I’m looking for a new chair.

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The one I have is cheap, made of some flimsy fake-leather imitation, and also, it is peeling. Toss a line into the LA river behind my home and you might easily snag a chair just like mine—no bait required.

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In terms of function, my chair is just fine. But I have learned there’s a difference between a good chair and a great chair, and after having had this chair for five years and in five homes, I've decided that I am ready to put the work into finding something more permanent—and, more importantly, for which I myself paid the price for.

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I want a chair like Vincent Van Gogh.

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His was made of wood and had a straw seat. Most likely, it was constructed by the hands of a hardworking peasant in France, near The Yellow House where Vincent once lived.

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In 1888, Vincent painted his chair. It’s called Van Gogh’s Chair—and it is, in my opinion, one of his best self portraits.

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In order to find my chair, I feel as if I must prepare to spend hundreds, if not thousands of hours conducting my research.

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What should the material be? And how short or long should the legs be?

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Should the design be simple and straightforward; or complex, with its joinery hidden away from what the untrained eye can see?

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In writing this, I can only hope I am a little closer to finding out.