Vintage Views: Rave On Vintage

With an unique store concept and a converted 1960s house, Rave On Vintage has rolled onto the Austin vintage store scene. But owners Mike Hooker and Chelsea Wine definitely aren't new to the game and this time on Vintage Views, we have a chat with Mike about a number of things, including there being power in numbers for friendly vintage stores.

Tell us a little bit about Rave On Vintage. Do you have a specialty or do you sell anything that's vintage?
Our main focus is mid-century modern but we also carry bits of deco, industrial and other styles leading into the 1970s. Honestly, we buy what we like and hope others dig it too. Chelsea and I have always had a love for the style, music and culture of the 1950s and 60s and I think that’s apparent not only in the items we carry but in the overall aesthetic of our shop from the music we play to the way we display things and the manner in which we greet and assist our customers. We want people visiting our store to have a fun and memorable experience. And if they go home with their new favorite piece, all the better!

You used to be vendors at Hog Wild Vintage. Why did you decide to make the leap from vendor to vintage store owner?
It actually wasn’t our intention to open a store, at least not at the time we did. We had a good thing going at Hog Wild and then one day the owner announced he was retiring and leasing out the building. We briefly explored the option of being vendors at another space but ultimately decided we needed to go all in and have complete control of our own store if we wanted to continue being in this business. We opened our doors less than two months later and couldn’t be happier with our decision. It’s much more personal now. Before we just dropped items off at Hog Wild and picked up checks, which was great, but now we’re able to interact and build relationships with our customers, which is very rewarding.

And you have vendors at Rave On Vintage now. How's that working out and what do they add to store? 
It’s great. Two other former vendors from Hog Wild wanted to join us so that really worked out well. We knew they had a good eye for vintage and were dependable so we wanted them on board. In December we added another vendor who concentrates on vintage clothing and has done a wonderful job expanding that area. I think everyone brings something unique to the table and helps make us a well-rounded store.

You're located on North Loop, probably the most famous vintage shopping hub in Austin. Is there strength in numbers with vintage stores?
Absolutely! We knew we wanted to stay on North Loop and being on the cross route between many established shops has been beneficial for walk-in traffic but what has really impressed us is the support we’ve gotten from other area shops like Uptown Modern, Remixologie and Room Service. I couldn’t tell you how many customers have told us they came in at the recommendation of another shop. I’m so thankful that everyone has been so welcoming and supportive of us. Of course, we do our best to return the favor. I think only positive can come from that.

Your store is an old house, and each room is properly furnished with the items you’re selling. It's a pretty unique shopping experience. Did you find the space and then come up with the concept, or have the concept and go out house hunting?
We definitely had a vision of what we wanted our shop to be and were thrilled to find the space we’re in. The house was built in the 60s, it’s in a great location, there’s plenty of parking in the back and it has great lighting which were all pluses. We liked the idea of a converted house so we could stage rooms and give people more of an idea how things will work in a real home setting. The layout allows all the vendors to have their own areas and we share the kitchen and wet bar areas to keep those items together.

Have you seen any trends in vintage items people are looking for, either designer, style or type of piece ?
It seems to go in waves. For a while we had five people a day asking for credenzas to use as TV stands. Then everyone wanted nightstands, then bookcases, now it’s desks. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I think so long as it’s stylish, functional and in good condition, people will continue buying vintage. I’d have to say shell chairs and anything from the Broyhill Brasilia line are among our quickest sellers though.



What's your favorite piece to come through the store so far?
That’s a tough one. We’ve had so many amazing pieces come through and we continue to find things all the time that blow our minds. I’m usually most impressed by Danish-designed stuff because of the lines and craftsmanship. 



And what's your favorite piece in your home?
We have a 1964 ranch that’s done up modestly and tastefully. We don’t have a lot of expensive designer show pieces, just things that are practical to us, and usually picked up on the cheap. Choosing one single piece would be difficult, but I’d say my favorite area in our home is our formal living room (a.k.a. my record room). It has a lovely grass cloth accent wall and some of my favorite pieces in there would be this really cool Kroehler pink lounge chair that we found for $15 at a Goodwill in east Texas and a beautiful Danish-style lounge chair that we still haven’t been able to identify. The adjoining dining area is separated by an incredible metal room divider with two hanging red and blue globes. We have a Burke tulip table and chairs and a Brasilia china hutch in there, which I’m very fond of.

