On the chair: The City Out My Window

My night-stand or bedside table (whatever you prefer to call it) is a mid-century chair in need of restoration.  So actually, it's just a chair.  We have two of them which we* bought via Trademe when we first decided to move to the Coast, because we knew they'd be perfect in our beach house (once we found one).  They travelled in the container down from Auckland ... then lived in the garage because we didn't end up buying a beach house and it was nearly two years before we ended up on the Coast.  Then they lived in the garage again for about another 9 months because they didn't seem to fit in the beach house anywhere.  We umm-ed and ahh-ed about them, but couldn't bring ourselves to get rid of them when they were one of the first steps in the dream.  Plus, they're awesome.

A wee bit of house contents evolution later, they've come inside and found their respective corners while they await me getting around to restoring them.  Which could take a while.  I intended to get it done this year, and it may yet happen, but best we don't all hold our breath.  Luckily, it's taking me long enough that most of the rest of our household contents will have gone through the processes they need to go through (eg. be collected, or chucked out) to get to our permanent look and I won't have a mental breakdown trying to pick the right fabric to have them recovered.  The least dilapidated of the two is sitting just as is, next to my bed, and the other is covered with a crochet rug in the not-ginger's room, looking like it would probably be happy enough if no one touched it at all.  Possibly just as well, for now.

You know, when you think about it, buying old chairs in anticipation of moving is maybe a bit weird.  I even bought the curtains once we actually got to the new house (there were none - our Vendors were pretty special.  They even took the plugs for all the sinks) ... Still.  It worked out pretty well.  And we bought them before everyone else started buying the same sort of frame.  Trendsetters!!  Or not.  I actually bought them because they reminded me of chairs my grandparents used to have.  In a roundabout sort of way.

So, anyway, the chair.  The chair takes care of my books, magazines, and anything else I think I'm likely to read or want to look at when I crawl into bed at the end of the day.  I like the way it looks and I'm sure my books like having a cosy, comfortable place to hang out as well.

One book I collected a while ago that I absolutely love is The City Out My Window: 63 Views on New York by Matteo Pericoli.  The book is a collection of hand-drawn cityscapes, illustrating the views that 63 New Yorkers have when they look out their windows.  Writers, musicians, photographers, a former New York City maor, a museum curator, a Tibetan Buddhist Master, a human rights activist (all sorts!), recognisable names and not so recognisable names, accompanying each illustration is the story of what each cityscape view means to the one looking out.  I love having a book that I can pick up, read a page of and put down again, but that still leaves me with a view on the world, a comment on life and on the good things and provides a reflection on progress (be it good or bad).  It gives you a tiny insight into a person as well, I think.  It's a really peaceful book about a place that I expect isn't really at all.

One day I think I may have to collect his work Manhattan Unfurled - Manhattan Island drawn on a 70 foot long scroll.  He has also drawn London, but Manhattan fascinates me more.

Because of this book, I'm absolutely certain, these Eye Spy Coffee Cups at Citta Design are also on my wishlist.  I keep hoping they'll come on sale ... that would make me really cheerful.

Book love.  Stuff love.

(Also, the soda bread from the day before yesterday?  Excellent toasted!)


* ... that we? I can never remember. I actually have a rule book for this stuff on the bookshelf down the hall. I should possibly transfer it to my desk.  Also, this is a bit of an exciting alternative to brackets, isn't it?  The first couple of lines seemed a bit too early to start busting out the brackets.