I love to share the many things we find each week and I’ve been holding back on this post because I didn’t know how we were going to handle this. It required thought and consideration… and has been the topic of countless dinner conversations at our house. We’ve finally made a decision and so I must share. I’m too damn excited not to.
Teaser picture – via Knoll
Okay… here’s the playback:
Him – “What’s for Dinner”
Me – “I’m tired.. I really don’t want to cook tonight”
Him – “I’ve been craving chips and hot sauce… lets get Mexican”
Me – “YES!, YES, lets get out of this house”!
After a lovely meal of all things good and fattening smothered in cheese was devoured, we got in the truck to head home. Driving down the street we had wonderful, intelligent, thought provoking conversation (yeah, right) when it quickly changed……
Him – “Oh look there’s a whole bunch of furniture.. someone must be setting up for a sale this weekend”.
Me – “Yes, and I see a Knoll Barcelona … RIGHT OVER THERE!!!“.
BRAKES SLAM and my head nearly hits the dash (yes, I was wearing my seatbelt – not to worry!)
Him- “YOUR LIEING”!
Me – “No, seriously, go back, go back!”
The truck practically flips over on two wheels as we turn around and go back. We drive right up to the furniture heap and he leaps out! I wait like a little puppy looking out the window waiting for a sign. (Yes, there was even heavy panting.)
He flips the chair over and examines all the details that a pro knows to look for. He gives the thumbs up and flashes me a smile that just about made my panties fly off! (sorry… I gotta be me!) I leap out and make sure he’s not messing with me. He’s known for telling lies to watch me freak out! It was real and it was marked $5.00. HOLY CRAP… what were we going to do.
▶ Created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition, the Barcelona chair features the pure compositional structure that now epitomizes Modern architecture. It was also honored with the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977. ◀
Well, long story short. We got this chair and could not in my right mind give them $5.00… so I gave them $20 and spoke about how it was going to a good home. Blah blah blah… they didn’t know what they had, they could care less. If you’re a modern furniture collector, enjoy watching Mad Men, or have ever priced a Knoll Barcelona you know that this was the best find EVER! Actually this was something we have been looking for, for over 20 years. That night we were so hopped up on mid-century dope that we couldn’t calm down. It was so fun!… but now what do we do? It’s in really bad shape.
The cushions had been used and abused. We decided that this had probably become a chair for someones dog. Some of the straps had been chewed and one totally in half and the condition of the seat cushion was so bad that I couldn’t imagine a human being putting this kind of wear and tear on it. Definitely dog!
The Knoll tag was was the first sign of it’s “realness” and we also found an inventory tag that said property of The Lewis State Bank. I did a search and most of what came up puts this from Tallahassee Florida. I just imagined several of these beauties lined up in a bank lobby. SO FINE! I thought that was very fitting because I’d have to rob a bank to buy one of these new.
Another sign that it was real was the way the leather straps are attached. This is the clincher really… if they have screws… REAL… if they have rivets… REPLICA. Some of the screws are a little rusty but those are no big deal to replace. The beauty of the screw is that when a strap sags or breaks over time it’s easy to slap in a new one. If it has rivets you better know someone at a machine shop. Not easy to deal with.
After almost 20 years of looking for this chair it became clear to us that it probably would never happen, so I researched like crazy to find what I thought was the best reproduction.
We ended up buying an Alphaville reproduction a few years ago and aside from the rivets, it’s almost the same. …….. UNTIL, you sit on it. I have no idea how they do it but you can actually feel the difference. Damn you Knoll… you’re so tricky! Oh well, I still love my copy and it’s not going anywhere.
Just think… if I had cooked dinner that night we wouldn’t have driven by and would have totally missed this! Thank goodness I’m lazy sometimes. :-)
So to end this long and overly informative post we decided that the right thing to do was to replace everything with original knoll cushions. The good thing is I have been saving all my website job money and we had a wonderful little IRS refund that’s just been sitting in savings… so we’re going for it. We contacted the Knoll showroom in Houston and they were OVERLY EXCITED that we found this and offered a 40% discount on the cushions. Oh trust me, it might as well have been $5.00 off because it’s still ridiculously overpriced.
They are all hand sewn and it’s all Spinneybeck leather with urethane foam. Really lovely stuff. I can’t wait! So this was a big deal and a big decision but after 20 years of looking it just feels right.
And a few days later he came home from an estate sale with these. Three little sterling silver rings for his wife who eyed the barcelona! He’s so sweet. All .925 sterling and they ALL FIT my fat little fingers. I really like the top one. It’s got a matte finish and it’s very modern and simple.
