Kitchen Corner

I always know what I want, but sometimes it takes a while to put it together. For two years, we’ve used a corner of the kitchen for Moxie’s crate, but it was crying out for a smart kitchen set, and not just any kitchen set either. First, the table: French bistro-style with a marble top. I may never possess the kitchen of my dreams with marble counters and backsplash, but I can own a little piece, can't I? And how about that chair-of-the-moment, the French Thonet? Well, it turns out I can't actually have that. Sure, Crate & Barrel has a knock-off, but what a flimsy chair at $149. Fortunately, the search for our table base led us to the Chair Room of a restaurant supply store, where we found these beauties for $25 each. Comfortable and sturdy. Mr. D*S is so handy with a paint brush, and the soft vinyl is perfect for a kitchen—and cheap, too.

Here's the original chair from the restaurant supply:

And the finished table and chairs in our little kitchen nook:

I'm tickled every time I sit here for my coffee or with my laptop. It was worth the wait. And to make it even sweeter, I've spied similar chairs in a magazine lately for over $1,000 each. Yeah, I'm happy.

Next trip into the city, we'll look for bamboo blinds to warm that window up a bit.