Arm chair, c. 1930

…and now for something completely different. Recently I was offered, and gratefully accepted, two chairs which had belonged to my grandparents and which date back to around 1930. They no longer suited my aunt’s needs, and my father, keen to see them stay in the family if they were wanted, offered them to me (with refurbishment thrown in). Not an offer to refuse – particularly when I too had a sentimental attachment to the chairs. After all, I remember them from my grandparents’ home and I do love to have around me things that have some meaning. Readers of this blog know that I love gums and so will not be surprised that the fabric I chose for the new upholstery is called Gumleaf. I am thrilled with it – it’s soft but distinctive – and adds another layer of meaning to the chairs for me!

My father remembers sitting in these chairs and smoking a fat cigar with his dad (some many years after 1930 I hasten to add) – and I think chairs like this were sometimes called smoking chairs. I’m not quite sure what “like this” means other than perhaps that such chairs are very comfortable to sit and relax in. These ones can even be reclined.

You may wonder, though, why I am writing all this? Well, it’s because while some might see them as smoking chairs, I reckon others could very well see them as reading chairs. Not only is this one comfortable, but it has nice wide armrests for that cup of coffee (or whatever takes our fancy) that we like to imbibe while reading. But, more importantly, though you can’t see this easily in the photo, under the armrests are deep open pockets in which it is possible to stow a few books from the TBR pile. They were only delivered last week and, with Christmas around the corner, I have little time to read but, come the new year, I think I will have a new favourite place to read…