Finally, do you have any tips for people doing their own hunting at estate sales and flea markets?
It’s gotten difficult to find great deals in Austin because MCM is so popular and so many sellers are hip to that, which is why we travel the country regularly for the majority of our finds. But I gotta say, if you come across something you love and you’re willing to pay the asking price, don’t hesitate. Go ahead and get it. We’ve had numerous instances in our store where someone came back to get a piece they were eyeballing the day before only to find it gone. If you love it, buy it!


Rave On Vintage
1509 W North Loop Blvd.
Austin, TX 78756

Sunday-Monday: 12pm-5pm
Wednesday-Saturday: 11am-6pm

Vintage Views: The Retro Christmas Card Company

If you're like me you haven't sent your holiday cards yet, or even ordered them. If that's the case, you're in luck because you can still order them from The Retro Christmas Card Company, which has loads of mid-century and vintage inspired holiday cards.

This time on Vintage Views, we talk to Diane Dempsey, Art Director at The Retro Christmas Card Company.

How did The Retro Christmas Card Company get started?
I am a graphic designer and illustrator by profession and I've been a freelance artist for over 20 years. My specialty has always been historical events – promotions for museums, etc.  – so I's well versed in creating period perfect graphics and illustrations.

Originally Retro Christmas Card Company was named WhatsBuzzin.com (crazy name, I know) and we made an array of printed items: posters, birthday cards, wrapping paper and the like. After a few years, we realized that the most interest was in our retro Christmas cards, so we focused on developing that line. This year we dropped WhatsBuzzin and adopted our old tagline as our new company name.

What was the inspiration behind Retro Christmas Card Company?
I have always had a love of vintage memorabilia, especially Christmas. I have saved ornaments from my childhood, along with vintage toys and snapshots. The holidays are an especially nostalgia fueled time of the year and I felt a line of cards that make people think "Hey, I remember that" would make for a natural solution to a one-of-a-kind Christmas card collection.

Why did you decide to focus on mid-century designs? 
Mid-century was my favorite well before it became the catch phrase of today. I was born in 1960, so I lived through part of the mid-century. It is easy to design within an aesthetic that I'm so familiar with.

Do you add new designs every year? 
Yes. We try to do as many as nine new cards a year.

What are your best selling cards? 
It varies each year. The past two years it has been the MCM houses. But most of the images qualify as mid-century, so the collection as a whole is building in popularity.

Do you have a personal favorite?
I have to say my personal favs are the illustrated ones - they are a tribute to the commercial artists of the 1950s and 1960s.

Any plans to move beyond X-mas cards? Maybe house warming invites? 
I have a line of all occasion cards, invitations, posters and gifts on my other store Retro Gift Ideas and I design wedding invitations and shower invitations for the very vintage bride and groom at Vintage Wedding Invitation.

If you're in need of some last minute holiday cards, or are so prepared that you're already thinking about next year's card, head over to The Retro Christmas Card Company.

Vintage Views: Remixologie

Remixologie is one of the newest vintage stores in Austin and it’s quickly becoming a favorite of all mid-century modern furniture fans in town.

This time on Vintage Views, we talk with Dini and Amy, owners of Remixologie.

Tell us a little bit about Remixologie. Do you have a specialty or do you sell anything that's mid-century modern?
Dini: Remixologie specializes in mid-century modern furniture and accessories for the home. Our goal is to make everything ready to go into its new home. So we refinish, reupholster, polish and clean each item depending on what it needs. We try to stay away from kitsch, even though it can be really fun, and stick with beautiful vintage items that would suit a modern home as well. One question we ask ourselves when editing is, "Would we have this in our own home?" If the answer is no, it doesn't go in the shop.

