The Chair Collection

As a serial thrifter, I have had to overcome the temptation to clutter my home with too many good deals. I am a compulsive kitchen accessory collector, and my husband is a recovering chair collector. Fortunately, up until our recent house purchase, we have always lived in houses with extremely limited kitchen storage, which has forced me to be more thoughtful about the things I keep in my cabinets. Unfortunately, my husband and I are very creative furniture arrangers, and have managed to cram an absurd amount of chairs into our living space.

It has taken some time to learn the lesson that just because something is cheap, doesn't mean it's needed. The hardest part is that when shopping second-hand, most items won't be there more than a day or two. I have a few items, that I am still kicking myself for not purchasing. A really stylish raincoat, an oversized mid-century desk, and four-story vintage doll house come to mind. As recently as yesterday my husband was regretting passing up a vintage light box. But overwhelmingly, I am thankful for the amount of things I have stuffed back on the crowded shelves to become someone else's great find.

For the record, we currently have 20 adult-sized chairs (including dining & office chairs, but excluding outdoor or folding chairs) and 6 child-sized chairs in our house.