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Thrift Store Antique French Iron Garden Chair {Home Office Makeover}

by | Apr 2, 2012 | Decorating Inspiration, My Home Office

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Thrift Store Antique French Iron Garden Chair {Home Office Makeover}

I have been on the lookout for a unique non-traditional chair for my desk for quite some time, but hadn’t run across anything special enough. So this weekend I had some family visiting and we were poking around looking at fun things in a local antique mall thrift shop when we stopped dead in our tracks right in front of this little iron chair.

Thrift Store Antique French Iron Garden Chair {Home Office Makeover}

Well hello there, lovely. We admired it from all sides. Every way we turned it, it was gorgeous.

It was definitely not a run of the mill ordinary every day chair.  A wee bit garden, a wee bit industrial metal, a wee bit antique and a whole lot of fabulous. Of course that meant it had to come home with me. I offered to take it off their hands for about 30% less than they were asking and next thing I knew it was MINE!

Thrift Store Antique French Iron Garden Chair {Home Office Makeover}

I know nothing about this chair or its original origins. The shape is so eye-catching and unique right down to the amazing little swan or goose head detail on the arms. I searched high and low on the internet but couldn’t find another one just like it. The closest pieces I could find were similar and were labeled as French garden chairs from the early 1900s.

Whether my chair is an antique or not, the craftsman ship is beautiful, the iron is heavy, the chair is sturdy and I love it! I have plans to freshen it up just a bit with a new seat cover and possibly adding some antique brass casters to the feet in order to make it a wee bit taller and easier to glide across my rug. I’ll let you know what I come up with but I think it is going to be just what I’m after.

My office is coming right along and I’m super excited!

I’m really enjoying mixing the things I already had like my dark bookcases with special new pieces like my tufted Cute as a Button chairs, new Anthro curtains with my vintage sea life prints and unique finds like this iron chair because I know no one will have an office quite like mine!

There is something so rewarding and creative about mixing up a room that will be fresh and fun and one of a kind.

So what do you think? Is this really an antique French iron garden chair? {Don’t burst my bubble if you saw these mass produced last year. HA! Let me keep living the dream that these chairs used to be in a lovely little garden in France. Or England. I’d be OK with that.}

 See the chair in the finished office!

37 Comments

  1. Stacy

    Wow! You found a real treasure. The chair is fantastic.

    Reply
  2. Jennifer

    Very cute chair!! I looked it up and like you found nothing like it except a pair of French Empire Goose neck chairs. I would say they are french with the swan but also the curve of the legs/bottom part of the chair. But then again it could be a look alike… I’m no expert :) Very cute find though and has character!

    Reply
  3. michelle

    Lovely! It’s all going to be beautiful.

    Reply
  4. laney

    …could not have happened to a nicer person…wonder who use to sit in that chair…and where were they sitting!?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Aw, thanks Laney! :-)

      Reply
  5. Heather

    Knowing nothing about antiques other than what I like and don’t like, I can’t tell you anything about this chair. Other than that I think it’s beautiful and that you probably got a great bargain there.

    Reply
  6. Vee

    Love the lines and details and have never seen another like it. Is it comfortable?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yes! Forgot to mention that it is a comfortable chair! :-)

      Reply
  7. Julie

    Who cares if it’s truly an antique! Great find! Yay for you!

    Reply
  8. Tiffany

    That chair does have beautiful lines. Can’t wait to see the room all put together!

    Reply
  9. Karen

    Melissa,
    What a great chair. It will be something you can use even if you move it to another room. Lucky find, good for you!
    Karen

    Reply
  10. Brooke

    totally authentic! (I have no idea what I am talking about)…100% authentic! and it is 100% perfect and adorable!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Ha! Well I’m glad you like it :-) PS. awesome kitchen ;-)

      Reply
  11. Diane at Longaberger Lifestyle

    Gorgeous!!! It’s a decorator’s chair. Oh! And you’re a decorator!!! Perfect! But, I just must ask one tiny question. Is it comfortable to sit in? I hope so. That would be it even more perfect.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yes that was my first concern after how cute the chair was and it is quite comfortable!

      Reply
  12. Megan

    Very awesome find! Now I feel the need to start checking out Craigslist, etc. Morning shot ;)!

    Reply
  13. Christine

    Beautiful!! Love the arms!

    Reply
  14. Ollie B

    OH MY — I love this chair. You did a beautiful job of redoing. Did I say I love this chair? (he he he)

    Reply
  15. Debbie

    happy Easter Miss Melissa! Love your chair. I have a love affair with chairs too…I buy them and love to redo them, decorate with them and use them for vignettes, problem is hubby wants to sit on them. NOT THAT ONE! Why did you buy it? Because it’s absolutely adorable…a little wobbly but adorable!
    I know you can completely understand my point! Big smile.
    Have a great weekend!
    On a side note, our son and his wife just moved back to our home town and they will be Pastoring here. We are over the moon excited, so Easter is extra special for us this year!
    Give yourself an Easter hug from me!
    Blessings,
    Debbie

    Reply
    • Melissa

      So exciting Debbie!!! Hugs back to you!

      Reply
  16. Abe

    dying to know how much you paid for it. super good looking.

    Reply
  17. Laura

    Wow! What a great find. That is a lovely chair…so unique! It will look perfect in your new office. Sometimes it pays to just wait until you find exactly what you want – even if you dont know what that is at the moment!
    I just painted a little wrought iron bench for my front porch but I think this chair would look best just as is. Cant wait to see what you find for the new cushion fabric…

    Reply
  18. Patti

    Beautiful chair….I would have scooped it up in a heartbeat!!! :)

    Reply
  19. Sandra

    Very lucky find…you should have played that BIG lottery the same day :)

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Ah, yes I should have! Shoot. I would have won for sure. Darn.

      Reply
  20. Sonya

    How cute is that chair! Lucky you!

    Reply
  21. Gina

    OK, either way, old or reproduction, you know it will go great in its new space!! That chair is the bomb!

    Reply
  22. NanaDoll

    that chair is truly a treasure!

    Reply
  23. Connie

    I will choose to believe with you ~ I know it’s from a beautiful French garden… Blessings!

    Reply
  24. Becky

    I get so bloomin excited over a find like that I will come home and clean my whole house while daydreaming about how I’m going to place my new treasure…enjoy, it’s a beaute!

    Reply
  25. Ashley

    I totally love furniture with details such as that swan (or goose?) detail on the arms! What a beautiful find. I can’t wait to see it in context with your home office!

    Reply
  26. Julie M.

    What a wonderful find! I don’t know anything about its provenance…but it looks lovely…and we probably frequent some of the same shops!

    : )

    Julie M.

    Reply
  27. Beth

    What a great find! Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

    Reply
  28. Lisa

    I love your chair! Great find. Last summer I found a gorgeous, unusual metal cafe chair (that needs seat slats)at a yard sale and this winter I found one with a seat that is metal, but looks caned. I keep saying I just need another and I’ll have a collection.

    Reply
  29. Maria

    Wow, that is a lovely chair! It definitely looks one-of-a-kind and will add another something special to your new office! I am anxiously awaiting the reveal! ;-)

    Reply
  30. Tania

    GORGEOUS chair! Lucky you – congratulations on such a brilliant find. It so fits into the William Morris idea – beautiful and useful. For such a beautiful chair as this, I wouldn’t worry about where it came from. Enjoy!

    Reply

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