Our store is really a reflection of us. We fill it with things we like, we welcome and speak to customers as though they were coming into our home. We want it to be a friendly and comfortable place to visit.

Amy: We also have some new items to round out the mix. We carry Modernica products. The're the manufacturers of the George Nelson Bubble Lamps and the original Eames-style fiberglass shell chairs. Not knockoffs, but the real deal; made on the original molds and machinery. We also have a well-edited selection of jewelry and gifts, and some kids items too.

Remixologie is fairly new to the vintage scene, opening in January of 2013. Tell us about the path to opening your own MCM store.
Dini: Well, Amy and I met on Craigslist. I bought a couple pieces from her for my house. We both love MCM and we hit it off, so I held onto her email address.

When a friend of mine mentioned that he had a booth at the Austin Antique Mall, I thought I should look into doing that myself, but I was nervous to go it alone. So I contacted Amy and she was up for becoming partners. Our one booth quickly turned into two and we had gained such a following in a such short time, that we thought maybe we should look into opening our own store. We casually started browsing retail locations and within a week had signed a lease. Then we were like, "OK, there's no turning back now. Let's do this!"

Amy: Actually the first piece that Dini bought from me just made it into the store earlier this year. It was a crazy cool lounge chair that needed a makeover. It had been in her garage for a couple years waiting for rehab. It turned out great and ended up going to a nice couple in Brentwood.

How often do you get new things in?
Dini: All the time. We have a small shop, so it's important for us to keep the flow going so we can offer new pieces to our customers. There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes too, refinishing and bringing things back to life, so there are always pieces in the process that will soon be placed in the shop. And we're always looking for the next piece, so sometimes even we don't know what items may come our way.

Amy: I would say that we probably add 10 pieces of furniture a week. We just added a "new arrival" section to our website to make it easy for customers looking for a specific piece. As soon as a piece comes into the shop it hits our website.

And where do you find the items you sell?
Dini: We get this question several times a day and the answer is: Everywhere. There is not one big MCM warehouse where we go to shop. (I wish!) We are constantly on the search. It's not easy. And it's important to note that when we do find furniture, it doesn’t look as beautiful as when you see it in our shop.

Amy: I have dreams about that mythical MCM warehouse.

Have any tips for people doing their own hunting at estate sales every weekend?
Dini: I would just say to relax and have fun. There are diehard shoppers who line up, throw elbows and race through the house trying to find that deal. To me, that takes the joy out of the treasure hunt.

Amy: Oops, I have been one of the elbow throwers.

If you see a piece you like, don't think too long about it, otherwise someone else will snap it up.

Have you seen a trend in vintage items people in Austin are looking for, either designer, style or type of piece (desk, dresser, etc)?
Dini: We love our customers because they're like us, just people looking for functional furniture for their home, but with mid-century style. So our best sellers are usually everyday furniture, like dressers and dining tables. Oh, and people are always looking for a nice piece to put their TV on.

What's your favorite piece to come through Remixologie so far?
Dini: We had this absolutely gorgeous extra-long, walnut, tambour door Danish credenza. I think it was in the store about 2 days before one of our favorite customers snapped it up. She sent us pictures of it in her dining room, which made me happy because I could tell it found the perfect home.

Amy: That question is a hard one because there have been several pieces that I’ve gotten attached to. If I have to choose just one: We had a very rare Raymond Loewy triple dresser. It was blonde wood with black drawers and had vanity built into the top middle drawer. I almost cried when it sold. A sweet young couple bought it as an anniversary gift to each other. That made it easier for me to see it go.

And what's your favorite piece in your home?
Dini: I have a Jens Risom slipper chair that I found and recovered in striped Paul Smith fabric. I almost don't want anyone to sit on it, but have to remind myself that it is actually a chair.

Amy: I have an unmarked walnut wardrobe that has a cubist feel to it. I have had it for years and still love it as much as I did when I first found it.

Do you have a piece that you've been looking for, but haven't been able to find yet, either for yourself or the store?
Dini: I like to be zen about it and let things come as they may. If you put too much pressure on yourself looking for it, you'll never find it. And you find other things that you never expected. That's part of the fun.