Of course we have found some other stuff too.. but I’ll give you a break. I’ve been finishing up a lot of “touch-up” painting in the bedroom and working on patching the concrete floors. Richie has been tearing the place apart jumping from thing to thing (remember, he’s off – SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!) so he’s driving me crazy! I’ll update on all that soon. He’s threatening to ground me from the computer. His exact words were… LETS GET TO WORK… get off the damn internet! Oh he has no idea how fun you all are so I’m ignoring him!
Wow! So happy for you! I don’t know which is the better find: the Knoll chair or a husband who picks up jewelry for you! Well done, Stacey!
Hey Brandy! I have to say that the jewelry thing always makes me giddy. He does that quite often and I’m always surprised by what he chooses. They’re so me! Which makes me think… “Ok, he’s not so bad after all.. he does pay attention”. HA HA HA! He’s sweet and he’s a hell of a lot of fun to “thrift” with. Glad you commented… I’m really excited, so thanks for sharing with me.
OMG, my mouth just dropped open when I saw the first pic and I started reading faster thinking no way, she didn’t just find a Barcelona chair at a rummage sale? I tip my hat to you, good eye… I’m still in awe!
Oh, I wish I knew who you were! But whoever you are thank you for feeling the excitement that I felt. After so many years of looking it was overwhelming. My heart was beating so fast. Silly, isn’t it? Thanks for the visit and comment!
Way to ONE UP my ’79 Herman Miller / Eames lounger for $400 With an equally if not even more cool Knoll classic! And at just $20!?!?!?!?! WOW! Unheard of! You are the queen of Mid-Century luck! What are you planning on doing with the old leathers? Maybe hubs could turn them into more of his quirky and incredibly awesome art! Still loving that stuff. Please post some as he creates it. Truly a lucky woman you are. Loving artist husband,cool mid-century pad,and a vintage Barcelona chair too! Oh,and glad you didn’t buy a new one. They may be “real” too but just not as cool as a vintage one that you found on your own. I’d take the chair you found (in the present condition) over a new one every day of my life. It has a history and that means something to me.
It’s the battle of the mid-century finds…. in this corner an awesome HM/Eames lounger…. which I have to say could kick my barcelona’s ass! Seriously how fun is it to find stuff like that. $400 for a lounger. I hadn’t heard that story. hummm I’d say you’ve got some of that good luck riding on your shoulders too.
I actually had dreams at night about ways I could try to save those cushions. I love the look of old worn-in leather..but this is just too far gone. I wish that weren’t the case. I’m with you… new things are fine if you can and want to… but I prefer the old stuff by the road living in my house. Just that tag alone conjured up thoughts of the bank it sat in and the people sitting in it to get their mortgage loans or deposit grandmas birthday money. HA! The stories of old pieces are the best. Thanks, as always. Love your comments.
I know! And just think of how many of those people accidentally let one go on those vintage cushions! Hmm,come to think of it,maybe new cushions are the way to go.LOL!
Well, I could only hope so!!! As relaxing as they are I imagine it was inevitable that a few would slip out! ( Oh shit… I can’t quit laughing….)
As charming as that thought is …I think you’re right – new cushions are definitely the way to go! Now quit farting around and go fix yourself a drink with ice!
(laughing ’til it hurts!)
Bahahaha! If you insist.
Love your story, love all the real vs. replica info, and LOVE THIS FIND! I’m beginning to think you’ve sold your soul to the devil. How does one person have SO MUCH good estate sale/garage sale juju?! Can’t wait to see the restored chair. What color?
You know Cathy… I was at the crossroads and I had to choose! What would you do? (laughing) I think it was the devil keeping me from this chair. The angels definitely stepped in. We really don’t have that great of luck. We just always have our eyes peeled! Since the straps are black and I only need to replace one or two of them I’ll probably stick with black cushions too. Those stupid straps are $75 each. WTF! So yeah, I’ve got to use whatever is left that IS usable. It’ll be fun to see it come back to life. I’m really thrilled and I thank you for making it that much more fun. You’re so awesome!
Oh, yes, of course you would do black because of the straps…duh. It’s going to be worth every penny you put into it because it comes with a story – a good story! btw, my husband could.not.believe you found a Barcelona chair headed for the dumpster. I think you have a new reader:)
hey stacey….forget the working holiday to visit me in australia….I wanna come and live with you for a while! x d
I’m almost done with the master bedroom so the guest room will be available soon…. Get your booty over here… any time! Ha! Ha! We’d have some fun running the roads! Thanks for the visit!
