Four years ago, we moved into this house. We had no idea what the cost of living here would be. We self-labeled ourselves as ‘house poor’ and we didn’t do hardly any renovations for the first year just simply because we were trying to be smart about our spending. We wanted to see how much the payments would be for things like heating and air conditioning and since this house was a foreclosure, there were necessities (like a furnace, water heater and fridge) that we had to buy. Being a blogger that has always talked about our home renovations, this was a weird place to be. Also, we discovered that our old furniture didn’t really fit the scale of the new house. The stuff looked miniature. Like we were in a castle with hobbit furniture. Or we didn’t have the right stuff….like no kitchen table or chairs.
All that to say, when my mom offered up six old kitchen chairs, I jumped on those like a tick on a deer. I gave them a proper makeover and they looked great. Fast forward four years and we are down to two. RIP four red chairs. May they rest in peace…err….pieces.
Don’t get me wrong….I do love these two chairs we have left….but they are just closing in on twenty five years old and they are showing their age. I’ve glued and ‘tooth picked’ them more than I care to admit.
The spindles are coming out constantly and the supports under the legs are coming apart too now.
And the biggest problem is the cleaning. I can’t keep up with them. They are pretty much impossible to keep clean. They literally need wiping down after every meal and they take at least ten minutes a chair….ten minutes that I just don’t have. And honestly….the floor is so hard to keep clean that I really want to just have easy chairs.
After a little brainstorming sesh with Jer, we decided that we needed four matching METAL chairs…ones that the boys would be hard pressed to destroy in a year or two. I wanted them to look a little rustic….nothing too perfect because if they did get scratched or marked up, I just want to act like it’s part of their charm. And I wanted them to look good with our holiday stuff….no colors….and also with the island stools that have this bentwood vintage cool kid thing going on.
I did a little shopping and in the end, settled on Bristow Metal chair in Antique Black
They are also stackable which is great for me…because you just never know how many high chairs we will need at any time. I also just wanna warn ya that if you are in the market for chairs, your rump can’t be huge if you get these chairs….like my buns are the max. I can sit comfortably in these but I am sure that my big brother would have an issue….the guy has tree trunks for thighs and this would be like perching on a stick for him. Seriously, he can like squat a bazillion pounds.
So that is our update in the kitchen. I can seriously say that I feel like this space is really close to being done for me. I want to hang a wall clock…because apparently those are helpful….and do a few little minor changes….but for the most part, I love the way this space works for us. And that’s a good thing because it’s the only room in the house that is close to completion and we spend the majority of our time in here!
That’s my mini kitchen update for ya….and now we are gonna head back outside for more deck fun! Side note – wish us luck….today Jeremy took our paperwork in for taxes….it’s always one of those days that I seriously hold my breath all freaking day. I know it won’t be completed today but still…the entire thing is so daunting! Hopefully Uncle Sam is nice to us this year 🙂 And thank you to everyone praying for my Uncle. He is on life support and miraculously his kidney did start functioning again….so that is great news but he still has a big battle ahead. We should know more in the coming weeks. So many kisses for you guys!
The chairs look so good with your table and bench! Prayers for your uncle and family. What a hard thing to live with for all.
perfection! we have the ones from target. you are going to LOVE the ease of metal. they wipe up in a snap!!
at first I wasn’t sure about your choice but after I saw the picture…I love it! You really have an eye for these things. I also appreciate your online shopping research. I originally was looking for these chairs but in a silver finish and that restaurant site has amazing prices. However, now that I see the black, you have me swayed to buy black metal chairs for our sun room. Katie Bower for the win again.
We just bought the same exact chairs a couple months ago! So far we love them and they have held up well.
Glad to hear there has been positive progress for your uncle. Sending good thoughts!
Really like the new chairs, and thanks for link, now Im eyeing the set at Target with the wood seat.
Thank you for the link to the restaurant furniture site! We’ve been looking for attractive, inexpensive patio furniture and have had no luck. Now we have options!
We JUST bought these same chairs in orange (love a pop of color), and I’m with you — I like them (a lot — both in your kitchen and in ours), but I was surprised because I had the exact same impressions that my typical-sized rump was also the max for them. They have been popping up for quite a while in dining spaces, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. so that was a bit surprising to me when I actually sat in one. I would order them again, but I have the same thought about my larger-than-me relatives. That said, THEY ARE SO EASY TO CLEAN and since our kids are primarily the ones who sit in them = win.
