Take a Seat

While in Palm Springs last weekend we popped into the Design Within Reach Annex store, the outlet version of the popular modern furniture chain. I was hoping to find new dining room chairs, since we had been using our Eames molded plywood chairs in the dining room vs. in the kitchen breakfast room with the table they belong to. And in the kitchen breakfast room where those chairs should have been, I’ve been using these plastic IKEA chairs that we bought for our deck table. They’ve done the job just fine, but certainly weren’t my first choice.

I’ve been shopping around for chairs for a while now and considered these from CB2, as well as these from West Elm, and these from IKEA, but I wasn’t blown away by any of them. My goal was to find something that complemented our white lacquer dining table, but didn’t clash with our wood grain hutch. We decided they would have to be either metal and fabric, black or a bright color.

Then I saw them. Tucked under a large dining table in the back of the DWR annex sat five of these little beauties:

And to my delight and amazement, not only did I love them, but they were marked down to $58, significantly less expensive than almost every other chair I had looked at. I planted myself next to them to scare off any other potential buyers while I waited to hear if they did indeed have a sixth chair available. No. Boo. Only the five. I could buy these and order one at full price from DWR, or I could buy these and hope that the Annex got another one in on sale, which they could ship to me later. In the end we decided to get four, which we could complement with our two Eames shell chairs if we had to fit six people at the table. Even better news, when we got to the register to pay I found out they were an additional 20% off, taking them down to $46 each.

Here they are in their new home!

ACE in the Hole

After a fantastic week of Spring Break-ing it with the kids - filled with lazy days playing in the yard, a trip to the beach and a movie or two – the hubby and I snuck away to Palm Springs for the weekend and spent a lovely two days and nights at the ACE Hotel, and I can’t say enough good things about the place. In addition to a fun pool atmosphere, spectacularly comfortable bed and delicious cocktails, the décor of this hotel is absolutely inspiring. While most boutique hotels I’ve visited in the past have gorgeous interiors, the ACE effortlessly combines beauty with comfort, creating the perfect place to sneak away, but still feel like you can relax as if you were at home.

The bed was low and backed by a large, long cushion vs. a traditional headboard, which made it easy to lean back and read the 1986 National Geographic magazine tucked into the pocket on the right:



By the door to the room sat these two leather topped stools for additional seating, and resting there was the ACE's version of a "do not disturb" sign:

To the left of the bed was this small table with a vintage record player and selection of albums to choose from, along with a newer radio, including ipod connectors:

The slat wall behind the bed (there was also one to the right of the bed between the sleeping area and the bathroom) served as a perfect spot for hanging art (in this case pages from magazines and a Palm Springs poster) which was done by hooking binder clips to larger hooks resting in the slats:

PS – All credit for this hotel selection and fantastic weekend getaway must go to my fabulous husband, who planned the entire weekend, including putting together a list of activity ideas, restaurant choices and shopping spots. Thank you!