Build your own

Because I'm going away for a few days, I thought I better get a chair on before I go, besides my laptop looks like its about to give up the ghost, so here goes.

I suddenly realised that my chairs seem a bit well soft but not this one...

...this one is the Mechano chair by André Klauser and is available from Thorsten van Elten in five colours including this sunny yellow, which I thought was perfect for cheering up a grey November day.

I love the naivety of this chair and it's no surprise that it takes its name from the famous Meccano sets.

I think I'll take one in every colour...

Eat your greens

I feel like I'm slightly cheating here, seeing though I have already mentioned the Orla Kiely for Heal's collection, but hey with the 3rd posting of the day, I'm on a bit of a blog roll.

This is the Rowan dining chair; available in this gorgeous Moss green and Kiely's iconic multi coloured Stem print.

It reminds slightly me of my own (might be G Plan, might not) dining chairs (which incidentally my boyfriend recently repaired) and I love the beautifully classic lines combined with the bold fabric choices.

Size does matter

Sofa Workshop perhaps not surprisingly sells some great sofas; in fact I happen to be sitting on one at the moment, which has become a welcome addition to my flat.

They also however, which everyone may not know, sell a fantastic range of chairs.

New to their collection is this rather stunning Steinbeck model.

Now as I've said before, while I believe chairs should be stunning, I also think they should be comfortable and this chair is just the ticket.

Sleek enough not to dominate a room but large enough to really curl up and relax, it's also perfect for creating a real statement.

That's not all though and I was a little shocked to read this myself but you can have it covered in amazing 2,200 fabrics and leathers, yes that's right 2,200!

I love retro

I love retro furniture as much as I love chairs. One of the first things that sold the rented flat, I've called home for six years, to me was the beautiful teak sideboard in the dining room.

I know it's probably not G Plan (what happened to them by the way? Beautiful, elegant furniture in the 60s and now all they seem to make is overly floral sofas) but it's mine, well sort of.

So I was really pleased to find this design classic on a recent virtual trip to Retrouvius

This ladies and gents is a genuine 658 chair by Robin Day, which he designed for The Royal Festival Hall in 1951

Just look at the beautiful lines and simple yet carefully thought out design and I love the slightly distressed finish to these ones in particular.

They're POA (price on application) which I'm guessing means they're not exactly cheap but in a climate of doom and gloom, they'd definitely put a smile back on my face.

Seaside dreaming

Cornwall will always hold a special place in my heart because I spent three, glorious years of my life there while studying for my journalism degree.

It's said (not sure who says all this stuff but you know what I mean) that Cornwall attracts artists and designers because of the light. In fact the place oozes art, from the famous University College Falmouth to Tate St Ives, not to mention all the independent galleries and art shops.

So I was really pleased to see that one of the design companies that impressed me most at 100% Design, was MARK Product of Cornwall, not just because I loved their simple and sure to be future classic designs but also because they're based in Penryn, just down the road from where I studied at Falmouth.

My favourite is this Net chair by Sam Johnson, mostly because its been inspired by fishing nets left to dry in the sun.

With so much furniture being designed and made in Italy or trendy Shoreditch warehouses, it's nice to see a company operating out of sleepy Cornwall.

Viva Kernow!

Vintage flair

As much as I love and choose chairs for aesthetic reasons, I also adore chairs with a good story behind them.

Reusing furniture is a hot topic right now, it's a way of being eco friendly and also injecting some vintage style into the home.

Milly Rose is a relatively new interiors company and has been started using a simple, yet really clever idea.

Owner Alison Parmar scours the UK looking for beautiful chairs that have seen better days and then takes them home, strips the frame and reupholsters them in a wide range of stunning fabrics.

I particularly like this Holly desk chair which uses fabric from Harlequin.

They say the best ideas are often the simplest and how I wish I'd come up with this one...

Ooh la la

To be perfectly honest, I'm a little bit ashamed, it's been a week since my last posting.

I thought I'd got the hang of this blogging lark and promised myself I'd try to write at least three times a week but erm, that seems to have gone out the window...

...anyway, I'm back and got a new chair to share (it would also appear I'm a budding poet!)

In honour of my impending visit to Lille (a trip being made purely to eat brie, bread and drink fine wine) I thought I should blog about one of my favourite interiors websites.

The French Bedroom Company sell a great range of all things classically French, think Palace of Versailles and Marie Antoinette's boudoir and you're halfway there.

Amid the beautiful Louis XV chairs, is this rather handsome specimen the Very Velvet Blofeld chair I love its high back (perfect for hiding away from the world), its gorgeous velvet covering and lo and behold, its even got one of my favourite chair details: a buttoned back.

Everything's coming up roses

Walking around the Spring/Summer 09 shows wrapped up and battling against the gale force winds is certainly a little strange but it does make you think of brighter, warmer days which is always a bonus.

So I was delighted to return from a press show marathon to find this vision of beauty appear in my inbox.

The Roses armchair from Vibieffe available at Go Modern, certainly reminds me of an English garden in full bloom.

The chair is made from laser cut metal and proves that the trend is far from over.

I love it because it's hard yet soft, edgy yet romantic and I think it'll fit in perfectly with my ever growing dream collection perfectly.

Read all about it

Being a journalist and having grown up with a print production manager Dad, print has always been important to me.

I love the smell of newly printed brochures, the fact that ink still comes off on your fingers with some newspapers and although it's been a while, I always loved the noise a printing press made, even as a small child who could barely see the top of the machine.

So I was delighted to come across this chair by Bombus on Not On The Highstreet

You can create a truly bespoke piece of furniture, as you choose which newspaper you want your reclaimed chair to be covered in. It might be your favourite rag or a newspaper from a day that holds particular significance for you.

For my one, and I know this is jumping the gun a bit, I'll have the sports pages from when Chelsea win the FA Cup, Champions League or Premiership....well you can but dream...

A new favourite?

I try to be quite diplomatic when it comes to chairs, it feels unfair to have favourites much like it's wrong for parents to have a favourite child...

...but I really, really, really like this one and when I say like, it's up there with the Eames lounger for me at the moment.

The Zzo chair is by Brazilian designer Sergio Fahrer and is available from One Eco Home and it isn't a purely aesthetic reason that I have fallen for it hook, line and sinker but it's also made from 100% FSC certified wood from Brazil.

So you see buying this one means I'm helping save the planet, that's rather good of me I think.

I see your true colours...

The head for this post is a bit of an in joke between me and my better half but it's also rather appropriate as when I was looking back at my blog I realised my chairs so far are, well, a bit neutral.


There's brown ones, beige ones, wooden ones and black ones but what appears to be missing is colourful ones, so...

...I'm pleased to share this Jamie Dream Velvet Armchair from Graham and Green I love its velvet covering, classic lines and more than anything its crushed raspberry colour.