Amy: I would love to find another Raymond Loewy triple dresser. This time it would live at my house.


Remixologie
5701 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX 78756

Sunday: 12pm-5pm
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-6pm

Vintage Views: Mid Century Mobler

Mid Century Mobler is a vintage furniture store in San Francisco specializing in Danish and American mid-century modern furniture. Well, a store that currently runs out of shipping containers to keep costs (and prices) down, which also adds an air of chic and exclusivity to the situation, like that secret bar that doesn't have a sign.

This time on Vintage Views, we talk to Julian Goldklang, owner of Mid Century Mobler.

Tell us a little bit about Mid Century Mobler. How did you get started selling mid-century furniture? 
I’ve always been attracted to design from the late 1950’s / early 1960’s. Since estate and garage sales are some of the best places to find pieces of that era, I used to spend every free Friday and Saturday I had hitting places that promised anything from the atomic age. If there weren’t any sales going on that day, or I’d been to all of them already, I’d start driving around the nearest Eichler neighborhood (we have a few of here in the Bay Area), which were all built in the early 1960s. One Saturday morning, I came across a sale offering a complete, mint condition Broyhill Brasilia bedroom set with the original tags, a Lane living room set, and a couple other random pieces all for $100. I didn’t need any of it, but couldn’t pass up a deal that good. I brought it all home, piled it up in my dining room and started selling it on Craigslist. That really gave me the bug and I spent every free minute I had looking for new pieces to buy at garage sales, flea markets and online. Eventually, I had furniture stacked to the ceiling of my one-bedroom San Francisco apartment, which is when my roommate kindly suggested that he was going to murder me if I kept using the dining room as a storage unit.

Where do you find your pieces? Rumor has it you do some importing from overseas. 
I travel to England and Denmark about every two months to put together a container to ship back to San Francisco. Pieces are found all over the country. I spend about two to three weeks traveling around to estates, flea markets and various sales to acquire unique pieces to ship back. It’s time consuming and a bit of a logistical nightmare to coordinate shipping all that stuff to a central location for packing when you’re overseas, but it’s well worth it when the container arrives back in the States.

You started selling out of a garage in San Francisco. Are you still selling out of the garage? 
I did! After moving everything out of my apartment, I found a one-car garage in the middle of the city that served as Mid Century Mobler’s headquarters for about a year and a half. Other than the fact it leaked like crazy whenever it rained, or when the upstairs neighbors over watered their plants, it worked out really well, and was a great place to launch the business from. I’m a proponent of keeping a low overhead when starting a new venture, and a leaky one-car garage was about as inexpensive as you could get. After a while, we were selling more furniture than we had available, so I had to find a way to get a larger inventory.

I figured since the few Danish modern pieces I was finding locally were probably more available in Denmark, it only seemed like the next logical step to start shipping from overseas. Right before the first container arrived, I realized there simply wasn’t enough space to keep everything, so I moved the business to the outskirts of the city, where I currently keep everything in a couple of 40 foot storage containers. Right now, I’m looking into moving everything into a 5000 square foot warehouse to make it easier for people to browse when they come by, and so we have a little easier access to everything.

You're one of the few vintage stores I know whose main avenue of selling is online. Why did you decide to focus online? 
At first, it made the most sense to sell exclusively online to keep costs down, but as time went on, I realized that the majority of people these days do most of their shopping (including furniture shopping) online. Another factor that contributed to selling only online is that retail space is at a premium here in San Francisco. When I started looking around for a space that could work as a showroom, the prices on rent were so insanely high that it wasn’t even a possibility to get a retail space. At $3 to $4 a square foot, getting a 5000 square foot warehouse would have cost around $17,000 a month! By building out our online presence, we’ve been able to not worry about the financial overhead of a brick and mortar storefront, which I’m able to pass on to our customers by keeping our prices lower than a lot of traditional retailers.

