Dining set - revisited

Finding the right pieces at the right time is not always easy.

You might remember we had some challenges with the dining set. This crucially important project seems to be eternally fluctuating between random progression and inevitable reverse, and is really not expected to be completed any time soon. However, being such a dynamic process it deserves some attention, and thus we thought a report of the current status would be justified. To revise the story so far you can also scan through these two posts: (1 & 2).

So, we did find another Cherner chair and once again Pekka invested several hours in restoration so the chair could actually be used for sitting again. Even if it most certainly is a stunningly beautiful chair, unfortunately it doesn't match the rest of the set. The wood used in plywood is birch, whereas the rest of the set is made of walnut. Another mismatch is the lack of upholstery. We would actually prefer the complete set without upholstery (at least from the visual perspective), however, considering dinners usually tend to take more than 15 minutes, a chair with at least some softness to sit on is just much more comfortable.

Because of these two issues, we decided to continue searching for two Cherners to better match the existing walnut set of four. As a consequence, we also decided to say goodbye for the beautiful single birch made chair, and were really glad that in the end, it found a new home with of a good friend and a true collector who really appreciates its beauty.

Two Cherners and a dacshund

Related to the picture above there is a funny story to share about Urho. As you might have noticed, every now and then we have kindly requested our beloved dachshund to strike his best pose and model in the blog shots. After a photo shoot he always receives a treat for a job well done. Apparently, the number of repetitions has reached a critical point, and the smarty sausage has figured out the link between camera and treats! Now, every time Pekka pulls out the camera Urho quickly arrives to the scene, extends his lengthy figure and models patiently in the front row. What a great team member!

But back to the Cherners. We are very proud to present the complete set of six! It took Pekka about eight months to find all of them, but finally a matching set of two armchairs and four side chairs is complete. Interestingly, all of these wonderful chairs arrived from the Sunshine state of Florida. We are quite happy!

The whole family

Just like the side chairs, the new armchairs have a walnut finish and black vinyl upholstery, and they were also manufactured during the same period (early 1960's). The are stunning - just like with so many vintage items, the decades of encounters with users have left behind characteristic marks and imperfections of life making them unique and beautiful.

Vintage beauty

There is slight variation in the level of shininess in the vinyl naugahyde upholstery between the side chairs and the newly arrived armchairs. Fortunately for Pekka (and his continuously growing toolkit of restoration necessities), this is nothing to worry about. The shininess can and indeed will be adjusted later perfecting this slight visual mismatch!

Arm- and side chairs

Having all six chairs finally around the same table feels like a mission accomplished - well, at least partly. The set really screams for a carpet, which would nicely define the dining area. One of the options we are considering is some type of sisal carpet, but this has not been locked yet. It also has to be admitted that we are currently in negotiations for a new dining table (fingers crossed). This is quite exciting of course, and something we will definitely return to later on.

The set (and the dog)

Last but not least - anyone noticed that the Bubble light by George Nelson which used to hang above the table has given way for another pendant? This also something we will return to shortly, so if you are interested in reading about a complete transformation of a vintage PH Artichoke by Poul Henningsen currently shining above the dining table, stay tuned...