Do you ever find yourself staring at a lovely piece of furniture, and then thinking, "I'll get this when I finally buy my home!" And then wander off to say, Ikea, to furnish your rental? Which makes us wonder (in a very Carrie Bradshaw way, of course): What comes first, the Womb Chair or the first mortgage bill?
And while we're in a nosy mood, what was the first big furniture purchase you've made? (We're still paying off our Womb chair...)
Photo from Knoll.
Comments (11)
Two red tufted duponi silk chairs from Bombay. Luckily I got them on sale!
I ordered a red womb chair hours after the seller agreed to fix all the things I asked for after the inspection on my first home! My grandparents had that chair and I'd loved it since I was a kid. It was a housewarmng gift to myself. I couldn't even wait until I moved in.
I'm waiting until I have a house to get a dog. But why wait to enjoy nice furniture? Nearly all the furniture I have now I consider "forever" furniture, though it's not anything iconic/brand name like a womb chair. Perhaps my favorite piece is my antique bed ($500 on craigslist), which my future husband will have to like because I plan to sleep in it until I croak.
When we bought our condo, my husband really wanted a new kitchen table because he hated the hand-me-down we had at the apartment. He had been saving for a projector but when we found our walnut table that folds open to double in size, he used all of his saved money to buy it. I plan on having this table for a very long time. He still hasn't gotten that projector but he is very protective of our table.
i think there comes a time in your life when you just decide to stop buying crap furniture, whether you rent or own. my TV sat on a pair of speakers for almost 6 months, because i refused to just "get something from IKEA"...i'm glad i waited, because it made me invest in my first piece of grown up furniture, my gorgeous Danish credenza.
i also bought an Eames dining set (table and 4 chairs) that i have to store in a friend's garage. i have no room for it in my studio apt, but refuse to sell it, because i know that when i finally have a house, i am going to love looking at it and knowing what a great deal i got.
2 Milo Baughman barrel chairs. gray suede and chrome. First grown-up purchase. Can't wait to NOT live with slobs so I can buy more fancy stuff.
I believe in investing - even when it's a stretch. Right after I closed on my little studio apartment (my first home!), I went and bought a Louis Ghost chair. I cheaped out on the delivery and squeezed into a cab with my arms wrapped around it. My second, more major purchase two years later was a Saarinen table with white marble top - I love sitting at it each and every day, even though I was remarkably cash-poor for a few months.
Every year I spend my tax refund on a piece--the year dictates. My first was when I was 26, 1 year after I bought my first place. It was a SHE chair. It was also the first time I custom ordered, in my choosen fabric and had to wait 12 weeks for delivery. 15 years later, shhe's still a favorite--my only regret is that I didn't get/couldn't afford the footstool.
Never mind the Womb Chair, where is the print in the background from? I want!
My first "big" purchase was a splurge of several pieces I was lusting after: Noguchi Table, LCW in black, Saarinen dining table. Now many years later, I, little by little am replacing furniture pieces that are not designers... not because I'm a brand-whore, just because regular stuff won't last. I'm getting to a point where I love what I've got and I'm happy for it. These item I cherish, will be with me forever (or at least 'til Isabella sells them on ebay!)
-joel maria pirela
not designer - but I love it - Jane sofa from Gus Modern, in graphite.