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Post by sleepboy on Jun 2, 2008 8:05:33 GMT -8
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Post by benvan on Jun 2, 2008 8:36:49 GMT -8
The modern furniture market is very much like the art market. Different places specialize in different eras or types of modern furniture. Very popular now is the Mid Century Modern style, like Danish modern, or eames era stuff. Some places have more ultra modern stuff, and some have very simple modern. Depends on what you like. I am not very familiar with the places in LA, but if you are ever in the Bay Area, I could recommend several, for both original stuff and knock offs. I would bet the Mid Century Modern furniture is in a lot of places in and around LA, since much of it basically originated there.
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irsk
Full Member
Posts: 245
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Post by irsk on Jun 2, 2008 12:49:17 GMT -8
use Design Within Reach (dwr.com) to education yourself about what you like (then find cheaper elsewhere)
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Post by jimandtara on Jun 29, 2008 19:23:59 GMT -8
Hung -
Very cool that you have furniture as an art topic of discussion!
Were the last 2 pieces in your post examples of your favorites from the musuem? If so, you have an incredibly intuitive feel for what is "good" modern design. Those are both George Nakashima pieces - one of the masters of 20th century furniture design and craftsmanship!
If anybody has any questions, I've been a study/collector of mid-century modern for a LONG time. I was lucky enough to be able to put together a fairly large collection of period modern furniture/objects before sellers knew what they had - I got all of it on the cheap at garage/church/estate sales etc over the years. Its getting harder and harder to do nowadays.
jIm
BTW Hung - did you end up getting to that Modernica warehouse sale?
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Post by sleepboy on Jun 29, 2008 22:16:32 GMT -8
Hung - Very cool that you have furniture as an art topic of discussion! Were the last 2 pieces in your post examples of your favorites from the musuem? If so, you have an incredibly intuitive feel for what is "good" modern design. Those are both George Nakashima pieces - one of the masters of 20th century furniture design and craftsmanship! If anybody has any questions, I've been a study/collector of mid-century modern for a LONG time. I was lucky enough to be able to put together a fairly large collection of period modern furniture/objects before sellers knew what they had - I got all of it on the cheap at garage/church/estate sales etc over the years. Its getting harder and harder to do nowadays. jIm BTW Hung - did you end up getting to that Modernica warehouse sale? yah, those were my favs. let's see ur loot...  didn't end up going. maybe next year. |
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Post by jimandtara on Jun 30, 2008 16:27:48 GMT -8
Will do Hung - been meaning to take pics of our furniture collection for some time - part of why I always procrastinate is that I have WAY more pieces than I have room for in our current place (only 900 sq ft). The rest is in storage - more than I have out actually. Tara's parents who live in Seattle have been after us to take pics of our place since we finally got a coherant MOD look throughout but we never get around to it. I have pics of some furniture pieces by accident if they happen to be in a shot of my art ;D
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Post by devours on Jul 6, 2008 19:03:31 GMT -8
I am in love with mid century furniture, with a studious obsession with chairs. Art and design meld much together, and I was VERY fortunate to discover my first authentic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman about 12 years ago. The leather was ripped, yet a deep chocolate brown and the veneer was a very rare Rosewood. I found it at an old second hand furniture store, loved it for many years before giving to my parents before moving to America. You cannot go wrong by adding anything by Eames in your home. The greats like Panton, Knoll, Saarinen, Nelson and Starck are all designers I follow and crave. This is my most coveted piece that so far is only avail in the U.K. This was a collaboration with the very cool Vitra and costs about $11,000. www.nest.co.uk/product/vitra_white_lounge_chair_and_ott/?printCurrently still negotiating with my fiancee who tries to reason, that I could buy a standard one from Herman Miller for half the price and a couple Murakami prints that I have my eye on....but the lighter walnut finish and that AMAZING chrome base makes me purr! If I am lucky to order one, will definitely post a pic of it in my loft with my happy butt on it. |
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Post by sleepboy on Jul 7, 2008 21:37:49 GMT -8
