Category: Filing Cabinet

Spool Dining Chairs

“Where are those chairs from?” It’s a question that’s asked every time I share my dining room. I’m happy to share, but unfortunately, nobody is selling the same ones anymore.

We used to have Industry West’s Marais A chairs at the table. We still have them stored in the basement — they’re stackable and we use them when hosting for Christmas or other large gatherings.

They’re great chairs and hold up beautifully, but I liked them better in our previous house. I wanted a different look here, and it took a while before we were ready to buy. A full set of 8 dining chairs is expensive! Just as we were ready to purchase and I had decided on Abacus dining chairs by Noir, they were discontinued. I was almost able to get them at a great price because of it, but there weren’t enough left in stock. Next on my list was Redford House’s Abigail chair, but then I came across Baxton Studio’s Heather chair and those are the ones we have in our dining room.

The Abacus and Heather chairs are so similar because they’re both reproductions of antique spool chairs. Below are examples from 1st Dibs (chair 1, 2).

So where can you buy them now?

I started sourcing for this post in hopes of finding similar styles, and there are not many out there. The closest right now would be One Kings Lane’s Barton Spindle Side Chairs.

Ballard Designs’ Livia Spool Chair has similar elements and is very cute. The Redford House Abigail chair I had initially considered is still in production too. I’m not aware of anything more spot-on, but if this were for a client, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of these.

Going vintage/antique is another good option for simimlar chairs, and a coat of black paint on an interesting shape goes a long way. Phrases to search for online in this case: spool, spindle, bobbin, turned, barley twist, Jenny Lind. Spool is the most accurate term, but all of those have the potential to turn up something similar. Searching for other historical styles can be helpful (they’re sometimes mislabeled). Try “side chair” or “dining chair” and Jacobean, Georgian, colonial, federal, empire, regency, or ladder back.

And whatever chairs you have, if the seats are upholstered I highly, highly, highly recommend getting seat covers to safeguard against kids or other particularly messy people in your life. These are the ones we have (you can see the straps on the chair in the center below). The fabric would be so gross on the kids’ seats if we didn’t have the covers on.

August 27, 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Lovely

What should we talk about today? Because I only want to talk about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You in?

I started a separate Instagram account (@ACLuluLovely) dedicated to Animal Crossing about a year ago. It started as a test, to see how far only hashtags can take a brand-new account (turns out about 100 followers, though it is admittedly a small niche topic with limited growth potential). But then? It quickly because something I genuinely love having. It’s no longer a growth experiment, and it brings a lot of low-pressure fun to Instagram. I like looking back to see some of my past designs, it will be handy for seeing my new island’s progression, and it’s inspiring to see what other people are creating with the same set of in-game tools. You’ve heard of people creating accounts just to follow cute cats and dogs when they need a dose of cuteness, right? This is my version.

My gaming name is always “Lulu,” and my town/island/village/world is always “Lovely.” I don’t know when that started, but it was years or even decades ago, and so it goes.

My family is all over on “Kiddo” island, and we’re sending each other letters and gifts every day. I’m connected on Nintendo to some of my actual friends, and to my “friends” in Pocket Camp. I’m also in a crossover group for fans of Ologies and have added a top-notch group of people to visit and be visited by that way. A few people have found this other Instagram account or just reached out to ask (because hi, I’ve talked about these games a bit before), and yes I would love to be friends with you, too! Come visit my island. I’m not time-traveling, but I’m doing and unlocking as much as I can and enjoying the changes all along the way.

My island flag will be a moth that I drew in pixel art form, inspired by the game’s own version. I’ve been designing my own clothes while I wait for Mabel to visit. My house is expanding and starting to shape up as I find new furniture and decor, little by little. I just started an orchard and have my first piece of bamboo! And have you seen the detailed illustration view of the bugs and fish? Oh, to fill up that museum will be a dream.

My tentative plans for the upper portion of my island are inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1905 photos from his visit to Japan. It feels fitting to urban planning, in Oak Park (the home of Wright), doing an American’s version of a Japanese aesthetic. Pretentious silly stuff when you think about it too much, but who cares? It’s bringing so much joy.

The kids and I set up a little photo shoot for the special edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch (which is now going for ridiculous amounts of money on Amazon and eBay). Did you know that Amiibos and Playmobil are about the same scale? We are having some good, nerdy fun with it all.

My only criticism (and it’s a big one) is that the game locks some features that are only available to the first player. There will be some teamwork and communication needed for multiple island residents to move the island forward; be sure the first resident is the person that will play the most. I’m the sole resident of Lovely, but Kiddo is being managed by a kid who swore “no, I could do it!” Brandon is logging into that account to complete tasks for the island as a whole.

Still! It is an absolute delight. A delight! And coming at a time when we’re all staying home to flatten the curve (please stay home), it is a much needed distraction and escape.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available as a digital download, so if you already have a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite, you can get it right now. And then add me as a friend and come visit! I’d love to have you.

March 25, 2020
Fidgets for Anxiety
Everything is upside-down and not normal, and asking a breezy “how are you?” seems a little funny. But, how are you? We’re getting through as best we can. Oak Park was the first municipality in Illinois to issue an official Shelter in Place order, which is in effect starting today through at least April 3.

