Why vintage furnishings?
/Let’s chat about why you would want to consider vintage furniture for your home. Not everyone thinks of vintage the same way collectors do. Let’s face it, some are not in love with the past. Does your Grandma’s style speak to you? Maybe it never will! I enjoyed the kitschy items my grandmother had in her home. So much so that I took a little no name funky swivel chair I used to play on and invested $600 to have it redone with durable modern fabric. I still love it like I did then but even more so because it looks awesome and is no longer lumpy, ripped, faded and tired. You can take these items from the past and choose how they look going forward. New fabrics, tweaks to the design (I mostly hate skirts on chairs and sofas! I will remove them if not replace them!), new finish on the wood, etc. It’s rare that I find 50s/60s/70s era items in ready to use pristine condition. You have to be willing to get dirty to save them and preserve them.
In case you are not a seasoned Mid Century enthusiast, let me welcome you to the club! We are people full of passion for the design and history of the items we covet. We could go on for hours discussing designers and companies who may no longer exist. The mid century was a time when American was prosperous and innovation was keeping our factories pumping out all kinds of goods. Furniture was still very much hand crafted with exotic species that now would cost a fortune and in the case of Brazilian Rosewood, may not even be legal to harvest anymore. The Scandinavian manufacturers used Rosewood a lot. Scoring a dining table or chair set will set you back some dough, but you can’t even buy that new so how do you even put a price on it? I’m not here to diss new furniture. It has it’s place in a modern home. Nothing beats a statement piece that has age and charm. Whether you mix a traditional turn of the century antique or a mid century modern marvel, they all have the element of ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’. Another thing to mention, most of the vintage furniture will end up costing you less than buying a higher end new maker. Don’t compare your vintage to big box stores or even department store brands. I am talking heritage brands like you get when you work with an Interior Designer or even Crate and Barrel or Restoration Hardware. Do your research. A well preserved or restored set of vintage can save you money. And so what if you have to invest a little into it! I can tell you that as time goes on, there will only be less of it available and you have yourself a long term asset that you will at the very least recoup what you spent and you may even make out better when you sell them. Mid Century has been trending for many years now and it can get over played, but it never fades away. A few key MCM focal points will bring a great nostalgia and artsy element to your home. Think museum if you will! Many of my personal keepers are found in museums around the country! Plus it’s a nice bonding moment when a guest shows up and fawns over your impeccably placed red analine Eames LCW.
XO Malissa
New items are rolling in. Don’t delay if you spy something you like as the market is once again heating up! Chairish is still your best bet for reasonable shipping rates so check there first BUT, I am happy to try to get you other quotes too!
Here’s some fun history of my latest acquisition, a Jerry Johnson sling chair! It’s fabulous. Please stop by the blog I have linked for a thorough history on this chair and it’s maker! Click on the black box below the pics!
