Want: Barcelona Chair, Stools & Couch

I've been coveting the Barcelona chair, stool and couch for as long as I can remember.  Who hasn't?  

Photo courtesy of Art Gray and Paul Davis Architects.

Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929, they were to serve as seating for the king and queen of Spain at the International Exhibition in Barcelona.  

Produced by Knoll and available through Design Within Reach, they are insanely expensive but classic, iconic and divine!  

Being that I have an unnatural hatred of brown, I thought that black or white were my only options.  Until I saw the navy Barcelona ottoman's in Elle Decor, January/ February 2008. Love!

Until today I actually thought they were navy leather (which is a custom option through Design Within Reach), but it turns out they're actually upholstered in Camelot Wool by Donghia.

I think I still want mine in navy leather!

Random Craigslist Finds

Here are some random things I found on Craigslist this week that would be seriously tempting... if I had the space and the money!


Pair of 70’s knoll velvet chairs - $500.  So tempted to go check these out!

I'd have to loose the patent leather in favor of something a little softer than hot pink on hot pink (say velvet or a print?) but I love the pink painted wood!  Hot Pink Louis XVI chair - $595.  

Cute Red Vintage Bench - $60, though I'd want to change out the fabric (and it's clearly just been reupholstered).

Maybe it could be reupholstered in one of these fabrics I spotted the other day at Michael Levine, Diamond Foam & Fabrics and Deco Fabrics respectively.

Okay maybe not.  Bears further thought.  I digress.


I'm kind of digging this set of 2 Velvet Sitting Chairs - $75, though they're not usually the sort of thing I go for.  I do love that they're on casters.

Stunning "wine velvet" Armless 10' Sofa - $1000.  Super tempting!!  Again, not usually the sort of thing I'd go for but I love the shape and color combo!  It reminds me of a fabulous sage green velvet armless sofa belonging to a friend of ours in Carmel that I've always admired.

Then over on Etsy, I found this amazing set of Vintage Drexel Pink Velvet Tufted Chairs for $499.99 at Vintage Modern Design.  We have the EXACT same chairs in our sunroom.  Ours are the exact color of chocolate chip mint ice cream - minus the chocolate chips!  I bought them for much less than $500, delivered.  These are seriously adorable though!

A photo of our chairs below - are they not the same?  Maybe not, but very close!!

Do I think it's a coincidence that almost everything I'm lusting after is red or pink?!  Yes.  The fact that they're almost all velvet?  No, that's definitely not a coincidence!  Okay, so maybe not entirely random finds!

I did also find the most amazing bamboo chinoiserie china hutch/ secretary type thing on Craigslist this week, but safari crashed and for the life of me I can't find it again!  Oh well, at $1,000 I couldn't really afford it anyway, or have anywhere to put it!