in search of green, blue, and pink upholstered family friendly dining chairs (and my favorite options ones thus far)

Home Decor

In Search Of Green, Blue, And Pink Upholstered Family-Friendly Dining Chairs (And My Favorite Options Ones Thus Far)

Drescription

Shame on the market for having so many cream or white boucle seats for dining chairs – I mean, what fantasy land do you think we live in? Should we put a white rug underneath it??? Use white cloth napkins? Wear white on spaghetti Tuesdays? Where am I supposed to I wipe the marinara after eating penne arrabbiata with my fingers? A “napkin” you might suggest and sure, whatever, we have “napkins”, but if you have kids or have friends with kids or neighbors with kids or grandkids, dogs who eat at the table (true story) or just general marinara fingers then a light fabric will not do – napkin or not. Sure, we could cut marinara from our diets. Shun teriyaki and soy sauce from our sushi. Only drink clear sodas or “water”. However, light or white fabrics are generally a bad idea when you have children nearby. Oh, and please don’t suggest a flat mid-tone gray fabric. What is this – 2007??? I’d LIKE A NICE COLORED FABRIC DINING CHAIR PLEASE!!! And NOT one that’s a million dollars. So today I’m going to show you all the ones I found – high, low, and in between. I wish I could say there were more but I’m hoping after this there will be (for the love of God a good modern pattern PLEASE).

Of course, my history with colored upholstered dining chairs is long. Let’s start with these vintage beauties from 2011:

These are still some of my all-time favorites. The chairs were vintage from MidcenturyLA, I think $300 a piece including the new blue upholstery that I chose. Not nothing, but they were perfect. If I could go back in time I would not have sold these with the house. They are awesome and brands try to knock them off, but can’t quite do them as well. RIP.

Then when we moved to Los Feliz we had these chairs with Crypton fabric. The color was nice and sure Crypton cleans up WAY better than non-performance linen but they were still too light in color and had too many arms to withstand my marinara-filled double toddlers at the time. Sure the marinara comes off but not without a parent cleaning it off (stains aren’t physically repelled even when you have performance fabric). In short, the toddlers won, I lost and my best friend got the chairs.

But only after I found my dream chairs at the flea market (shout out Cherner), redid them in leather and while I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, Brian couldn’t handle how fragile they were on a daily basis. They creaked so badly and I’m super sensitive to that stuff. And it wasn’t easy for the kids to get in and out of them. I still have them and plan on putting them somewhere someday (see? I learned my lesson about selling my favorite things) but they couldn’t be our daily dining chairs. Brian’s dad joined the complaint choir about them, the kids acted like they didn’t know how to get in and out of them and I had to come to terms with the fact that perhaps these aren’t good family sit-for-hours chairs. FINE.

At the mountain house, we had that huge built-in dining nook and then bought three chairs that worked well with them. When I say huge, people come from all over the country to see the world’s biggest dining nook. SHE FAMOUS! It’s comically big (but I love it). They are all good/fine but the chairs are pretty heavy and the kids (until previously) would act like getting into one is like wrestling a shark – like they scrambled and wrestled and the noises of the grunts and the wood legs on the floor – it was always a thing, ALWAYS. Once sitting, they were locked in, imprisoned temporarily, which was nice for us parents, ha. The leather and wood repelled all marinara easily, but the arms and the heft meant work for me to get them in and out every single time (god, this sounds like my kids have no motor skills, but trust me, even when they are older pulling out a chair on a wood or tile floor is so loud and annoying! And then having them scoot themselves in by jumping the legs forward, just no. You want them to be able to pop in and out without assistance!

Where we have currently landed in our dining room is truly excellent. The tone of the green is so pretty (enough blue in it to not look primary or collegiate), and they are extremely comfortable. They are pretty from the back (because that is how you see them the most!) and are easy to pull in and out or slide into. I sit in one for 6 hours a day on my writing days. 10/10

But for my brother’s river house (with two young kids) I didn’t want to use the same ones (and yes, they would work PERFECTLY with the green island, but c’mon, I can get more creative than that). So here is where we are with the room:

It’s pretty but very neutral, with the only color coming from the trees outside. Now, the kitchen and living room will both have color (all TBD to be honest) so I can’t just design in a bubble. I did lean towards black chairs for the longest time (and at the time of publishing this post nothing has been decided) but what I really want is a colorful, patterned chair that isn’t busy but is just more interesting. There is truly nothing on the market, readymade that is under $1k a chair. But I did find a decent amount of green, blue, and pink dining chairs (basically non-neutrals) for those of us who have dreams of upholstered colorful dining chairs (i.e. not painted wood or metal).

