Craigslist Catch: Mid-Century Dining Set

So I’ve been really busy the last couple of weeks between my 9-5 and home projects… I’ve got a really fun DIY to share with y’all soon!  In the interim, I thought I’d show off another of my Craigslist Catches.

I’ve posted about a couple of my gems from Mr Craig’s list, like my mid-century style dresser…

…and the file cabinet that I painted.

This find, I am particularly obsessed with proud of. Check out our dining set:

In reality, it’s those sexy cantilever chairs that tugged my heart strings.  Note: we have clearly added a jute rug and rearranged the living area since I snapped the above iPhone pic.

The table itself is your standard rectangular dining table. The supports for the leaf somehow became damaged so the previous owner bolted it together underneath, meaning it doesn’t expand any more. But I doubt it would fit in our dining area if it were any longer than it is.

Back to the chairs. These things are in about as good of condition as secondhand furniture comes. There is a bit of paint on one of the chairs but methinks it will be easily removed.  Here is an obligatory detail shot.

I’ve spent hours (seriously like 12 total) trying to find information on these chairs online. There isn’t a maker’s mark on any of them. I have only ever found one set exactly like them online, and what I found was an outdated sales listing.  And it only listed them as “mid century style cantilever chairs” which, sadly, was not new information to me.  So these chairs are either extremely rare, or so irrelevant that no one has put anything online about them.

But even if that is the case, that’s ok, because I didn’t buy them for the value or their relevance in the design world.  I bought them because the instant I saw them I was in lurrrve.  Are you ready to hear the price?

(drumroll…) $40.  Yep, that’s $8 per piece, folks.  I actually paid $50 for them in the end.  I saw the listing last October (yeah I’m a bit behind sharing this…) when we were in New Mexico on vacation. I offered the seller $10 extra to hold the set for me until we got back to town. Worth. Every. Penny.

The new dining set replaced our old one, a World Market set that we got at a garage sale. It was scraped up, a bit wobbly, and even missing some of the seat slats, so I’m glad to have this sturdy, classy new set in its place!

I am thinking I’ll refinish the chairs in a slightly darker stain (something in the walnut family), and possibly even paint the table a punchy color, a la this, this and this.  Either way, what we’ve got right now is definitely an upgrade to what we had if you ask me!

Craigslist can really be a great source for secondhand treasures, but it really takes some dedication.  It’s true that I’ve had some great successes with Mr Craig but there have been countless times where my searches have been fruitless.  The key is patience and low expectations, kids!

So, what do you think about this Craigslist Catch?  Love it?  Hate it? Votes on what color I should paint the table?  Do tell…