I am in love with mid century furniture, with a studious obsession with chairs. Art and design meld much together, and I was VERY fortunate to discover my first authentic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman about 12 years ago. The leather was ripped, yet a deep chocolate brown and the veneer was a very rare Rosewood. I found it at an old second hand furniture store, loved it for many years before giving to my parents before moving to America. You cannot go wrong by adding anything by Eames in your home. The greats like Panton, Knoll, Saarinen, Nelson and Starck are all designers I follow and crave. This is my most coveted piece that so far is only avail in the U.K. This was a collaboration with the very cool Vitra and costs about $11,000. www.nest.co.uk/product/vitra_white_lounge_chair_and_ott/?printCurrently still negotiating with my fiancee who tries to reason, that I could buy a standard one from Herman Miller for half the price and a couple Murakami prints that I have my eye on....but the lighter walnut finish and that AMAZING chrome base makes me purr! If I am lucky to order one, will definitely post a pic of it in my loft with my happy butt on it. oh how screwed i would be if i started collecting furniture as well  you have pics of the eames? |
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Post by jimandtara on Jul 8, 2008 21:49:44 GMT -8
oh how screwed i would be if i started collecting furniture as well you have pics of the eames? Hung - Below are a couple of pics I've taken already because of something else in the shot that happen to have a couple of my Eames pieces in them (still havent taken just furniture pics though). The Orange Eames RAR (Rocker Armchair) and the 2 yellow Eames Arm Chairs came from the same home - they are VERY rare transistion models that Charles himself likely worked on (I was told this by an expert an The Art Institute in Chicago, they had only seen one example before and it was trashed, they wanted them BAD)  All 3 are MINT - the lady I bought them from bought them at the Merchandise Mart in the 50's and kept them in room with no sunlight and on carpeted floor all these years. Like going back in a time machine! Got the set for $75 about 10 years ago The 3rd chair is again, a very RARE Eames bent plywood chair, LCW ( Lounge Chair, Wood legs) - its the earliest of the black anodized examples made by Evans for Eames (not Herman Miller). The lady I bought that chair from thought it was a "camp stool"... $10, 5 years ago at a garage sale! Eames Rocker...  Pair of Armchairs...  LCW...  Almost forgot this fun little piece - its an Eames 'Hangs It All'....  I have some more Eames pieces - some in storage in the event we get a bigger house! jIm |
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Post by svenman on Jul 9, 2008 13:00:50 GMT -8
great stories about how you picked up those classic eames chairs. you hear of people lucking out like that, but you hit the jackpot on those! ;D
i've got a couple of eames dsw chairs in the dining room, and i also have one of the hang it alls - great stuff!
i'm building an extension to my house and am planning it around paintings (i've been in touch with an artist to come over to the uk and do a big install on one of my new walls) and furniture....
i think you need the right space to truly have classic design furniture make a statement.
i've got plans for an arco lamp, a george nelson marshmellow sofa and a barcelona chair and stool amongst a few other things.
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Post by jimandtara on Jul 9, 2008 16:52:02 GMT -8
great stories about how you picked up those classic eames chairs. you hear of people lucking out like that, but you hit the jackpot on those! ;D i've got a couple of eames dsw chairs in the dining room, and i also have one of the hang it alls - great stuff! i'm building an extension to my house and am planning it around paintings (i've been in touch with an artist to come over to the uk and do a big install on one of my new walls) and furniture.... i think you need the right space to truly have classic design furniture make a statement. i've got plans for an arco lamp, a george nelson marshmellow sofa and a barcelona chair and stool amongst a few other things. Svenman - How right you are about having the appropriate space for the furniture to make a statement. My problem is that my constraint is the space - not the furniture. I have enough period, museum grade examples to fill a nice sized Eichler home and still have some extras. Right now we have a 900 sq ft 1920's era bungalow to work with, aiming and saving towards a modern masterpiece 100% suitable to our furnishings. There is a 'Keck and Keck' house built in 1949 that is unbelievable one street over. Nobody knows what it is, even the 2 old ladys that live there. They know I want it when they leave, I've made that clear - one told me on a walk one night that they may move out west to be with one of thier children soon (fingers crossed!). If that falls thru - we will work with the right architect and get that perfect house built someday. BTW - I hear Robert Rummer is getting back into the business of building modern post and beam construction again!  Now that would be fun! We have laid out well within the space we have to work with the right objects (pics don't do it justice). Even though its small this little house has flow. You never feel like you are only in the room that you are in - each flows right to the next. Hey speaking of stories and George Nelson - check the "eye" clock in the pic below. I found that on a fleamarket table for $15 about 12 years ago  jIm |
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Post by jimandtara on Jul 9, 2008 17:01:55 GMT -8
Sven -
One more thing - please post pics when you put together that addition to your house. A marshmellow sofa is one piece I've always had on my list of treasures to find and have never found! Tara really loves that piece... is yours multi-colored or solid?
