02 March 2010

This one's for you, Fiancé

And a little something for me too. Relationships are all about compromise, after all, right?
When I saw this photo on Grey Likes Weddings, I immediately gasped and had to save this picture to the Pink Champagne photo archives. You see, Fiancé is absolutely obsessed with the Marais chairs pictured here. We bought two as accent chairs/bookends for our new dining room table (our first major home decorating purchase for our newlywed home). A little history on these - they are French bistro chairs that you see in cafés ALL OVER Paris. When we went to Paris, aka the most fabulous city in the world/my Mecca, we stayed in the Marais district. Totally meant to be, right? They are sold at one of Fiancé's favorite furniture stores, Design Within Reach, and were originally used on French battleships (= bonus boy points). Here is the description on the site:

The epitome of French café life, it’s rumored that Xavier Pauchard’s Marais A Chair (1934) was created for use in the weather forecasting room on a battleship. We asked the manufacturer about this, but even their records are unclear. Still, we do know that after its possible time at sea, the Marais was supplied to bars and brasseries by breweries in exchange for selling their beer. This arrangement ended in the 1970s, but that didn’t stop the demand for these durable chairs and stools made in France. Crafted of sheet steel, the Marais A is available in varnished gunmetal grey. Slight surface abrasions and markings are characteristic of the material and part of its hardworking machine aesthetic. Rubber feet prevent damage to floors. The Marais Collection includes the A56 Chair, designed by Pauchard’s son in 1956. These pieces will stand up to the rigors of public use, but should be protected from wet weather conditions to maintain the finish. Stackable up to 10 high. Made in France.


Now, I said a little something for me too, right? Well, I love the chairs too, I adore Paris, and the picture has a gorgeous chandelier and pink place settings (= major bonus points for this girl). A true match made in heaven.

mJa

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this room too!

I found out it's from Amy Neunsinger, and she has a ton of gorgeous images on her site. It's definitely worth checking out!

c said...

beautiful chairs, and such a great story behind them, as well!