OH MY GOSH! SO excited for you – and yes jealous! Incredible find!! The stuff you guys find at garage sales and estate sales is amazing…i need to get out there more. Very exciting!
HA HA! Thanks for the OH MY GOSH! It only makes my adrenaline “re-pump”. Honestly we don’t always find great stuff…. we can go months without anything. Thankfully when we do it kicks ass and makes all the months without worth it.
Thanks again for looking. Sharing the excitement with people who understand is really nice. :-)
wow wow WOW! What a story. Congratulations and all that. I’ll probably be thinking of your chair next time I’m wandering in the MFAH.
Oh man.. thanks for this comment! I have to tell you, and this is the honest truth, when we first decided we wanted one of these and began our search we drove over to Houston JUST to see these chairs in the MFA because it was the one place we knew had them and we could kick back and really look at them in “real life”. Of course they put them in little groups which is always impressive… but it was really insane because there we were surrounded by all this amazing art in the museum and we were focused on those damn chairs! I guess we looked ridiculous, but it only made us want them MORE. I’ll never forget it. We would sit on them, roam around look at art, and then come back and sit on them so more.
We’re insane! Thanks for bringing that up… great memory for me.
Such a great chair… And such a great find!! I love that Richie gets just as excited about all of this as you do. Can’t wait to see the finished piece!
Hey Danielle! Richie is really the finder of all things good. Very rarely do I see anything worth a crap. I think he was just happy watching my face light up because he’s found so much good stuff that he knows exactly how I was feeling.
The best part was that we had looked for so LONG and there it was… right down the street from us… waiting to be found. Man, it was a right place-right time situation!
I too am looking forward to the chair all fixed up. Can’t wait! Thanks, sweet lady!
NO WAY! That has to be the best find ever!!
I have to say it’s at the top of my list! Richie said yesterday… “If we never find another thing for the rest of our lives… we’ve done really good over the years”.
I know he was feeling really grateful. Thank you for your excitement! It was hard the last couple weeks not sharing it.
I am sooo happy for you guys! ..and what a great story. I love it when stuff like that happens, and it’s absolutely perfect for your house. The silver rings are gorgeous too and I really love the bracelet you’re wearing in the photo.
Oh Kim, I appreciate your comment. You of all people know how that feels. You’ve found so much amazing stuff and it never gets dull, does it! Always a rush. It was the perfect evening because we were having so much fun to begin with and then it just exploded into craziness. I only wish I could tell the rest of the story but I don’t want to be incarcerated. The story gets much better. HA HA!
Richie got all those rings for $5.00. Seriously now… what girl doesn’t just feel the love when their guy shows up with jewelry. I’m always taken back by it. He’s very thoughtful when he wants to be.
Hey hey… did you notice my use of triangles? HA HA! I’ve been trying to figure that out for so long and feeling like I was really an idiot… so thank you for your help with that. Now I’m going to be a mad woman with special characters all over the place! Love it!
Oh. My. God. BEYOND jealous…What an insane find!!!!!!
My exact words that day… after the squealing …. Oh MY GOD! It was pretty fun and I had a good partner at my side acting like a kid in a candy store… and we all know what kids in a candy store act/look like. SWEET! Thanks for the comment and for visiting, Carrie.
What a SCORE! You really knoll what you’re doing… :)
FYI, I will now be using this story in the nightly Cook-or Go-out debate.
Okay lady…you are hilarious. LOVE your sense of humor! I’m so happy I could provide you with a legitimate reason to NOT COOK. As if I ever really need one. I can make up some lame excuse at the drop of a fork. “Oh honey, lets eat out… I think we’ll find a bag of money in the road on the way”! HA HA!
Actually that happened to me once… except it was a bag of marijuana. NO JOKE! That was a “trip”.
Thanks for stopping by and making me laugh. Have a good one!
Congratulations on winning the Jackpot!!! Thanks for all of the info on real vs. replica. I had no idea! So excited about your find. Your husband sounds like a pretty good fine as well :)
Opps, typo! good find**
Well it was pretty fine too! HA! Thanks… I could get addicted to jackpot wins!
Yes… if you ever find one… you’ll know. Those screws are the real giveaway.
Richie is sweet and surprising. He knows I have a thing for silver and is always on the lookout for something I might like.
I realized I just sort of overloaded you yesterday with my bug woes. I’m so sorry about that. Honestly I don’t think of you and think of termites. Promise. But I knew the bugs were “bugging” you so I thought I’d jump in and share my bugs too. HA HA! Thanks Brittney.