You’re going all Joanna Gaines on us! :~) I really like the chairs. I am having similar issues with my Windsor chairs…maybe those will be an option.
PS Last week I finished reading through your entire site. I must say, it REALLY helped me as far as being oriented in this new house. And I love how it has progressed over the past four years…all those little changes over time do add up!
The new chairs look amazing with the table–which is equally amazing!
I have chairs that are a little on the smaller side too. I use them as my “butt check”.
Love these! I have wood chairs like you used to and they get so DISGUSTING! I may need to make a switch too!
Love those Katie! Yes, the red chairs were great but as you say, on their last legs and those spindles! Ugh, cleaning nightmare. The new ones look effortlessly chic in a rustic, trendy way. Great choice. 🙂
Those chairs look great in that space! And priced well too! Let me know what you figure out with a clock. I find so many clocks out there are so bland and typical-clock-looking that it bores me to death.
I have the same first world problems in my giganto house. Not enough furniture and what we have is oddly ill-fitting. I need some bar stools… must have backs, must swivel, must be metal or neutral… and not cost a billion dollars. Nada so far. The ones we currently have came with the house and the seats are padded and very broken down. Like you sit in them and sink about 6″. Ha! Why is the right furniture so hard to find?
I’m so glad I saw this post! We have similar wooden chairs that were hand me downs from my parents. I painted them a distressed black along with the table. Eight years and two kids later they are falling apart also. We’re down to one and I’ve been searching for those exact style metal chairs but could to find anything the right size in my price range. I’ll check out your links! Thanks!
Where did you get your bench? So cute!
Just so everybody knows- I just tried to order chairs from the restaurant site and you have to order at least 10.
Add an analog clock! I teach third grade and kids struggle with time so much these days! They simply use digital clocks so much that they have no experience in using regular clocks. If they have to learn it to know the time, they will!
We have the same chairs in our kitchen except distressed white. I really love them because they are sturdy and will last years without breaking. Hopefully. Fingers crossed they don’t. I really love this look with the black, great choice!
Megan || http://www.ohheyblog.com
How is the metal on the wood floor? No issues? I have to be super careful with my current wood chairs because they scratch the floor but like yours, they’re falling apart. And I can’t keep a rug under the table forever because EW gross.
Looks nice, Katie! Enjoy!
Thanks for the heads up Kellie.
xo – kb
Goodwill. I had to paint it and stain it but it was a great find, right!?
xo – kb
Oh man…I love analog clocks…no doubt it will be!
xo – kb
These have rubber bottoms but they make a really loud noise so I am thinking that we need to add some different slide-able stoppers.
xo – kb
Seriously…woe is me and my first world problems. It sounds so bratty. But yeah….the right furniture is hard to find at times…it’s like an epic needle in the haystack search.
xo – kb
Ahhh – you read the whole thing!? Geesh! You must be super bored or something!
xo – kb
Oops, the rest of my comment somehow got cut off. I didn’t mean to end on “butt check”!
Stylish AND practical, I love them 🙂
Love the chairs, Katie! I have a question along this same line. We have a table with wood chairs that also need replacing, and an indoor/outdoor rug underneath them for easy clean up (we have 2 young kids), but the kitchen rug doesn’t coordinate all that well with the very close-by living area rug so I’m over it. I considered metal chairs and no rug but was worried it would look naked and/or ruin the floors. Looks great in your kitchen though! Do you ever feel like you need a rug under your kitchen table? Thanks!
I can’t imagine this stage of life with a kitchen rug because it would get ruined after just one day. I am constantly cleaning the floor. Maybe one day I will have one but not till all my kids are out of the throwing-food-on-the-floor stage.
xo – kb
It’s amazing how new pieces can totally transform a room! While the red chairs were so fun and bright, these new metal chairs are bold in a new and different way. They really work to create a subtle and welcome edge to your simple, yet wonderful space. A black Felt Ball Rug would pair amazingly with this set up!
Thanks for the links for where to purchase similar chairs! Unfortunately the restaurant furniture site requires at least 8 items to be purchased. With the additional freight charges, it will cost an additional $18 per chair to ship (from Atlanta to Houston). At that price, it’s still a fair deal, but not a great one.