The Metal Surprise

While shopping in Crate & Barrel, I came across a stunning array of chairs that I couldn't pass up. This particular display challenged my perception of a material that is usually used on the old, cold, unforgiving chairs you find in a church basement.

Aluminum has a bum rap no longer. These trendy chairs are streamlined and slat-backed. Made in one continuous piece and polished to perfection, they come in a sleek table chair and a higher bar stool type. In 2010, the move towards functionality as well as style has pushed the production of metal chairs into high gear. They can be used indoor and out and will withstand years of wear. The prices are quite affordable:

The store also featured a model called the Lyle Side Chair.

It has a more rustic feel and is a little more expensive, but it is a visually enchanting piece.

It is crafted of galvanized steel that is reminiscent of an old farm bucket. Also stackable!

Check the Crate and Barrel website for the location nearest to you.

Flexible Love: The Eco-friendly Chair

I always enjoy a good visit to the ROM. On this particular occasion, I dropped into the gift shop to nose around and found some real beauties. One that caught my eye was an environmentally friendly, innovative design that can seat not just one person, but many.

Hello, Flexible Love Earth8:


This amazing chair is made of recycled paper and wood waste. It has an accordion like structure that expands in the round or stretches out to accommodate 8 people (up to 2112 lbs)! To reduce the green footprint, the seat is constructed using 'pre-existing manufacturing processes'. It's made by a company called Pinzaan CO, Ltd. and was designed by a young Taiwanese designer Chishen Ciu. He was inspired in his hometown of Miaoli, which is heavily into industrial manufacturing. He was working in a factory when he stumbled upon a honeycomb cardboard box insert and had an aha! moment. The structure was the basis for the chair.


The manufacturer also produces Flexible Love Virgin 20 (huge), Earth16 (coming soon in white). You can learn more by looking here. The ROM carries only the pictured version and the price is not for the faint of heart:

However, it's an unique concept, an incredible chair and I covet it. It's also surprisingly comfortable and easily portable.


Now, it's my goal to one day sit in a precursor to this lovely seat-a Frank Ghery Wiggle Chair but this was a great beginning. You'll find it near the front of the ROM gift shop, which is located at Bloor & Avenue, close to Museum Stn.

Happy sitting.

Get Ur Seat On

I love to sit. It’s a thing I’ve discovered lately and mostly because I just had a baby. In my recent past of go go go! I never took the time to savour the little things, like a fine perch on a soft seat. I was engaging in a particularly satisfying sit session one day last summer when it finally hit me -what am I sitting on? I’d taken for granted the fact that whatever had legs or a base and possibly a cushion would support my weight and make me less tired.

So I actually started to look at chairs: their shapes, their styles, their designs. How each one has its own personality.

They’re awesome.

My love for sitting has become entwined with my love for looking at and finding out about what I’m sitting in. Reviewing my photos, I realized that it has become one of my favourite things to do while I’m out and about. It’s just plain fun. And I like to share my fun.

So here we go. Me, in chairs: an epic adventure, or something like that.