If you’re working from home for the first time because of COVID-19, give yourself a lot of grace. I can give you recommendations for things that have worked for me if it’s wanted, but I think a lot of well-intentioned advice (like get dressed everyday and do your makeup/hair!) can safely be thrown right out the window. Things aren’t normal, and we’re all doing what we can to keep ourselves and others physically and mentally safe.

Parenting through a pandemic is of course another challenge on top of social distancing, sheltering in place, and quarantines. We are teaching the kids at home and the school district has been amazing, pulling together the week’s e-learning curriculum and giving the kids a sense of structure and community through video check-ins. Still, their routine has been upended and we’re trying to keep the kids informed without scaring them.

One of our kids had been struggling with anxiety this year. You know the fidget spinner craze from a few years back? They were never more than toys for our family, but through trial and error we found that tangles and fidget cubes were actually calming. We’ve since found other fidgets to be even better, and the kids and I have gotten really into solving puzzle cubes lately. (Speed cubes, rather than the officially branded Rubik’s cubes, are far nicer to use.)

You’ll find various fidgets throughout our house. There’s a drawer full in the living room, but they’re also in the kids’ backpacks, on their nightstands, and scattered in random places. They’ve been a helpful tool but we were losing some every few days as they disappeared at school. I figured there must be a bracelet or necklace — something wearable — and my search led me to these. We got enough for all three kids (extra small fit everyone), plus a few backups to keep on hand. They all think they’re fun and cute, but they also do the stress-relieving trick for the kid that needs it in particular.

Now of course, we’re all home. But hello, stress and anxiety! We’ve been preparing for you. I know fidgets are one minor thing in the face of something far larger, but I’m sharing a list of what has been helpful for us (and why) in hopes that it may be helpful for some of you, too. You may even have some of these already that you hadn’t thought about in a while — time to bring them back out.
1. Fidget Cube — This is what pushed fidgets out of the purely toy category for us when we realized how much they helped calm our kid.
2. 12-Side Fidget Cube (Dodecagon) — THE BEST. Too big and distracting (and tempting) for school though, so this is an at-home-only option.
3. Worry Stones — These are pretty and you get a bunch (a selling point because my kids lose things), but these are a little bigger and have a nice divot that feels soothing to rub your thumb along.
4. Tangle Twister Fidget Toy — Another thing we used to think of only as a stocking stuffer or goodie bag toy that we have since found to be stress-relieving.
5. Sensory Slap Bracelets — I bought these at the same time as the other bracelets, and two out of three prefer the other, but then one likes this slap kind.
6. Sensory Fidget Bracelet (extra small) — Between the two bracelet styles, this is my recommendation. They’re not distracting in a classroom setting, so the kids can wear and have them all day. Bonus: they think they’re cute accessories.
7. Infinity Cube Fidget Toy — This one holds the least interest in our house, but it can be nice to zen out to.
8. Magic Speed Cube — So smooth! We also have this Jelly Speed Cube (a.k.a. “Mom’s cube, don’t lose it”), because I was in search of a prettier than average version. It’s hard to tell the green and blue apart sometimes though, doh.
Also? Screen time limits in our house are out the window for now. Animal Crossing is here. See you on the island, friends (yes, that’s me — I have a secret nerd account).

Stay safe. We’ll be here! (We, um, have to be.)
March 20, 2020
An Alternative Version of My Daughter’s Room Makeover

Eleanor and I had initially thought we would paint her room blue. She chose dark blue when she was five, and five years later still liked it but was ready to lighten up a little. Maybe something like Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue or even De Nimes? Then she decided on purple and the color scheme completely changed.

But do you want to see what could have been?

I mean, I do love it. A lot.

It’s funny though, the wall color drives the color scheme but we only had to make a few changes to some fabric choices to make it work. And the purple/pink design we ended up with fits Eleanor’s personality perfectly.

Do you have a preference between the two?

The sconce color even worked well, and it might have been the choice I was most worried about. I chose a pair of POP Wall Sconces from Blueprint Lighting in Rubbed Sage before we changed the palette. I think I would have chosen Vineyard from their custom colors had I not already ordered the other color, but E and I both still liked the green when it arrived!

Blueprint Lighting was a One Room Challenge sponsor and provided the sconces. We liked some of the more retro styles like Campana or Ludo, but the vertical element of those POP Wall Sconces grounds the curves of the headboard (a lucky FB Marketplace find) so nicely.

Eleanor has continued to make changes here and there. It’s her space to personalize as she sees fit, and oh, she does! String lights have been draped from the picture rail over to each sconce. Toys get moved around. Signs have been pinned to the fabric of the headboard like it was a giant bulletin board. They’re small glimpses of changes to come as she heads into her teenage years and I love it.

February 28, 2020
A Lovely Stardew Valley Inspired Kitchen
Art, design, and coding for funsies! The kids and I have been making pixel art lately and I’ve been using mine to change the look of my farm and and farmhouse in Stardew Valley with some personal aesthetic mods that I’ve made.

