Sort-of food related: dining room set question

A

amanda_pennsylvania

Well-known member
Years ago, I inherited a dining room set from my grandfather. It's a 1940s Duncan Phyfe-style table, chairs, and china hutch with a mahogany stain. The chairs have the lyre-backed style--you've all seen a million of these sets in antique stores and on eBay and Craigslist. And probably in other people's houses.

So, the chairs are falling apart. Two have cracked and Andy glued them back together. But he sat down on another chair and it practically exploded underneath him. It's so badly damaged that he doesn't think he can fix it (and he's a carpenter, so I think it's pretty much a goner).

The table and china hutch are in fine shape. I'm not really attached to this set--it's a mahogany stain and I'm more a golden oak kind of gal. Also, I love antiques but the style of this set is rather tailored for me. To further complicate things, I just inherited a buffet and corner whatnot from my mother that are dark (walnut?) and sort of go with this set.

So I have several questions:

1. Do I buy new (not antique) chairs to replace the ones that are falling apart and keep the rest of the set? You might think this would be the fiscally prudent approach, but chairs are amazingly expensive and I've found whole dining room sets for as much and less.

2. Do I look for more antique lyre-backed chairs to replace the chairs? They come on the market all the time. The problem with this solution is that I will probably get chairs that are also weakening with age and that won't solve the problem.

3. Do I sell this set and buy an antique one in golden oak that I really like? (Assuming I can find one at an affordable price in our area. But then what do I do with the pieces from my mother, which I do want to keep?)

I need to do something fairly soon. It's getting to be a question of hospitality--I'm afraid to have anyone over for dinner because I fear my chairs will fall apart underneath my guests.

So what say you? Any thoughts? Advice? Many thanks...

 
If you like going to tag sales, auctions and antique shows then I would

replace the chairs with antiques. You should be able to find sturdy ones if you aren't concerned that they all be exactly alike. You can just replace them as you need to 1 or 2 at a time. It can be difficult to find 8 (reasonably priced)that are all in good condition. If you can't stand antique shows or tag sales then new chairs are probably the way to go. It's a lot faster.

 
Well, here is my 2 cents......

The chairs are really not antique, from the 40's that is not 100 years old. Next, I had some antique chairs like that that I spent a lot of money having re-glued and restored, only because they had needlepoint seat covers that matched my dining room wall paper. Well, that never worked, the chairs continued to fall apart and I was always nervous when anyone who weighed over 125 pounds sat on them, which was often. As luck would have it I decided to move from Providence to NC and sold the entire set of chairs, table and beautiful sideboard back to the same antique dealer I had bought it from 10 years before for the same price. I didn't make any money but the base of the table was getting shaky too. I had 12 good years of entertaining with a beautiful set of antique furniture. Your problem is a sentimental attachment to what you inherited from your mother. Everything doesn't have to match. Keep what you love, sell what you don't and buy new/second hand/antique pieces that you need in order to have things that you can entertain with. I have a house full of eclectic things that I love.

 
and my 2 cents...

"Do I look for more antique lyre-backed chairs to replace the chairs? They come on the market all the time. The problem with this solution is that I will probably get chairs that are also weakening with age and that won't solve the problem."

---Don't buy the chairs unless they are in good shape. If they come on the market all the time then you'll have a good selection.

If you don't want the set go check out some options on pricing what you want/sell this set. Maybe you can find what you want at a consignment/antique type store and arrange a swap.

 
Thanks, all! Always helps to have a sounding board.

I think I'll wait and find a set I really like and not rush into anything. That will give me an excuse to explore the antique stores around here (if any!).

 
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