“Hopped up on Mid Century dope…” is maybe the funniest line ever. A good find IS like dope, (crack, more like it!) Doesn’t it make your head spin, the way it was possible you MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT—if you had stayed home, or gone for sushi, or if it was raining and they didn’t put it out yet!!!
So, now that all your dreams have come true, and you are getting some spiffy brand new, authentic, awesome cushions…WILL ANYONE BE ALLOWED TO SIT ON IT??
No, I thought not.
HA HA! I almost said “crack” and then I thought… OH GOSH, maybe readers will think I’m on the pipe. But yes, it’s definitely like crack. (lol) The possibilities are many so I just have to think that it was meant to be. That chair needed my love and affection. Is it wrong to LOVE a chair? Sometimes I think my priorities are definitely out of wack! :-)
OMG, it will be sitting in my living room with police tape across it. DO NOT ENTER! RESTRICTED SEATING! So funny, Victoria. Actually, when it comes to stuff like this I don’t fret. I like the look of soft semi-worn leather. So all are welcome. (except dogs!)
Such a great find! I love the jewellery too; I think my favourite is the one on the right where it looks like it has a thread in it. Beauty! Great story.
I love that one too! I’m just shocked that they all fit my fat fingers. I have huge hands! Not very girly… but the rings help with that. Ha Ha! Thanks for the visit!
I hate you. Just kidding. No, I’m sticking with that…I hate you. $5 for a Barcelona chair? Wtf? That is so unfair and to top it off, your husband surprises you with not one, but three freakin’ modern rings? Stacey, you know it’s really not nice to brag. You braggart!
-e
HA HA! You’re making my mascara run from laughing! I love your smart ass ways! Please never change. Hey, I paid them $20 for the chair… does that earn me any love with you? And you know you’re right… it’s not nice to brag… but it is nice to have you here to share the excitement with. I often struggle with posting stuff like this because I never want it to come off as bragging (serious talk here!)
I’m always grateful and amazed at our luck and it’s fun to share with people who “get it”. Then I thought… oh hell… everyone that does a blog is bragging about something! (laughing) You know I’m right!
No bragging – just happy. Thank you smart ass. YOU ROCK! Now get your skechers on and get back to work.
Thanks for being able to see the ‘smart’ as well as the ‘ass’ in me. So awesome.
$20 versus $5 = Lunch for two at a local hole in the wall. Okay, I will let it slide for now.
Only teasing.
You better tease me! I expect nothing less and want nothing more.
Lucky!!!!! I’m so jealous! And how perfect that they fit guy guys so well!
Thanks so much! I’m really pumped up and excited to get it all put back together and we’ve already moved some stuff around and made a spot for it. Thanks for looking and adding to my excitement. Home renovation is rewarding… but the decorating, furniture finding, etc. is the REALLY fun part. Good luck with your windows!
I love, love, love stories of ridiculous, crazy-good finds. Congratulations. I’m sure this will be a story you tell the grandkids and the neighbors? I would…
Thanks Rex…. oh the stories I could tell! We find ourselves in hilarious and “stressful” situations. That feeling of “OMG, I have to have this… how can I get it before someone else snags it”! We’ve done this for so long it’s amazing that we still find stuff. So many treasures in some pretty crazy places. Thank you for looking… as a lover of mid-century you totally get this. :-)
what a great treasure find!!! and so rewarding after TWENTY years! i love that you gave the sellers a 20 spot because you just couldn’t handle it. that ought to count for some good side of the road finds karma! and thank god for mexican food (especially that night)!
Muchas Gracias! The mexican food food was kickin’ and the dessert was EVEN BETTER! I bet the next time I tell him I don’t want to cook he won’t argue with me about it. HA HA! Seriously, who hunts for a stupid chair for 20 years? l think we might need professional help. But you know from experience that if you don’t rescue a special piece it may end up in the dump or worse. I always feel like it’s my duty to take care of it, worship it’s butt and bring it home for my own butt!
I love good Karma! Give it, get it.
i am so happy for you and insanely jealous of you at the same time! We at Eclectic Living, and myself, dream of these finds! Congrats!
Thanks Pam! Seriously?… I’m not the only one dreaming of Barcelona chairs? THANK GOODNESS! HA HA! Lets face it some of the stuff I dream about is WAY out of my reach… so the only way to get it is to dig and hunt and work the streets. Not that I’m a street walker or anything. HA HA! But we are workin’ it and it sometimes pays off. Appreciate your excitement! So nice.