You seem to have a particular love for Danish furniture. Any specific reason? 
I feel like the Danish aesthetic is one that’s unmatched by the design and construction of pieces from any other country. Design runs in their blood and it’s something that can be realized when looking at their furniture, architecture or even their city planning. Everything is always very well thought out and well executed, and it’s easy to appreciate when you experience it in any form. It also looks really cool.

Do you have a most-requested type of furniture — either a specific line, type of wood or piece (desk, dresser etc)? 
The line of furniture we get the most requests for is probably the Brasilia collection by Broyhill. I’m not sure if that’s because it’s the first picture you see when you go to our website or if it’s just because its growing popularity. Personally, I’m a huge fan of that line, so I love when we’re able to carry those pieces. The most requested type of furniture we get is for pairs of nightstands in teak or walnut. Pairs are tough to come by since they are frequently broken up over the course of their life.

How often do you get in new pieces?
I’m always looking for and finding new inventory locally, since all the American designed and manufactured pieces from the 1960s are still here in the US. I find they’re a nice supplement to the Danish and English designs. On average, I probably get in at least three to five new pieces a week locally, and about 200 to 300 new pieces when containers come in every other month.

What's your favorite piece to come through Mid Century Mobler? 
One of my favorite pieces that came through the shop was this bent ply and walnut lounge chair covered in cobalt wool. It was probably designed and manufactured in California in the 1960s, but there were no definite markings anywhere on it. The whole seat was made to look like it was floating off the base, and the entire back was upholstered in the same blue wool. You could spot it from a mile away; it was very visually striking. I haven’t found another one since we sold it, and I get people asking about it (from a picture in our sold section) every other week or so.

And what's your favorite piece in your personal collection/your home? 
My favorite piece in my collection is my Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates couch. I found it at a flea market about two years ago for a song and couldn’t believe how well it was kept. It looked like someone bought it brand new in 1960, wrapped in plastic and stuck in the never-used guest room of a house that was hermetically sealed for 50 years. It’s still got the original wacky floral back cushions and red wool upholstery on it, along with the original Craft Associates tags.


Mid Century Mobler wants to offer readers of my little mid-century blog a 15% discount on all online orders. Shop at MidCenturyMobler.com and get 15% off all items using the discount code MFMC15.

Vintage Views: Brasilia Connection

Broyhill Brasilia furniture debuted at the Seattle World's Fair in 1962. The signature lines and waves of Brasilia furniture were inspired by the distinct architecture of the city of Brasilia (capital of Brazil). Anyone who’s a mid-century furniture fan has probably seen and drooled over the Brasilia line.

The Brasilia Connection is the go-to source for all things Broyhilll Brasilia, including finding Broyhill Brasilia for sale. This time on Vintage Views, we talk with Arthur Friedman, owner of Brasilia Connection.

First public viewing of Broyhill Brasilia at the '62 World's Fair. All images courtesy of Brasilia Connection.

Tell us a little about the Brasilia Connection. How do you get started selling mid-century furniture and how did you come to focus on Broyhill Brasilia?
My wife Bonnie and I were married in 1965 and lived in Alexandria Virginia. We went furniture shopping and came across Brasilia at Hopkins Furniture in Old Town Alexandria and knew it was what we wanted. Brasilia was sold by the piece so we were able to purchase a couple of pieces, including a Brasilia king headboard. We picked up some other pieces, the last one being a Brasilia desk. Shortly afterward I received orders for Vietnam and we decided that we could not afford to keep the desk and so Hopkins graciously took it back. That was a decision we came to regret as by the time I returned. Brasilia was being discontinued and we would not find another desk for nearly 30 years.

In the late 90s with the advent of eBay I came across a Brasilia desk and the rest is history. Over the next few years added other pieces we wanted. Most Brasilia was being sold in sets and we kept the additional pieces for a home we intended to buy in Florida. By the time we purchased it, we had enough Brasilia furniture to make a carbon copy of our Virginia home.

With a garage full of Brasilia we decided that we had to sell some of the excess and that was the beginning of the Brasilia Connection. We were selling individual pieces and we found there was quite a demand from folks who were looking to add pieces they could never find. We also found there was a big demand for chairs and table leaves to expand dining.

