Last post we alluded to another update we've made in our dining room. As you can see, we finally got new chairs for the space — oh only 9 months after moving into the house. With all the food and entertaining we take on, you might think the dining room would have been our top priority. Well all we can say is, we're getting there slowly! We've always loved the industrial look and feel of metal paired with barn wood, so we knew we wanted something metal to go with our farm dining table. For years we've looked at and considered the Tolix style french cafe chairs, though admittedly, we weren't in love with the idea of the sticker shock the authentic versions might bring us. We've searched high and low for vintage Tolix chairs on Craigslist, Etsy, Ebay, and other online auction type sites. For example, we'd eyed and drooled over authentic but modern versions like these from Pottery Barn with a whopping price of $245 per chair: And just loved the idea of authentic vintage versions like these that can be found all over Ebay and other auction sites to the tune of $350 or more per chair:
Every so often some amazing vintage Tolix chairs will creep up in Etsy's Vintage section too, like these, for almost $800 for the pair: Just once I'd love to be ahead of the design curve on gems like these. Back in the day, these french cafe chairs were probably a dime a dozen and you might have been laughed at for wanting something like this prominently in your home. It always happens that way, doesn't it!? Maybe we need to re-think holding onto and storing those folding chairs Mary's dad lent us that we were smack talking in our last post, ha. But that magical moment where we found a steal on the real deal didn't arrive before we laid our eyes on the prize with the chairs we did end up getting (which we think look pretty similar).This was one of those instances where the coupon queen tendencies passed down to Mary from her mother and sister came into play. Since we'd been eyeing this style of chair for so long, she had signed up for various site emails where we get alerts on sales and coupons.
Somehow (don't ask me how), Mary was able to stack a sitewide sale, and email percentage coupon and a free shipping offer all at once to snag all 8 of these chairs for right at $40 a pop. We're not always frugal in every part of our lives, but again this is one of those circumstances where I love the thriftiness that can come out of my woman! Mary here: Like Tim alluded to, anyone can do this. If you have a favorite brand/store/item and a little patience, simply sign up for the company emails. They send out offers and promo codes every so often that you can take advantage of. It just so happened with these chairs that we hit the sweet spot when Overstock was already having a site sale on them, and also sent me a discount coupon via email, along with a separate free shipping offer — It. Was. While the chairs we got aren't authentic French Tolix cafe chairs, we love the industrial vibe they give off and were even a little surprised at how comfortable they are to sit in. We love how the 8 chairs fit perfectly around the table as is and can be moved to either side when we put leaves in the table for when we have lots of people over.
My mother has been adamant that Mary and I will be having Christmas dinner at our house from now on (something she's hosted for as long as I can remember) so we love knowing we will have enough wiggle room. The chairs also stack perfectly against one another for easy transport if we need more space in the room or just want to move them around. Who knows if we'll ever actually stack these chairs, but we like the feature in any case. Here's the part in the post where I show a ton of shots of the chairs I tried to get from every angle: Funny Note — While I was trying to get some decent shots of the new chairs all set up in the space, you know who thought it was the perfect time to try to get me to play ball with him. He quite literally almost made it into every single shot I tried to get. So, shall we take another look at our awesome new chairs while Basil photo-bombs each shot? The challenge was finding any good shots that he hadn't photo-bombed. What a ham — a big puppy ham.
As you can gather, we're all smitten with the new chairs and the way they've helped us come one step closer to making this room feel more complete and functional. We're starting to get there! What about you — scored any great deals you can't help but share with everyone or added any updated furniture to a space that's made all the difference recently? Mary and Tim Vidra, here! Both Richmond natives & do-it-yourselfers by nature, we are continually in search of simple solutions for living more sustainably — sharing ideas, tips and tricks for DIY home decor, urban gardening and cooking. How To: DIY Stump Table Growing Celery Indoors: Never Buy Celery Again How to Grow Green Onions Indefinitely How To: Carrot & Banana Natural Dog Treat Recipe How To: Make Sweet Potato Dog Chew TreatsHomes & Antiques blogger Sarah-Jane Hosegood uncovers the history of an iconic seat Sarah-Jane runs the weekly Twitter vintage networking event #vintagefindhour.