jIm
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Post by devours on Jul 10, 2008 16:43:43 GMT -8
Great thread, and I seem to be spoiled for space, as our loft is over 2000 sq feet with 2 floors. Took a few hours last night to read a few of my Eames books with all this talk about amazing pieces, and I think instead of blowing some cash at SDCC on toys I wont even enjoy weeks later, I might buy a LCW in a lovely walnut veneer. I love hearing about pieces been found for a great price, but also love the heritage beginning with you, as soon you buy the item. New and fresh, only to be loved and aged with marks and story over years. For me Eames and Saarinen have pieces that could easily be passed down and admired. Pieces like the Nelson bench, the Eames screen, the Panton S chair, the Jacobsen Egg Chair and the Barcelona Day Bed spring to mind as being eternal in design and things of beauty. Heck I even eat with the Arne Jacobsen 2001 cutlery series. They were expensive, but whether it is a cereal or a home cooked 5 course meal, they are very pleasurable to use, and I would recommend owning at least one set heh. Great design can also start with smaller items, like the Nelson Ball clock, the Marc Newson doorstop, the Starck Juicy Salif, the Karim Chess Set, and the Eames House of Cards. It never ends, sigh. |
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Post by jimandtara on Jul 10, 2008 23:11:08 GMT -8
devours - Wish I had you're space! You're so right about the hierloom aspect to great design - if something ever happened to us my stuff would all be absorbed by the family (after some civil fighting I'm sure). Since all of my items were found objects from YEARS of active pursuit (I must have 100's of hours running through garage/estate/church sales, thrift stores, fleamarkets) - every object has a story. My family knows the passion I have invested in my collection. My oldest sister refers to our place as Jim and Tara's museum Funny you mention Panton S and the Nelson Ball Clock in the same breath - check out the pic below looking from my kitchen into the back room. My S chairs are VITRA re-issues - never been lucky enough to find any period versions. Again, pic was taken to show one of my electronic treasures I saved from the trash about 5 years ago(the TV) - a worker at a thrift store was about to heave it in the trash when I yelled at her to stop. She said it didnt work but I asked her to put a price on it anyway - she handed it out to me with a $3 sticker. I took it home thinking I would fix whatever was wrong with it since it looked brand new - plugged it in and it works like a charm. Must not get good reception in that store! ;D Its now one of the most sought after in collectible TV's. Thats another place people can start and have fun with good design - there are some great functional pieces, like telephones, radios, clocks, lamps etc. The little plywood cube table I made...  Pulled back a little further...  jIm |
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Post by svenman on Jul 11, 2008 1:41:22 GMT -8
ooh, i see a butterfly stool also! awesome. also on my hit list. i nearly bought one last week, but resisted until i get all my packing boxes out of the way.
you guys have some great pieces.... and the ply table looks good!
btw. the nelson sofa i have my eye on is the multicoloured version.