Up to this point we only sold excess pieces as received. Then we got in the buffet hutch that someone had shellacked. It was awful. We decided it had to be refinished and that was our foray into restoring Brasilia. It came out beautiful and from that point on everything we sold was restored to its original beauty. We have gotten pieces in that at first glance appeared beyond repair, but we have always been able to restore them. Over the years we have perfected our techniques and all of our pieces are as close to original as possible.

Braisila furniture is over 50 years old, but it seems to be only gaining in popularity. Have you seen the same trend?
The popularity of Broyhill Brasilia is soaring. We’ve been buying and selling for about 12 years and until a couple years ago we sold mostly to folks that already had Brasilia and were looking to add a piece or two. Now we sell entire dining rooms or bedrooms; its popularity has just exploded.
We think this is due to the resurgence of mid-century modern in general. Brasilia has also been seen in some Mad Men episodes as well as some movies during the past couple of years. We see no end in sight and would suggest anyone who wants to add to or start a collection move forward now before prices rise even more.

There are still bargains to be had in thrift shops and other similar sources, but the condition may not be great. We try to price the Brasilia pieces we have for sale fairly, and we’re often lower than other sellers, but we are paying more and more so our prices have to rise as well.

With focusing on one line, I would think inventory is hard to come by and keep in stock. How many pieces do you typically have on hand? 
Although it varies and changes constantly we typically have ten to fifteen unique pieces plus lots of chairs in all styles.

And how often do you get new items in?
We get new pieces at least several times a month. We purchase from all over the eastern US. People also contact us through the website and our eBay listings. Because we pay dealer prices we encourage them to try a local sale and get back to us if they’re unsuccessful. About 75% of the time they come back. We also look for pieces on Craigslist and even eBay if we see a good buy.

If we don't have a Brasilia piece that someone is looking for we let them know the likelihood of getting it in the near future. We keep a want list at all times and notify folks when we get what they’re looking for. Of course, some pieces are more popular and available than others. The most popular are the Brasilia door chest, which we get frequently, and the magna dresser, which only comes in once or twice a year.

What do you love most about the Brasilia line?
It’s hard to say what has made the Broyhill Brasilia line so popular. There were a number of Broyhill Premier lines that were produced at the same time using the same frames, but none captured the market like Brasilia. It is such a unique design that was, of course, based upon a world-class architect designs for the then new city of Brasila. But credit must also be given to the Broyhill designers who translated that building design into such a beautiful line of furniture. It’s a testament to their ingenuity that Brasilia furniture is more popular than ever nearly half a century later.

What pieces do you have in your own home?
At one time, both of our homes were entirely Brasilia with the exception of upholstered furniture. For the last decade our home was informally called the Brasilia museum. We were even contacted once by Broyhill about coming to visit as they were considering reviving the line. Nothing came of that however. After more than four decades we have changed some of our pieces into a more contemporary design.

Do you have a favorite piece from the line?
This is a hard question to answer. We love the 72" credenza base with its all-door design. The credenza buffet also remains a favorite with its beautiful vertical lines.

Arguably you know more about Brasilia than anyone else. What would the average Brasilia fan be surprised to know about the line?
Most folks are unaware that there was a change in production around late 1969. Modifications were made to some, but not all, of the pieces and they were stained darker. This was marketed as Brasilia II. We believe it was an attempt to revive sales, but had the opposite effect. Very little was sold and the Brasilia line was discontinued in its entirety. Brasilia II remains unpopular and we don’t normally buy or sell it.

An example of the darker Brasilia II.

You sometimes sell the bits and pieces of Brasilia that are usually hard to track down, the hardware and original fabric. Do these come from unsalvageable pieces or another source?
We were lucky enough to come across some drawer pulls some years ago from someone who changed the original handles. Those are long gone and we get requests at least once a month for them. We just bought two pieces that were sold the first time to someone who just wanted the handles! We are exploring the possibility of having them reproduced but nothing is firm at this time.

