The nursery is still progressing at snail speed, but even at that rate we should finish it up this weekend and hope to have lots of pictures for you by the beginning of next week. I am sticking to my goal of hanging one thing a day (lofty, I know!) and this week I've hung a couple prints, some infamous blogger book ledges and the sweetest mobile.
This mobile was in the original mood board and it didn't disappoint when it arrived several weeks ago. So, so charming. I'm so glad we finally got it up, even if little Faye can't see that far yet.
Another thing that arrived several weeks ago is the glider we decided on. Way back in February, I posted about a bunch of different gliders and rockers at every price point, and the one we ended up purchasing--the Graham glider from West Elm--actually wasn't even on that list. I almost went with the Sweep Swivel chair that I depicted in the round up, but after learning it just swiveled and didn’t glide, I decided on the Graham in Dove Gray performance velvet.
It was a tough decision considering it was a more expensive glider (I got it on sale for $679, but after shipping and taxes it was just over $800) and I was going off of no reviews--I really wish West Elm published reviews on their site! And so, for anyone out there looking for a glider and wondering about the Graham, I can confidently say (after already logging around 200 hours in it), it is AMAZING and worth the price, maybe even more so if you're tall.
I am 6' and can comfortable rest my head back, something I couldn't do with my last glider and most gliders I have sat in. Also, the sleek curved arm shape not only looks good, but it has propped up my bobbing head up many nights. It does come with a matching lumbar pillow that was really great the first few days when I needed more back support to help with my posture when nursing, but now I tend to toss it off before sitting down.
The glide is really smooth and I haven't heard a squeak (yet!). I opted to not purchase the matching ottoman (I don't care for gliding ottomans) and made a little fluffy stationary ottoman to go with it which has been great for propping my feet up. The only potential problem I can see that we haven't encountered is how it cleans up. We still haven't had to spot clean it. Faye recently started spitting up a little bit, so we'll see! I am hoping the performance velvet holds up because even after it serves its purpose in the nursery, it is nice enough to pass in the living room or reading room--something we can have for a good long time! Overall, I would absolutely recommend it! 5 stars.
I am off to log in a few more hours in my chair with little Faye. Fortunately, as of this week, we finally got her days and nights corrected so the Graham is no longer doubling as my bed--as comfortable as it is (and as cute as she is!), there's no place like my bed these days.
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How do you clean your glider? We got a second hand one and would like to give it a good clean.
We have owned the West Elm Graham Glider for a little over a year now (baby is 9 months old). A couple of weeks ago my partner and I noticed it was making a knocking sound when we rocked. At first we thought there was a toy stuck in the glider mechanism somewhere, but on further inspection we noticed that a plastic piece holding ball bearings had broken and was on the floor (choking hazard!!). The chair has worsened since then and now makes a very loud noise if you rock. We are worried that it is permanently broken and are worried about more small pieces breaking off. On flipping it over to inspect it we also noticed that there was a small tear in the fabric (we got the heathered tweed in the cement color). We spent $839 on this chair and are very unhappy with it. We expected it to last through several kids and be a piece we could use for a long time. Other than being completely broken, it is a beautiful and comfortable chair, we just wish it was better quality and something that would last more than a few months. We called customer service today but their "system was down" and they were unable to help us and told us to call back later.
Hey Julia I was wondering if you think the graham glider in the velvet is hard to clean or what your experience is so far ? Thinking about ordering it but I’m unable to view the glider in person. Thanks!
Hi Julia, have you noticed any off gassing from this chair? I was reading reviews and one woman said she was suffering from headaches and they took the chair back because they found out it was off gassing formaldehyde. Really don't want to spend that much money to bring harm to my family, would love to hear your experience.
We've had it for so long, but I don't personally remember any.
I'm so glad it worked for you. Sadly, my experience was more like Justin's. We bought the special order fabric which took about 2 months to make and deliver. When it finally arrived, it had a horrible creaking sound! They decided we should send it back to the factory for repair. Another 1-2 months later, it was delivered and still creaked :( So, they sent a repair man out, but to this day it still creaks. They offered me a $200 store credit. But, we are still left with an expensive investment that doesn't serve the purpose we spent money for. A couple of other things I've noticed: This was my first child and I didn't know what nursing would be like. I found it uncomfortable to nurse in because the arms are so narrow and aren't good to rest on. Also, for someone short like me (5'4"), the depth of the chair and lack of ottoman have also been issues. I also used a stationary ottoman, but it just has been too low. And I'm too scared to spend more on the matching ottoman after the chair experience. I don't think it was designed for mothers. I think it's just being marketed that way, but should really just be considered for a rocking chair in a living room, not a nursery.
Hi, just bought (impulse - on sale) the Graham Glider in Dove Gray, saw it in person but at night with store lights ... now I'm seeing the Dove Gray in pictures it looks greige. Can you confirm? Doesn't really matter which color it ends up looking like, just wanted a direction which color to go for my crib. Thanks!