In her monthly blog for H&A she writes about her most recent finds, vintage-hunting experiences and the stories she discovers along the way. This month she uncovers the story of the Tolix 'Model A' chair, a revived design classic As a dealer, it’s immensely satisfying to steer folk who are yet to discover vintage towards a world of enticing interior bargains. Another joy is witnessing the resurgence of iconic designs from heritage brands, which are an easy way to introduce a vintage aesthetic for those who, between children, work and all the daily chores, struggle to find the time for a good rummage at a flea. As any issue of Homes & Antiques will testify, real quality and style never fades. Particularly in recent years, companies such as Lloyd Loom and Ercol have been revisiting designs that are as covetable now as they were when they were first produced. New editions of iconic pieces can come with a hefty price tag but, happily, the originals can cost less, depending upon condition and rarity.
Take a current favourite: the Tolix chair. It is likely that you would instantly recognise these metal chairs even if you don’t know the maker. Thanks to the trend for industrial vintage, Tolix has become the seat du jour. It was Xavier Pauchard (1880-1948) who created the first Tolix ‘Model A’ prototype. Following in his family tradition – Pauchard came from a line of zinc roofers – in 1907 he discovered that he could prevent sheet metal rusting by dipping it into molten zinc, thus becoming the first Frenchman to discover galvanising. Ten years later, Pauchard was in charge of a company making sheet metal domestic goods. He registered the brand name Tolix in 1927 and set about creating a range of chairs and stools by hand, hammering and shaping the metal, welding it together then dipping it into molten zinc for the unique galvanised coating. Each chair had a supportive crossbar beneath the seat – Pauchard’s trademark ‘X’, his first name initial. Production began in Autun, France (still home to the Tolix factory today) and the ‘Model A’ chair was manufactured more for its functional strength than its appearance.
Hospitals, factories and ships were first to be furnished with these stackable chairs due to their robust, workaday nature. It was their practicality, however, that caught on. By the 1950s, cafes were increasingly using these weatherproof chairs, even though some owners complained that the chairs were too difficult to stack. In response to demand, the design was tweaked to allow easier stacking of 25 chairs at a time and the design remains the same to this day. Tolix also expanded into a smaller range for children named ‘La Mouette’, which was overseen by Pauchard’s son Jean and was first introduced in 1935. Jean and his team of 80 workers were producing an incredible 60,000 pieces each year by the end of the 1950s. Despite a second wave of popularity in the 1980s and early 90s thanks to Terence Conran’s discovery of the brand, production tailed towards the end of the 1990s and the company, which had remained in the Pauchard family, went bankrupt in 2004. The reason you can now find Tolix chairs everywhere from boutique coffee shops to Anthropologie’s summer catalogue (pictured above) is thanks to Chantal Andriot.
Previously financial director of the company, she and a handful of workers decided to bring Tolix back to life and relaunched the iconic chair in vibrant pops of colour. The resurgence of the industrial look was timely too and, today, Tolix exports all over the world with half of production bound for the USA. Along with chairs and stools in nearly 50 different shades, Tolix now offers tables, storage cupboards, shelving and desks. A small stool costs £104 while the classic steel chair is yours for £136. For those with a penchant for space-age style, you must take a look at the white 'Cylindres Bi' wardrobe. Scanning flea markets, as I am wont to do, I have spotted a fair few of these chairs around. Be wary though, as many are Tolix replicas and not the real thing. After browsing eBay, however, I was excited to find originals: one untouched barstool started at only £29.95 and a few stripped and polished chairs from £205. It seems that with a little research you can snap up an original for a song and this is the season to buy them.