Friday, October 29, 2010

good design wins in the end


not long after husband and i met, we had a discussion one fine day in a cafe in macedonia. it took place in a badly-designed old and rotting 70s design mistake of a square in the center of skopje. husband (who was someone else's husband at the time), began to wax philosophical about how much he would miss the hans wegner wishbone chairs he was leaving behind in his soon-to-be-dissolved marriage. it seems her parents had bought them for the couple, so he didn't feel he could take the half of them with him that he was entitled to when he left.

and being the non-design-conscious american i was at the time and sitting in that crumbling marble slab of an architectural accident, steam began to roll out of my ears. and i suggested that perhaps he should just stay with those chairs if they were so flippin' important.

i was so offended that when we bought our first chairs, they were NOT hans wegner wishbones. but then, in the home of husband's very tasteful and style-conscious swedish architect father, i experienced the wegner wishbone myself for the first time. and i was won over. completely and utterly. conversation flowed more easily and rose to hitherto unknown intellectual heights due to how well we sat in those chairs. the food even tasted better. and i suggested to that father that perhaps for husband's 40th birthday, he should have four of those marvelous chairs...preferably in soap-treated oak.

and then, a couple years later, i bought four more to go with them myself. because you can never have too many hans wegner wishbones.

life lesson #CH24: good design wins in the end.

* * *
this story was submitted to carl hansen & son's wishbone story competition.
please go and vote for me.
once you're there, click "gallery" on the left,
then find a more golden version of the photo above and click "like"

12 wishbone chairs are on the line.
and since we don't need 12, i will share.
seriously. if i win, i will give away two of the chairs right here on MPC.
and they come in 12 fabulous new colors (no mauve, tho').

8 comments:

The Queens Table said...

Done! Good Luck! Good design...the world always need more of that!

Char said...

oh fun!! good luck for the win

will said...

When I began woodworking I had vague notions of making chairs. As I progressed and made my first chair I quickly realized how difficult it is to make a good chair. Not only must it be comfortable but also sturdy and well constructed it also must be light enough to move. Furthermore, the design must be good and, if possible, a signature design of the maker.

I think 'the chair' is the most difficult of all woodworking items to conquer.

The history of good design resides within chairs and Wegner is one of the great modern chair designers ... long may his Wishbone and Peacock chairs reign!

Joanna Jenkins said...

Nice! I voted. Good luck.

Elizabeth said...

Lets hold our fingers cross.

Have a great weekend before you leave for ....

Sammi said...

I love your new lay out over here!

Am I being totally dozy being unable to work out how to vote?

nacherluver said...

Love the story, love the chairs, love the photo! Will head over and vote right now!

Magpie said...

Design wins! The photo - that perfect shadow - is great.