Also, Thanks for your review, it made the purchase a lot easier haha!
I'd say it's a perfect gray. Not too warm or cool.
What color is your glider? Thanks!!
It's Dove Gray
How do the arms feel? Do they bother you that they aren't as rounded? I am preferring the more modern look and have been fretting endlessly on which glider to buy.
They're super comfortable. Love the look and the way they feel.
Hi there!
My husband and I are seriously considering purchasing this for our first's nursery. I thought I'd reach out to you to see how it's held up thus far! In your post, you hadn't spot cleaned it or anything - is that turn out to be a problem? How has the fabric held up overall?
I would SO appreciate your insight! This is a big purchase for us, so we want to make sure we make the best decision!
-Hannah
Hannah, you will love this glider! Almost 2 years later and we still love ours. I've spot cleaned it a few times with just warm water and it has cleaned up no problem.
I have had the worst time finding a chair tall enough on the seat back to lean our heads back on. Like your family, we are both tall also. I was wondering if you could measure the height in inches the seat back is? I've contacted WE and the agent said it was 22", which there is no way it is that short with you being 6' tall and easily able to lean your head back on. I would greatly appreciate your help!
We got the glider when putting together our nursery, it looked great and was comfortable, however we didn't really use it until our son started sleeping in the nursery at about 4 months. After just a week or two of use, it developed a grinding/squeak (my wife and I are not large people)... I immediately oiled it with some 3 in 1 oil, but the grinding persisted and is getting progressively worse.
Unfortunately west elm has been a nightmare to deal with. Hours on hold speaking to numerous people who promise to have someone call us back, but no one ever does. We just called again and the woman on the phone said that there weren't any notes in the system from our previous calls. She said that it wasn't there problem 90 days after the sale and the notes were probably deleted when someone realized that. Then she said there is nothing they would do because they "aren't a furniture company, they are just a retailer".
I can't help but feel taken advantage of... we spent more on this glider because it was a West Elm product. They have lost my business... others beware that you have 90 days then you are completely on your own if there is a problem.
Justin, that is terrible to hear! We'll keep this review right here so others can be aware of your problem. Sorry to hear that. We are still very happy with ours. I do remember it started squeaking a little, but it only lasted a few days on our end. Maybe it was just breaking in.
Thanks for the review. I was thinking about that glider---but was on the fence. It is nice to see an honest review, so many baby blogs seem to get free stuff in exchange for giving glowing reviews, it is hard to know who to trust. Your nursery looks lovely. thanks for sharing.
We are planning to get the Graham for our nursery as well, I'm just so nervous about spit-up ruining it! Have you had any experience with that yet?
Yes! Not a problem. Just wiped it off with water. No stain at all.
Our Graham glider cleans up awesome! My son colored marker on it (dry erase) and it came right up, I spilled coffee all over and it wiped up no problem!!
Love the nursery! It is so sweet!
We have a WE couch in the performance velvet and it spot cleans really well! Just recently we had to get up strawberry smoothie (yikes!). I blotted up the liquid then used a damp cloth to blot the rest out. And then a dry cloth to dry....you can't even tell there was a spill!
Roxie, that's the best news!! Thank you!
Love everything! Where did the gold frame come from??
That's from Ikea--I just spray-painted it! Check out this post for details: https://chrislovesjulia.com/2014/01/diy-huge-letter-art-on-the-cheap.html
I must comment about the glider....I have the same one however I am 5 foot 2. This glider is pretty terrible for a petite person I can hardly get my elbows to rest on the sides while nursing!!! Lol But it is soooo beautiful and the material seems durable.
So good for others to know!! Thanks for weighing in, Aly.
We also have the glider - I am 5'-2" and find it to be very comfortable. I sit in it multiple times a day with our little guy. My husband is 6'-4", so we also appreciate the high back. We use a woven ottoman instead of the matching footstool. you can see a few photos here:
http://five2eight.blogspot.com/2013/08/wesleys-room.html
Aly, I noticed that in the store as well... but have you tried using a pillow to support your elbow? That was my plan if we get this glider.
Well, cool! I'm 6'0" too--and I dunno why, but always fun to see how tall other people are when you only see them online, ya know? I was guessing you were like 5'9" when you were saying you were tall. Annnnnyway, excited to see your full nursery. I'm sure it will be completely sweet for that little babe of yours.
Glad you're sleeping a little better over there. A little progress each week on that end too. ;)
Such a sweet picture of you and your little peanut. :-)
that mobile is amazing. i'm glad to hear your thoughts on the chair. it's been one we've considered when the time comes for us to need a nursery!
So glad to hear it works well for you! I had mentioned on the post when you bought it that we bought the same glider (baby due one month from tomorrow!). We skipped the ottoman too (it was pretty big for the small room we have), so it's good your small footstool is working (I grabbed a small one at an antique store, much more practical).
Also, holycow you guys are a tall family, no wonder Greta looks so big! If you're 6', how tall is Chris?!
He's 6'4"! We are a tall family. :)