Wait, Why Do You Just Use Wood Or Metal?

This is less of a comfort thing because there are a lot of comfortable wood or metal chairs. This room wants and needs texture, softness, and color. I could get metal/wood and buy cushions but I’d rather find an upholstered mid-toned colorful chair.

OK, here is what I found after hours, days, weeks, and months of shopping online and in person:) There’s a range of budgets but honestly, dining chairs just don’t come cheap.

Blue-Toned Upholstered Dining Chairs

Green-Toned Upholstered Dining Chairs

Pink-Toned Upholstered Dining Chairs

IT’S TIME TO ORGANIZE – Small Entry Organization Hacks For Those Of Us Who Are “Mudroom-Less”

My favorite mom quote goes as follows – “Without systems there is chaos. Without systems there is chaos“. One of you deserves credit for it, left sweetly in the comment section two years ago, and I chant it ALL THE TIME. This applies to every single part of our lives, and as someone who unfortunately isn’t innately gifted in the organization realm, and yet abhors visual mess, I HAVE to create systems, or else the house is so chaotic and messy and it actually affects my mental health (thus the choice to live more minimally with less stuff). Labels are my boss. Baskets make me feel safe. So when we were brainstorming about how to talk about organization in the New Year, I ranted about all my pain points at the mountain house – the “no mudroom entry,” the exploding vanity, the lack of linen closet, the hall utility closet that housed both the vacuum and the board games. All solvable, WITH A SYSTEM that includes starting with the right product. And even though we knew we were moving to Portland it still seemed like a good time to come up with some better solutions – both for guests that stay, my family when we return in winter/summer, and of course for the blog. So we partnered with Target to highlight their new and always loved organizational products to ease our chaos and make our homes and brains calmer after the holidays. Systems, it’s all about systems :) The “No Mudroom” Entry We packed in a lot of solutions up here, for ideas for all your pain points. Not everyone can enter and exit through a designated mudroom, especially apartment dwellers, and us. But walking into chaos, stepping over shoes and the visual pile of coats drives me NUTS. Now the elements that you MUST have here are simple – A Drop Zone (could be the bench or the tray on the shoe rack) – This is for mail, keys (if you don’t have hooks), and bags. Get yourself a tray, bowl, or basket (and a hook if you want to never have to look for your keys again). Shoe Storage – This could be a shoe shelf like this (which is nice because it can be wheeled away if you have guests over), a trunk, or a basket. While I prefer something more enclosed, getting my kids to “drop” is a challenge enough so ‘arranging’ is a monumental feat. Plus a shelf keeps them from getting scuffed up and you have less searching to the bottom of the basket time. Someday, crossing fingers, we’ll graduate to this. Don’t have a coat closet? ME NEITHER! So you need either hooks on your wall, a coat rack, or a freestanding piece of furniture. The first two are better for small spaces (plus wet coats can’t dry off in an armoire). 3. A Place to Hang Coats/Scarves, and Hats – Could be standing or to save space use a wall-mounted hook system like this. Use the anchors provided (I’ve skimped on those before), try to do a weekly depopulation based on the weather, and put away coats in hopefully a coat closet nearby, leaving just what you need here. 4. Designated Baskets for Daily Needs – Under the bench: 1. “House shoes/slippers” (easy to change into when you come home, 2. “Dog accessories” (leashes, bags, treats), and 3. “Hats and gloves”. I love these baskets with the wood on top, but opting for something more closed will make it look cleaner (just make sure you know what is in them so you don’t have to do the “search and bury”). Shout out to that bench – please note the good joinery under the seat!! So good. The “No Entry” Entry For those of us with even less space or perhaps at the back, side, or kitchen door we have a one-piece unit for all of those same needs – it’s pretty genius. At the top you have hooks for coats/hats and scarves, then a bench to sit on for shoes and a surface for a drop zone, with shoe storage underneath. ONE AND DONE. It’s a small space solution that packs a ton of function into one piece. All you need is a 4′ blank wall near your door and you can live a better life in a small space. Pretty sure someone should write a book with that title. So no, you don’t need “an entry” to have an entry. You just need a good, solid system and Target has truly made it even easier.

