.

I love the way Apartment Therapy looks at ugly things in a way than makes them seem beautiful but those cane chairs... no!! My neighbours STILL have them in their house (with the matching round glass-top table) and they bought them in the 80s! No no no... And $150!!! Are you serious?

These chairs are copies of a 1928 Marcel Breuer chair, see here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1331_modernism/artist_93_321.html

I think it is actually all about what you do with an object that defines it's visual value. And afterall, we each do have our own artistic visions, the way one person approaches an object may be entirely different from how the next approaches it. Isn't this what makes design fun? I can imagine many places those chairs would look absolutely hideous. But they actually fit my personal design vision at the moment and I could see them looking absolutely sharp in a Swedish inspired eclectic, modern home. Perhaps snuggled up to a white drop leaf table or tulip table with bright white sheepskins draped over them? You've got to mentally take the object out of Grandma Viv's terrible 'resort' inspired Floridian, retirement condo before you can realistically judge it.