Monday, January 23, 2012

Sometimes you strike gold....


.....Op Shop Gold that is.

I've been wanting to buy vintage chairs for my dining table for the loooooongest time. I've never ever ever found a large affordable matching set.


So you can imagine my surprise when my sister and I walked into the oppy a couple of weeks ago and spotted these gems. A matching set of eight vintage wooden dining chairs, in excellent condition.

But the best bit.... they were only $10 each. You could have knocked me down with a feather!


I think they've had a previous life in a school art classroom.

They all have various splashes of coloured paint, pencil, and pastel. I think it adds to the character.

The only problem with this room of course is that there's just waaaay too much wood. The wall unit was purchased for my previous house. It matched perfectly there, but now I wish it was painted white.

I need to make myself a Go Granny Cotton Canvas tablecloth to brighten it up a bit... off to add it to the big list!

29 comments:

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

I have the exact same chair!

Anonymous said...

Very nice, what a great find! They go really well with your table too!

Jennifer Rose said...

very nice find! :D the paint just adds to them, makes them more unique and not so boring

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

Fantastic find!

Unknown said...

Oh my lucky , lucky you ! That is the best score ever , good on you !

Kate said...

Now that is an awesome find!

Rie said...

Love the chairs! You could always make slip covers for them or add cushions to them (with ties to keep them in place).

Michelle said...

I think you'd be better off getting the wall painted white. It's not that you have too much wood - it's that you have too much brown!

I love those chairs. What an amazing find!

Margaret said...

I love furniture with stories behind them. If you do re-condition them, leave the graffiti!

Jennie said...

SUCH a good find Cam!
Love them!x

Bron said...

You really did strike gold....good for you. x

Vireya said...

School chairs! No way I could have them in my house, I'm afraid. Just too many bad memories associated with those chairs.

willywagtail said...

O my, o my. I certainly wish I had spotted them before you did! I LOVE them. I would even be willing to swap my mismatched chairs for them. They look really good in your dining room too. Congratulations. (Can you tell I am a touch jealous? haha) Cherrie
Psst. I agree with Michelle about the brown bricks too. It would really enlarge/lighten the area if you changed the colour.

bec said...

Yep, def the brown room is the problem, I thought when I first saw the pic "too brown'! white painted over the brick wall might work? Like a 'limewash' or 'whitewash' effect. And maybe a light rug for the floor?

Kate Moore said...

Top score. They look great. And that lamp (and lampshade) look extra wicked.

Anna Bartlett said...

Good for you! And I know what you mean about wanting to paint things white - we were given a wall unit for our wedding that I would LOVE to paint, but I think I have to wait til my inlaws are too old to remember they gave it to us (and then do it while my husband's at work!).
Now you'll have to have a chair warming party!

Janine said...

great find!
lucky you :)

Tas said...

Nothing better than a perfect oppy score like that. Yay!

Tara Lee said...

Love the chairs but I simply adore the lampshade on the table! Gorgeous colours. Did you make that? If so, what fabric is it? Love it!

Cherie said...

Gadzooks GOLD is right ... can you get someone to have a look at tell you what kind of timber they're made from? At least do that before you hit them with the white paint! Lampshade is gold too Darling, as will be the tablecloth ... gorgeous in every way ;)

Lotti said...

What a wonderful find and an awesome bargain. I noticed the lamp on the table ... there's that famous fabric again.

Margaret said...

The reinforcing is the giveaway, they are definitely Vic Ed chairs I have a couple myself, they were made over 20 years ago. They look great and what ever you decide to do with them they will last a life time. Good find .

Kylie said...

Wow! They're great Cam. Well spotted. I'm sure we had a couple of those in my primary school {we only had 25 kids in the whole school}. They were the teacher's chairs. The shape is very familiar. They look fab in your dining room too...

trudi@maudeandme said...

You did strike gold!And going by the comments we are all very envious!!
I like the suggestion of chair cushions. Would break up the wood ,but easily changed when you wish to redecorate/move again.

I Love To Op Shop said...

ohhh nice!! I'm also suffering from wood overload and toying with getting a paintbrush out to brighten things up a bit.

Sarah said...

GREAT chair find - AWSOME - I infact a very jealous...

The lamp shade is very cool. Clever you!

Julie said...

They look fantastic. Good spotting.

MinaStickor said...

The chairs look lovely!

dash robin said...

What a score! These are just gorgeous!! Way to go c.p, way to go, xKate