5 Common Flowers You Should Plant in August for More Blooms All Through Fall

Key Points Plant hardy fall bloomers like violas and asters to keep your garden blooming into cooler months. Choose blooming fuchsia for instant color that lasts through October or longer. These low-maintenance plants add color and charm to any fall garden or outdoor space. After reaping the benefits of beautiful blooms all summer, fall's the reality check we're not quite ready for: cooler temperatures and saying goodbye to our favorite flowers. With summer finally winding down, you may be looking to extend your gardening season as much as possible—and fall doesn't have to be the end. Luckily, we reached out to a garden pro to find out the top five flowers to plant right now for stunning blooms all fall long, and they did not disappoint. Meet the Expert Melissa Quinney is a garden expert and garden writer at Cabin Master, a United Kingdom-based fully-insulated garden room installation company. Winter-Flowering Violas These beautiful orange and purple flowers are excellent for creating fall colour, especially due to their tough nature and the way they’re able to bloom from autumn to winter with minimal attention, according to garden expert Melissa Quinney. "While they may look delicate, they are incredibly resilient," Quinney says. "Upon planting in August, gardeners can expect blooms within two to three weeks, and in milder climates, their blooms typically last well into winter.” USDA Zone: 3–8 Color Varieties: Purple, orange, white, blue, yellow, red Mature Size: 4–10 in. tall, 4–10 in. wide Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Asters “While the aster is often overlooked in favour of other plants, like chrysanthemums, its daisy-like blooms in shades of purple and pink are excellent for brightening up fall gardens and attracting pollinators later into the year," Quinney says. If the plant is already established once planted, then blooms should appear within one to two weeks. If you plant asters from seed, then germination can take up to three weeks, with another six weeks until blooming. USDA Zone: 3-8 Color Varieties: Purple, pink, blue, white Mature Size: 1–6 ft. tall, 1–4 ft. wide Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Fuschia If you're looking to add fuchsia to your garden for some fall flair, Quinney suggests planting your fuchsia while they're already in flower rather than planting from seed. Fuchsia grown from seed is unlikely to bloom in its first year, so planting one already in flower ensures a wow-worthy fall display. “When choosing a Fuchsia plant for a fall garden, it's important to look for its hardy variety," Quinney shares. "Perfect for planting near seating areas or outside garden rooms, hardy fuchsias can thrive well into fall with gorgeous pendant flowers in reds, purples, and pinks." USDA Zone: 10-11 Color Varieties: Red, pink, white, violet, purple Mature Size: 1 to 2 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide Penstemons Penstemons are hardy perennial plants with trumpet-shaped flowers that will keep blooming into autumn. If you plant penstemons when they're already flowering, they will bloom immediately and can continue to bloom until your area's first frost. "One of the major perks of having this plant in the garden is that it is drought-tolerant and doesn’t require much maintenance at all, helping it survive through fall," Quinney says. USDA Zone: 3-8 Color Varieties: Purple, blue, orange, red, yellow, pink, white Mature Size: 6 in. to 8 ft. tall and 8 to 20 in. wide Abelia x Grandiflora This semi-evergreen shrub has long-blooming, fragrant flowers in white, pink, and peach tones—and its foliage turns a stunning bronze shade in the fall. "It excels so well in the autumn because it’s low maintenance, and it provides great structure and colour later on in the year," Quinney says. "If planted while flowering, the Abelia x grandiflora will bloom from August through to fall, and its beautiful flowers and foliage display can last into October or November.” USDA Zone: 6 to 9 Color Varieties: pink, peach, white Mature Size: 4 to 6 feet

