I realized years ago that I don't feel particularly connected to the idea of a diamond engagement ring. There are other gems I like better so I figured that I'd just end up with something non-diamond when the time rolled around. But then that just sort of evolved into something non-ring in general because while I still like the idea of a guy gifting something, putting forth a little effort, to ask a girl to marry him, I wasn't attached to a ring necessarily.
But why the chair particularly involves a couple of reasons.
When I was little my family moved around kind of a lot, but my parents always made a place feel like a home and that was really comforting to me. Even houses we lived in for a short time had pictures hung up and new paint on the walls. Consequently, as a grown up I have found that feeling comfortable and safe in my living space is extremely important to me. So a huge part of getting married is establishing a new home with Aaron, where ever that home may be, for the rest of our lives. I'll read in this chair, I'll rock babies in this chair, I'll get old in this chair. Knowing it will move with us from house to house and city to city and adventure to adventure, is both exciting and comforting.
An Eames rocker became the particular chair of choice some time ago as I realized that, not surprisingly, as far as design goes I'm most drawn to the aesthetics of my mother and grandmother. Being careful around my grandparents tulip table or Eames lounge chairs were part of my memories of visiting California before I knew or cared about those things as furniture pieces, or that my grandmother acquired them while she was working as a designer at firm authorized to sell Herman Miller products. My mom has consistently paid attention to different building and house styles and she casually taught all of us about architects of the last century and style like the arts and crafts movement and modern and contemporary furniture design. So while I've gone around and around in what I've filled my own space with up to this point, more and more I turn to clean and simple lines and shapes as well as turn to the the knowledge I can glean from the women who have loved those things longer than I.
The icing on the cake for me is that in their original run Herman Miller gave Eames rockers to pregnant employees, which is pretty fantastic and adorable, so I really look forward to putting my own blue one in a home with Aaron.
6 comments:
pretty adorable The Cliff.
Ditto. Even double ditto!
awesome. now I want one.
wonderful. i fully support the engagement furniture movement you have just started
I'm happy you posted the story. I wondered how the chair thing evolved!
I know exactly what you mean. My family did the same - moving all across the country as I grew up. My grandmother's house was the only thing that really meant home to me, because wherever we went, she stayed where she was - her furniture all in the same, beautifully ancient places. Her wing back chair sits in my living room, where it has been since we built this house thirty years ago - it was home to me as a little kid. It's still home.
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