I usually look for my MCM fixes at second-hand shops, but found this particular chair, at Big Lots of all places, for the princely sum of $20. I remember seeing nearly identical ones around the late '60's, early '70's, but have no idea who the designer was. (Help me out here Dana!) It's interesting to see that the lower-end furniture market has popped up with quite a few revivals of these styles lately. Perusing the other aisles at Big Lots, I found myself staring at mod inspired pillows and some lighting accessories that wouldn't look out of place in a 1967 MOE catalogue. The experience almost gave me flashbacks to the halcyon days of The Akron stores when I was a little kid, walking around, bedazzled by all the groovy wares they had on offer.
You know, I've always wondered who came up with the original idea for the saucer/moon/sphere chair too. I have a big turquoise naugahyde one on a pedestal base in my bedroom, and that's just one of its incarnations. The vinyl and wicker woven patio chairs, the folding ones, the Platner designs of the 60s, even the papasan chairs Pier 1 made famous...all seem to have sprung from the same concept. If I had to bet, I'd say they were all spin-offs from the large upholstered version of the Bertoia Diamond chair, but I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah...about the le or la thing. I was the hippie chick with the horrible Texas accent who always picked seats behind big guys in French class so I could hide and avoid getting called on. Searching my memory, I'd say "chaise" is feminine. But I could be wrong about that too, because those days were over four decades ago.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, I LOVE Big Lots! We've found so many great deals there. We buy tons of energy drinks by the case there.
ReplyDelete@Dana Thank you for opening my memory bank! The ones with the pedestal were the first I remember seeing. I'd occasionally stare at this chair and wonder what it was missing from the originals. The aluminum frame didn't quite jibe. One of these days, I'll find one with the plastic shell and a pedestal. (Re-upholstering it might be a nightmare.) BTW, I love Texas accents on Ladies! My childhood crush on Janis Joplin, rekindled when I watched "Festival Express" years later, is probably the reason.
ReplyDelete@Mr. Modtomic The food section in Big Lots turns up a lot of great stuff. Found Crawford's Bourbon Biscuits from the UK once. (They're actually not Bourbon flavored. More like a hoity-toity version of Oreos.) They had really good whole wheat pasta from Italy a few times and stoked my love for Bacon Salt. (It turns simple French Fries into a work of art!)
I like Big Lots too, but my new favorite is the 99¢ Only Store. I was never a big dollar store buyer till someone turned me on to this place.
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