7 Tips for Traveling Alone for the First Time

If you’re like me (a chronic worrier and overthinker), the idea of solo travel can be a daunting thing. From going out at night alone to not speaking the language, there are lots of potential questions that may be preventing you from booking a trip. But while the scariest part of solo travel is that you’re in charge of everything, the most rewarding part of solo travel is, well, that you’re in charge of everything. Whether you like to have a loose itinerary or one packed as tight and seamless as your suitcase, you have no one to tell you differently. And as someone who has now experienced it personally, I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing more exhilarating and introspective than a solo adventure. To help you step out of your comfort zone and prepare mentally and physically for your next trip, here are some tips for dealing with travel anxiety. 01 of 07 Do your homework. For your first solo trip, it’s probably a good idea to choose a destination with a developed tourist infrastructure. Locals will be used to dealing with visitors and many people will also speak English, which will be helpful if you don’t speak the local language. Wherever you choose, make sure to research the locale beforehand to get a lay of the land and a sense of where you should (and should not) go. Are some places dangerous to go alone past 9PM? Is it going to be pouring rain the whole time you’re there? What time do things close? How does public transit work? These are all things that you’ll want to go into knowing. 02 of 07 Look for all-inclusive resorts. If this is your very first international solo trip, I recommend choosing an all-inclusive resort to stay at. This will be great if planning an entire itinerary is daunting to you or you’re intimidated by navigating directions in a foreign country. You can get everything you need without going far, and there’s comfort in knowing that you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. Don’t worry—you’ll still be able to meet a lot of people on the property and you’ll feel entirely immersed in another world. For example, Delta Hotels by Marriott Riviera Nayarit, An All-Inclusive Resort is surrounded by a variety of zen pools in the remote mountains that makes you not want to leave, but you also have the option to take their shuttle to relax by their nearby Beach Club if you want different scenery and a bit more bustle. It also has a variety of cuisines for dining options and a couple bars that will allow you to meet tons of locals there for staycations and fellow travelers passing by. 03 of 07 Be open to talking to people. Speaking of other people, while traveling alone might sound lonely, the best part of traveling alone is you actually end up being way more social and meeting new people you wouldn’t have talked to otherwise. Don't shy away from the locals who know the place much better than you and can help you explore some cool places that are unheard of. Engaging with other travelers on a solo trip can also make your trip more enjoyable—and who knows? It may lead to lifelong friendships and future travel partners for future trips. 04 of 07 Ask the hotel for itinerary recommendations. First time traveling solo at all? In that case, it might be a good idea to start with something domestic where you can get a foreign cultural experience without actually leaving the country. Look for hotels with options onsite that you can partake in. For example, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach offers cultural experiences like Japanese whiskey tasting, Japanese tea ceremonies, origami lessons, and Japanese calligraphy that makes you feel immersed in a completely different culture without traveling abroad. 05 of 07 Split up cash and cards. I always recommend keeping your passport in a hotel safe since that’s the worst thing you can lose, but you’ll also want to keep some of your cards separated too. It’s surprisingly easy to misplace your things when traveling, and since you’re in an unknown environment it makes it even harder to track something down once you realize it’s gone. If you happen to lose your purse or fall victim to a pickpocket, having backup cash and cards in your suitcase or hotel safe can really save the rest of your trip (can you tell I’m speaking from personal experience?). 06 of 07 Be prepared. It’s true that it’s better to be overprepared than underprepared, especially when you’re by yourself in a foreign city. Make a small list of things you’ll want to carry around with you when exploring, and don’t forget to check it off before leaving the hotel. My must-haves: a small battery charger (there’s nothing worse than a dead phone when you’re by yourself), medication, Airtag (this has saved me so many times), and some extra cash if you’re in a pinch. Another hack? Download the place you’re going to on Google maps-—you never know if you might run out of data or signal, so it’s super useful to have your maps offline. 07 of 07 Learn the language. Before you go anywhere, learn a little of the local language. Even if it’s just ‘good morning’, ‘thank you,’ and ‘a coffee please,’ it will go a long way and make it more likely to get help or recommendations should you need it.

