Come to the table

One of the perks of moving is getting a whole new house to decorate and arrange. Of course, this is only a perk if you like doing that sort of thing and I do so WHEE!

When we moved, Mr. rented a truck that was far too small to fit all of our junk in it. So we ended up abandoning stuff at the curb at our old place, and 6 of the things we left behind were our dining room chairs. So now I have this gorgeous, solid oak dining room table and NO chairs. Oh joy. I refuse to admit how many dinners we've had on the sofa on trays in front of the TV, or Japanese style, on the floor over small side tables (okay, all of them). I've been shopping for chairs everywhere, looking for ones that would match the table just right and feel useable to us. Our old chairs were oak with ivory upholstery, clearly purchased by Mr. before me, before Moose, before dogs, etc. That ivory wasn't going to hold up to a house full of messy family, they were Bachelor dining chairs. So I was okay with saying goodbye to them. But I have looked and looked for chairs that would go with the table and I am coming up dry. And then I had this novel idea...what if I get chairs that DON'T match? I mean, because they're not gonna unless I spend an arm and a leg and we are a young family with a small child and hopefully more small children some day so we aren't in the Nice Furniture Stage of life, we're in the IKEA low end and garage sale furniture stage of life so I don't cry when something gets ruined. (Because it WILL.)

So once I made peace with the idea of chairs that don't match, my brain took it one step further. I want chairs that don't match EACH OTHER. I want all different chairs, all different colors and styles, all gathered around the table. And they will somehow all work together, they will just go together and complement each other because they're a set now. And I LOVE this idea of a variety of different chairs, all gathered around the table in my home because it's so symbolic to me. Each person in our little family is so different and unique, and each guest who comes to my table is too. Yet we all gather together in life and make it work. For me, it's not just a table. It's a small representation of the world at large, with all of its glorious differences and personalities and beliefs, everything spinning in delicate balance in a global ballet of life.

I love it so much. Now I have to hit some estate and garage sales and find my rainbow coalition of chairs. The perfect "set" of chairs is out there, I just have to find them.