We have never had a piece that could not be salvaged. We have taken apart some china tops as more folks just want the base. Those we have pulls for and we've been able to create table leaves from the extra wood.

Do you have any other favorite lines of furniture, beyond Brasilia?
After more than forty years of nothing but Brasilia in our home, we have added Ocean Club, a Tommy Bahama line made by Lexington. It is comparable in construction to Brasilia and quite attractive. It is very contemporary rather than MCM. We have found that it works beautifully with our Brasilia.

Vintage Views: A Modern Line

This time on Vintage Views, we talk with David Call, owner of A Modern Line. A Modern Line is a mid-century modern furniture and mid-century art store in the Historic District of Tampa, FL. And David has probably forgotten more about Heywood-Wakefield than I'll ever know.

Tell us a little about A Modern Line. How do you get started in the MCM game?

A Modern Line specializes in all things mid-century, pretty much across the spectrum. We tend to focus a little more on affordability over high-end, designer-attributable pieces, although we still find some real jems here and there.

Being born in the '50s, there's always been a bit of nostalgia for what surrounded me growing up. Although my family home was pretty traditionally furnished, my aunt and uncle always owned ranch homes that were impeccably decorated with the latest styles.]

It was a combination of that and meeting my wife, who has been in the vintage clothing and collectible business forever. Her brick and mortar store's 15th anniversary is coming up soon and she has been instrumental getting A Modern Line off the ground. I had a lot of pieces that I'd refinished and rehabilitated as a hobby that were stacking up faster than we could sell them through my wife's store, so it just made sense to move in this direction.

You recently refocused your efforts to solely to mid-century, under the new store name of A Modern Line. How's that adjustment going? 

We originally opened in January of 2011 with a partner that was a professional interior designer and were under the banner of Kaleidoscope for the Home. Although we carried a lot of mid-century and there was a good response, the store was getting a bit too cluttered and I felt it was hurting sales. MCM needs some space to display it correctly, without being overdone. 

We split our partnership in January 2012 and re-opened under A Modern Line in February and the response has been great. The overall feel of the store is a lot cleaner and more stripped down than before, and customers know what to expect when they walk in the door. It's certainly been a draw for customers, sellers and consignors.

Do you have a specialty within mid-century, or do you buy/sell anything mid-century?

Although I specialize in Heywood-Wakefield Modern Line furniture we have some of everything in the store, even a few modern pieces that work well with our regular inventory, although I try to keep them to a minimum. Every time period from the the late '40s through the early '70s has it's own following and we try to keep a nice mix in house. We decorate in different vignettes around the store and pull together pieces and accesories accordingly.

You also offer refinishing and rehab services. How and why did you start offering those services?

My Heywood-Wakefield passion started about 11 years ago when I purchased a Heywood-Wakefield dining table and four chairs and inquired about having it refinished by a (supposed) Heywood-Wakefield specialist. I almost fell over on the price quoted and decided I would give it a shot myself. 

It turned out to be a big learning curve, very labor intensive and I didn't have access to the correct finishes. I was also working with very limited tools, just an old electric pad sander and hand tools. But it turned out pretty well and we sold it quickly in my wife's store for a nice profit. 

I fell in love with the construction and quality of the pieces and how simply and efficiently they were made. Since that starting point, I've accumulated all the tools needed to make the process as easy as possible and, just as importantly, the correct finishes. I've come miles in experience since that first attempt.

I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not a full-blown professional refinisher and I'm careful how I pick my battles, especially with customers pieces. However, I'll happily take on any Heywood-Wakefield problem pieces as I've been able to save some very badly abused candidates.

Do you have a favorite finish in general? And with Heywood Wakefield, are you a wheat or champagne man?

I love all the darker mid-century walnut veneers and you can't beat a nice, vintage, Danish-oiled teak.

I personally like the champagne finish on Heywood-Wakefield a little better than the wheat, and it tends to sell a bit better too. But I have customers who are big wheat fans and don't care for the champagne. I normally only offer the wheat and champagne finishes for Heywood-Wakefield, however I have redone some pieces in darker finishes at customers' request. I do advise them before refinishing that this is not going to help the resale value if they intend to ever resell the piece.