Yay Or Nay Reviews: Our Honest Feelings About 5 Major Mattress Brands (Because We’ve Slept On Them:))

Purchasing a mattress is a big deal. We spend so much time sleeping (or laying) in our beds that making the not-ideal decision for our wants and needs would be SUCH a bummer. Not to mention so cumbersome because it’s not a small little thing either. We’re here today to help you make an educated decision on the mattress that’s best for you! Over the years, we’ve tried a handful of really popular mattress brands and wanted to give our real-life, tried and true opinions. Five brands, lots of thoughts. Let’s go! Tuft & Needle From Julie: “Five years later and I’m still as in love with this mattress as day one. You know that feeling of getting cozy in a great hotel bed? That’s how it feels every night and it has great support while also being cushy. You will love a hurkle-durkle morning with this mattress.” From Emily: “This is a ‘100% satisfactory mattress’ as in it’s a solid choice. There are a few inches of softness but still pretty firm. I also love that it doesn’t feel like it’s going to lose its shape fast because of the firmness. I just feel that it’s a great middle-of-the-road softness that can please most people and guests.” From Jess: “Suprise! I have this mattress too and I really like it. While I love the feeling of a cloud-like mattress, my back has a different opinion. So like Em, I agree that it’s a medium softness which is ideal for me! I got to go to the Tuft & Needle store to try them all out so I was super confident about my decision. My only VERY silly and not important “complaint” is that the fabric cover does sometimes leave indents when I sleep on my side but clearly they go away fairly quickly. And actually this mattress is made for side sleepers like me:)” Leesa From Gretchen: “I was in dire need of a new mattress when it came time to makeover my bedroom and thankfully I scored with this Original Mattress from Leesa. While I can sleep comfortably on virtually any surface, I will say I truly LOVE this bed. It’s on the firmer side, but because it’s made of foam, it hugs your body just right. I sink in just enough to feel like I’m being cradled without being sucked in. I’ve had it for just about a year and it’s held up incredibly well – it still looks and feels brand new!” From Emily: “Honestly, I’m super jealous of this mattress. It is insanely soft and plush and is like sleeping on a cloud. The quilted topper lets you really sink in but it’s still very supportive. If I were to buy a new mattress for me and Brian now I would buy this one. A true surprise hit! So if you’re into sleeping on a cloud, this is your mattress. We have the “chill” version but haven’t noticed the cooling aspect but love it regardless.” Saatva From Ken (Emily’s Brother): “My wife and I generally prefer a firm mattress because of our back problems and this one is perfect. So ya, it’s firm but does have a little spring. Since sleeping on this mattress, both backs feel so much better! And I know this is kinda random but the fitted sheet stays on so nice. Our last mattress was a super expensive memory foam and every night the sheet would pop off. It drove me nuts. Sleeping on this mattress is a night and day compared to that one. We are so happy with this new one.” Avocado From Arlyn: “I’ve had my Avocado mattress for three years and I still feel good about it specifically because it’s organic and doesn’t have so much yuck that traditional mattresses do have like fiberglass and fire retardants. In terms of comfort, it’s a pretty firm mattress and hasn’t gotten much softer over the years. That’s actually what I was looking for, but do sometimes miss the cushiness of my old memory foam mattress. It has helped my back greatly, but am considering swapping the firm mattress topper I got from them to a softer one eventually.” Casper From Mal: “I’ve had my Casper Dream Max for about a year and I LOVE it. When I laid on it in the store it was the cushiest, comfiest mattress I tried out by far – the lady at Casper told me it’s great for side sleepers (I sleep on my side, back, and front honestly but have noticed it’s much comfier to sleep on my side than other mattresses). It doesn’t have a ton of spring to it so if that’s your thing maybe skip Casper as a brand since their mattresses are more thick, cloudlike and sinkable (while still being supportive) but it does have the technology where if you’re sleeping with a partner you can’t feel their movement in the mattress as much if they get up or shift around in the night which is awesome. I really love this mattress overall and I think it’s so so comfy while still feeling very supportive. Plus, it comes in a box to your door so it’s nice not having to deal with the hassle. BTW if you’re looking between the Dream Max and the Snow Max – I personally felt the Dream Max was way softer/comfier even though they say they’re both Medium Soft (maybe it’s because the Snow Max has 2 extra layers?). Thought I would throw that out here because I genuinely love cooling elements as a hot sleeper so I thought I would like it more but turns out I’m team Dream Max!” That’s how we all feel:) Do you all like these kinds of reviews? Let us know!! Love you, mean it.