2/21/11

Daystrom Furniture - Like, tubular.

So that's who made those chromed steel and aluminum kitchen sets with tubular legs. Daystrom. This stuff has been tarred and feathered with the stigma of lameness so that it's hard - even for me - to like it. But I still find a way. Shocking, huh?
In crime-type TV shows, the investigators generally track down an accomplice to his trailer home with three flat tires. I promise you that when the agents the startled perp will be in his kitchenette cooking a spoonful of crack, sitting at a daystrom dinette set. This is nice, because when you're strung out on drugs and hiding from johnny law, you don't have the time or energy to clean your furniture. That's where Daystrom's easy-to-care-for line of Masland Duran bright vinyl upholstery comes in.

The jpeg here is displaying really crapfully, but I promise that the file is much cleaner than it looks. If you don't believe me, go on and click through it. I'll wait right here.

There. Don't you feel like jerk now?

A quick search reveals that Daystrom still exists, but the vast majority of the images that pop up show their older stuff. This either means that they still make things like this, or the company was known for their modern designs and is now known for being mostly unknown. I suspect that Daystrom was mod in the fifties and sixties, groovy in the seventies, cocaine-y the eighties and anonymous in the present. It's just a feeling I get.

They do have a website, but as is so often the case, they're owned by a larger company called LADD, and it's furniture is marketed under the names American Drew, American of Martinsville, Barclay, Clayton Marcus, Design Horizons, Kenbridge, Lea, Pennsylvania House and Pilliod. I think I get it: the party's over. Here's a sad little statistic: Daystrom is alleged to currently employ 1-4 employees, according to this business profile.

One little ray of interestingness is that LADD is one of the biggest suppliers of institutional furniture to hotels, hospitals, and stuff. I've always wanted to find old furniture from a hospital or hotel super cheap at an auction or something. One hundred and six years ago, when I lived in California, I found four chairs from a doctor's waiting room at a thrift store, which found their way into my living room. I wish I'd brought them back with me.

Blah blah blah. yeah, whatever. Look how happy the lady is with her chair! The photographer caught her in a candid moment having a waltz with her beloved chair. "Wheeeee! Chair! I love chair! Tra-la- ha-ha-haaaa!" Man, that's great. She has a special relationship with chair and she doesn't care who knows it. File her under "overposed".

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a Daystrom set and need to replace the chair seats. Any suggestions? I love my set and want to keep it. The chairs are bright blue and look like ice cream parlor chairs.

PhilAreGo@gmail.com said...

Jeez, nothing useful from me. All I can think is that any shop that reupholsters furniture should be able to get your chair re-vinyled. If the foam is ruined, that's tougher, but the upholsterer should be able to do that as well. If there's a rigid seat made of wood, or metal or something, getting those replaced is harder. That will require some custom fabrication and will run into triple digit money.

I'm still jealous of your chairs though. Thanks for finding us!

[-Mgmt.]

Anonymous said...

Daystrom Furniture is having a 50th reunion on April 28th in South Boston Virginia. The company was WONDERFUL and NOT the same as what you have described at all.

See: http://www.gazettevirginian.com/index.php/news/34-news/5424-former-daystrom-workers-to-reunite-this-weekend

Unknown said...

I just got a Daystrom modern hairpin back bar stool for $15 at an auction in Idaho the first of this month. Was just buying it for my
g-granddaughter to sit on when she visits. I also got a gray table with two fold down leaves on the end along with two chrome chairs upholstered in hot pink (just the bottoms. Tag on bottom of chairs say Made by Daystrom, Division of Ladd Co.Got this set for $50 four years ago. Didn't look for a manufacturer until I got the stool. How old do you think this set is? I thought maybe this set was used in a restaurant in the 60's because of the hot pink seats. Thanks

Anonymous said...

I have a daystrom diningroom set which we love.
one chair has broken under the bottom of the seat. It has 0ne main post with four legs with wheels. The one post goes into a portion attached under the seat. The metal has broken on this piece under the seat and you can't sit in the chair as the back is way back now and won't stay up. Can we get a new metal piece and try to repair this. If not our set will be down to three chairs and the set will be usless for us. I'd appreciate your reply.Code on chair says
C17-9405-030C

Adbdad2@aol.com

PhilAreGo@gmail.com said...

Uuh, we are not the manufacturer of Daystrom furniture. We are a jokey graphics blog. Thanks for reading.

[-Mgmt.]

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