I had a pink Smeg or Big Chill fridge in mind when I was changing the vanilla kitchen. Then I added the Portal cake (no lie) and thought I should add a mixer too. And if I need a rug, you know I’m going to make a teeny pixel version of the wool kilim I designed for Annie Selke.

I stand by this as a solid farmhouse kitchen design, digital or otherwise. I’ll leave it up to you to find Leah’s sculpture and a giant wooden chicken.
I mentioned on Instagram Stories that I’d share some of the resources we’ve been using to make mods, so that will be a future post. My SV house is all pinks and flowers, books and bugs, crystals and skulls, plus a good dose of my ever-favorite black/white/brass/wood combo. A lot like my own house (though I need more skulls IRL is what I’m taking away from this.)

The base recolor I’m using is Toned Down Stardew Valley (ATDSDV) and the art is from Elegant Victorian Interior. I don’t have a mod ready for you to download if you want to add any of my customizations into your own games, but I’m giving you the pixels for now if you want to mess around with cutting and pasting them in on your own. If you already know what you’re doing, fit the kitchen into your farmhouse_tiles.png and the flowers and rugs into furniture.png files. The subway tiles belong in walls_and_floors.png.
January 17, 2020
Canopy Beds
Eleanor, my eldest, is interested in making some changes to her room, and she has requested a canopy bed! After talking to her more and looking at examples together, we’re realizing that what she wants more than the look of a canopy bed is the feeling of coziness and privacy.* She wants a place to hide away and read, and I want to give that to her.

We may do something custom, perhaps building the bed into a nook, or mounting curtain rods from the ceiling, and if we do I’ll share more about that process (of course). To start though, we’ve been looking at readymade canopy beds. They’re falling into general categories, and I’ve rounded up examples below.

Curved Metal Beds

We all remember this Miles Redd bedroom, yes? It predated the chevron craze, but was also an early example of the canopy beds Redd has been doing (in ever more elaborate styles) since. I could get on board.

Pottery Barn Teen has a simple metal canopy bed that’s lovely, but it lacks a solid headboard. (Annoying because pillows tend to squish out the back.) If you’re willing to overlook a few details, this is the same shape but costs far less. I think it’s worth seeking out a solid headboard, in whatever material you like, and I’ve included a few in the mix below. What I did not include in this “curved metal” category are the arched canopies that reminded me of my childhood 80’s bed — I just can’t do it.
Boxy Metal

Again, some of these lack a solid headboard, but maybe that’s my unique fixation? I particularly like the combination of a metal frame with an upholstered headboard.
1. Lolington Canopy Bed, Wayfair
2. Moira Industrial Canopy Bed, Overstock
3. Flynn Canopy Bed, Pottery Barn Kids
4. James Walnut with Black Frame Canopy Bed, Crate & Barrel
5. Lincoln Upholstered Bed, Ethan Allen
6. Architecture Bed, Room & Board
7. Frame Canopy Bed, CB2
8. Industrial Black Canopy Bed, Baxton Studio (half the price of CB2’s, but it has more supports beneath and the corners look less elegant)
9. Amalfi Canopy Bed, One Kings Lane (and you may also like this similar style from Pottery Barn)
Wooden Canopy Beds

I’m not sure that these are right for us, but there are some lovely transitional style wooden canopy beds.
1. Gjöra Bed Frame, IKEA (not a true canopy, but interesting)
2. Lindy Canopy Bed, Ballard Designs
3. Hayward Bed, Ethan Allen
4. Colonial Cane Bed, Williams Sonoma Home
5. Keane Driftwood Canopy Bed, Crate & Barrel
6. Hale Bed, Room & Board
7. Whitaker Four Poster Bed, Serena & Lily
Forest Beds

I was surprised that these weren’t more appealing to my daughter. She loves spending the summer exploring the woods, surrounded by the forest canopy, but that didn’t translate into wanting a forest canopy bed. Still, these are fun for the right person.
1. Arbor Bed, Grandin Road
2. White Iron Mature Trees Bed, Overstock
3. Forest Canopy Bed, Houzz (I think this is the same as Anthropologie’s, but priced lower)
Modern Fairytale

These read a little more juvenile, and definitely more feminine, like something a storybook princess would sleep in. We both liked the sense of enclosure in the second one, but didn’t love the bed itself.
1. Colette Canopy Bed, Pottery Barn Kids
2. Blythe Carriage Bed, Pottery Barn Kids
Wooden Spindle Beds

My favorite style! I would invest in a bed for my master bedroom (I did, and I love it), but these are beyond my budget for a kid’s room. I could be surprised, but I expect that my daughter’s interest in canopy beds may be outgrown as she gets older.
* I’ve been saving examples in an Instagram collection to share with Eleanor and it has been tremendously helpful for narrowing down the things she likes (and just as important, the things she doesn’t). Saved collections are private, but I’ll work on moving the images to a Pinterest board. There were many responses from people that are looking at canopy beds for their kids too (or for themselves) and lots of requests for more details on the images I shared briefly in Instagram Stories. I’ll let you know when it’s up!
August 20, 2019