From Lane Venture's website, here is a photo of the wicker I purchased. I have different fabric on mine. When you pull up the website, you'll see that you can select the color of wicker you'd like, as well as the fabric color/design you'd like. As I wrote above, this furniture has held up very well. I've used it in a 3-season's room, a sun room, and now it's in my bedroom. Depending upon the fabric you choose, you can dress it up or dress it down.....although it'll always be on the informal side because it is wicker. Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of my wicker furniture

Scooby-- I like how you think LOL. The difference IS a table! Or another chair! Or a bench and a weekend getaway! LOL lkplatow- hmm. I did not get your email-- and you didnt get mine. WHat's up with that? Maybe your spam filter? I did check mine though and there is nothing in it. I'll try one more time. Powermuffin and Laura (and all others from yesterday), thank you so much for your feedback. I am convinced it is a great chair for me-- now I just need to decide if it is the best of all she has to offer. I have seen more of her pieces now and love them all. She has also offered to do a custom piece for me. Decisions, Decisions!

In such instances, I type in (for example) "Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams" in search tub on Craigslist, and wait..very patiently..:) You liked it partially because it was comfortable..almost everything new that'd be well made, comfortable etc will cost a lot..chairs are notoriously expensive-the better made the more expensive. You can find a similar one new-but I'd make every effort to try to sit in it before. Maybe stores that run sales from time to time. HD Buttercup? I'm not sure can be found for under 300$ but who knows. But this is a chair you'll spend hours in..needs to be a good chair. So in addition to looking at what stores have, I'd check second hand route with chairs. It even can be someone bought it just recently, and has to move for a job, or doesn't quite work and he missed a window to return it, or many other things. It can be a bit different chair, but you'll know it has "good bones"..and you'd be able to check it out before buying. Granted, CL comes with its own set of minuses, yet it's still (one of the best sources for good, normally priced furniture. (Or else I'd still have a 60% empty house..)

I would put a chair on each side of the window, angled slightly toward each other with a small table and lamp between, then another chair near the steps as in your second drawing, angled toward the fireplace but a reasonable distance from the steps, and a small table next it. That would give enough space to enter the room and not be immediately met by furniture.