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Post by jimandtara on Jul 11, 2008 16:26:08 GMT -8
ooh, i see a butterfly stool also! awesome. also on my hit list. i nearly bought one last week, but resisted until i get all my packing boxes out of the way. you guys have some great pieces.... and the ply table looks good! btw. the nelson sofa i have my eye on is the multicoloured version. Sweet! I love that multi-colored version. Thats the one to get IMO. Something like that I will have to wait on until we get our bigger place - given the upholstered seat pads etc on that piece, I'd actually prefer a new one over a period one anyway (well, I wouldnt walk past one if I found one, but that will never happened!). Can't wait to see pics of it in your place..... jIm Oh - and thanks for the good word on that table. I actually made a thin-edge bed a la George Nelson last year (I think I actually have pics of making that one somewhere). That was a case where either I made it or we went without cause they don't make Cali Kings in those pieces! Back in the day, they put 2 twins together! |
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Post by sleepboy on Jul 19, 2008 8:16:19 GMT -8
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Post by jimandtara on Jul 19, 2008 20:23:51 GMT -8
Holy sh+t! That bench is unbelievable! That is a bent-ply masterpiece! Charles and Ray Eames themselves would be speechless.... I love how it starts out as very strict form and function as the seat, then spills off the side into free-form chaos, coming back into form up the wall as a sculpture - genius! I want it! jIm |
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Post by sleepboy on Aug 24, 2008 16:11:34 GMT -8
Damn, forgot to go to this store in London. Oh, well next time. Thinking about seeing if I can get this Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry. I think it retails for $1500. Don't know if it's worth it though, it's made from cardboard.  |
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Post by jimandtara on Aug 24, 2008 20:09:31 GMT -8
Hung - Thats an excellent piece! I have a period example from the 70's in storage (no room for it here) - its not what you think when you imagine cardboard - its a very substancial piece of furniture! Franks one of the greatest designers of our time! Also - if you're going to pull the trigger, buy it from Highbrow Furniture. They have excellent prices and shipping is always free! Great CS too... www.highbrowfurniture.com/seating/products/gehryvitra/Also - if you want to watch a great documentary film, "The Sketches of Frank Gehry" is incredible! Trailer.... jIm |
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Post by sleepboy on Aug 25, 2008 7:07:00 GMT -8
ooh thanks, great price! i just need to find a place to put it first |
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Post by ally on Aug 27, 2008 12:09:37 GMT -8
ooh a thread after my own heart!!! the wiggle chair is awesome, R23 downtown used them and they are better than they look, the only "issue" is that they are corrugated cardboard, so if you have a cat or plan to sit on it a lot, it will crush.... i collect danish teak and some mcm. my pet peeve though, are people who try to duplicate a page out of dwell. cheesy! add some mcm to your home, but make your own statement... silverlake has some great stores....pepe, sunset orange, etc drive down sunset and you will see many....also palm springs has TONS of shops too. worth the drive out... here are my prized pieces, chairs from kai kristiansen, a rare set of originals that i got for $25 each!!! (thank you craigslist and people that dont know what the hell they are selling!!!)  other faves dining set by hans olsen  kagan (i only have a side table right now, but one day when i win the lotto, would like the sofa, ($20,000.00)   |
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Post by jimandtara on Aug 27, 2008 20:52:33 GMT -8
Hey Ally! I forgot you collect Danish modern... You WOULDNT believe what is sitting in an un-used living room four doors down from me right now. For the last 3-4 years we take my cousins kids out trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Last year one of the little ones toddled past one of my neighbors and into her living room - I went after her and found myself standing in what looked like a Vladimir Kagan museum! Two of the couches like you showed, 2 end tables, a coffee table and a side-board similar to the other pic you showed! I asked the woman about it and she said it was her husbands parents house and when he inherited it they left the living room as it was and never use it. She told me that she is trying to get him to "get rid of it" so she can remodel - I told her without seeming too enthusiastic that if she ever got her way, that I wanted it all. She said, "its yours, please take it" - she actually approached me at the store one day and said I still havent forgot you, do you still want our old living room furniture. I told her most definately YES So we shall see - I'm waiting for a knock on my door one of these days! There was also a really cool pole lamp that looked very dansk! jIm |
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Post by ally on Aug 28, 2008 18:16:39 GMT -8
jim, where do you live so i can come by late at night when you are out of town and ransack your place? ;D ;D i loooooove kagan. more than words can say..... |
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Post by sleepboy on Aug 29, 2008 9:30:23 GMT -8
ooh a thread after my own heart!!! the wiggle chair is awesome, R23 downtown used them and they are better than they look, the only "issue" is that they are corrugated cardboard, so if you have a cat or plan to sit on it a lot, it will crush.... damn i forgot about that. my fiance's cats will scratch that chair for sure. guess i'll have to pass. |
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Now that would be fun! 