$20? I think it should go hang out with my $49 danish teak credenza. NICE score! You did good thrifter karma (American Picker’s theory) so enjoy!
ooooo you did good too!!! Oh that show is a staple at this house and we DO believe in it. Is there a picture of this $49 beauty on your blog? Let me know so I can find it and be jealous! Love that you thrift too. It’s a rush.
I do. It’s under a post in Second Hand Finds called Score. It’s a crappy photo and it’s waiting in our unfinished basement to be put in a potentially finished basement. Thrifting is a problem. If I don’t go out and do it once a week, I get the same feeling as if I need to go to Costco for their baguettes.
I think I must be blog challenged this evening. I can’t find it under second hand finds – score. Hummm, what am I doing wrong? I must see this crappy photo! (lol)
Okay my brain just started functioning again. I got smart and looked under home – basement. BAM! ONE SUPER FINE TEAK CREDENZA! $49 dollars is insane for this. It would be hard to keep my cool in the store. My poker face is short a few quarters. GREAT FIND!
Been thinking about the worn cushion issue you guys have. The photos make them look very,very worn and roughed up in parts but otherwise completely intact. I had an old chair that had been destroyed by some cats of another owner. It was given to me way back when I was married. Wish I still had a photo of my old living room there because we took it apart outside and cleaned what we could then sprayed it with a black vinyl-dye I picked up at a hardware store. When you got right up on it,The roughed up leather was a little noticeable but it kinda worked when it was all an even color. I think a can was like $6 back then. Might at least be a temporary solution and who knows,could be a final one.Just a thought.
Funny you should say that because I did look at leather repair kits (most in car sections) and thought about going that route. The piping is all coming apart and some of it has ZERO leather wrapped around it so it just seemed like it might not look as good as the “idea” that’s in my head. OH well, great minds do think alike, though! Thanks for working on that and trying to help me. You’re the best.
Wow! I loved reading this. Feeling your excitement through this post was so fun! The finished product looks amazing – I’m so glad you were able to get it restored to its former glory! Looks perfect in the house :)
Have a fantastic weekend, Stacey!
Hey Kristina! I somehow ALMOST missed this comment and I love your comments! Sorry. I will be excited to get it restored. The one in the picture that looks new is actually another one that is a reproduction. So we broke down and bought a replica and then found the real thing. I’m going to keep both because I love the chairs. Thanks so much for your excitement. It was really good day!
Great find! I can’t tell if you’re just really lucky or Houston just has great finds!
Well, I think we’re just really aware. Constantly on the look-out.
We don’t live in Houston… but 90 miles East in Beaumont. We do get over there as often as we can to do fun stuff but never to thrift. There’s way too much competition! Lots of thrifters and shop owners who get stuff first.
Thanks for looking!
Of course, Beaumont, that’s what I meant! I am seriously geographically challenged, I’ve gotten lost on the way home from places I’ve been 100 times. Thank heavens for GPS! You do seem to enjoy the thrill of the hunt though, having a good eye and the patience to actually stop and look are great thrifting tools. So happy for you!
Oh good, I’m not the only one challenged. I hate it when people ask me for directions somewhere and they say is that “east” or “west” and I go mmmmmm. ahhhhhh, ….. with a blank look on my face and I have to think so hard… I’m horrible at it… so it’s cool. I’m right there with you.
Very jealous! I drool every time I see a Barcelona chair!
I have always love them and now I can move on and obsess over something else. HA HA! It was a fun find and we’re really excited to have it. Now to just fix it up and make it usable. It will come in handy if I ever get to entertain and host 8 people over 3 days. Ha Ha Ha! ( Love that kitchen of yours! )
You’re welcome round any time Stacey!
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oh my goodness! What A Lucky FIND! I’m almost jumping up and down here in my office. Every once in a while i guess the mid-mod gods smile on us mere mortals and toss out a bone. And you got it!! >>happy dance<<
HEY! Thanks so much for looking… I appreciate you being here. Seriously, It’s been weeks since this happened and every time I walk by that chair I just giggle and think “how the hell”? I’ve had a few bones tossed my way.. but none with the meat still on it. HA HA! It was crazy. Thank you for your happy dance… you got me excited ALL OVER AGAIN! Thanks also for following… I got distracted with work (I cant believe they interrupt my blog searching… oh the nerve) and didn’t get to finish stalking you… but I LOVE your blog. AND you’re a Texas girl, right? So I will gladly follow as well, and pick up where I left off with my stalking. You’re super creative!