And speaking of your masterful refinishing jobs, any tips for someone trying to get a scratch out of their favorite piece?

It's difficult to just touch up most pieces of Heywood-Wakefield; most need a complete refinish to bring them back to life. If indeed you have a piece of Heywood-Wakefield that is in really good condition except for a couple of minor scratches then I would recommend one of the lighter Restor-A-Finish products.

I'm also a big fan of Howards products for DIY projects that just need a little cleaning up. I've used their products for years and we sell them here at the store. I also utilize furniture touch up markers for light spots, they are available from many sources, but I personally use Mohawk products.

Where do you find most of your furniture and how often do you get new things in?

I don't get out to the estate or auctions, although I know a lot of dealers that work these venues to pick up some nice pieces. Most of the better deals I end up buying come from individuals walking through either my or my wife's door. I also have pickers that come to me with a deal from time to time that I find hard to pass up.

I will check the local Craigslist periodically if I need something more specific and we do get out to the thrifts and antique malls from time to time.

Have any tips or secrets for people doing their own hunting at estate sales, etc?

Educate yourself on what your looking for. If you don't know what you're looking for, you'll never find it.

Although I can't speak to estate sales or auctions, I'll offer two tips that may seem a bit obvious (even though no one in this business gives away their best connections):

1. If you're hunting your local Craigslist postings, you'll find the bargains generically listed and not under a MCM listing.
2. Antique malls can produce some really nice finds, as true antique dealers have little love for MCM items and want to move them.

What's your favorite piece that you've had in the store?

That's a tough one to answer. Several of the Heywood-Wakefield pieces and a couple of the Aritocrat sofas. A GE Granville low-profile console stereo in working condition. But, close to the top of the list, a pair of locally made Foster-McDavid scoop chairs from the 60s with matching ottomans that I had rehabbed. 

If you're in Tampa and looking for a deal on mid-century furniture, you should head to A Modern Line.
 
A Modern Line
6415 N. Florida Ave.
Tampa, FL. 33604
813-234-4500

Sunday: 11am-4pm
Wednesday-Saturday: 11am-6pm

Vintage Views: Uptown Modern

If shopping vintage stores in Austin, you're likely to bump into me at Uptown Modern. It's one of my favorite vintage stores in town. It's where I bought our Broyhill Sculptra desk and a few other great finds. Today on Vintage Views, we talk with Jean Heath, owner of Uptown Modern and 20+ year veteran of the antique business.

Tell us a little about Uptown Modern.
Uptown Modern opened in 2007 and specializes in taking wonderful but worn mid-century pieces and restoring them. We refinish the wood, fix the drawers and legs, re-upholster the fabric — whatever it takes to rejuvenate the piece. I love being able to rescue a piece of furniture and giving it another lifetime of use. We focus on home furnishings and decorative accessories almost exclusively.

How did you get into the mid-century furniture game?
I started in the antique business about 25 years ago by collecting, then reselling vintage costume jewelry. Over the years, I've done hundreds of antique shows across the country and have rented spaces in numerous antique malls and shops in the Austin and San Antonio area.

Does Uptown Modern have a focus or specialty, or do you buy/sell anything mid-century?
I've specialized in many genres over the years, from estate jewelry and antique lighting to garden/architectural pieces and primitives, and now mid-century furniture and accessories. About 10-12 years ago I began focusing heavily on mid-century furniture and accessories. I love the clean, uncluttered look and beautiful lines of the mid-century style.

Uptown Modern recently moved. How do you like the new location? How is it different than the old store?
Uptown Modern moved to 5111 Burnet Rd. because our old building was sold to build an apartment development. We were very comfortable there and were distressed to leave the space. However, we now feel the move was a blessing in disguise because the new space fits our needs so well.

We’re in one large building — which is important for a furniture store [note: Uptown Modern’s old space was two building and an outdoor area] — it has the right look for our mid-century furniture and it's open and airy. We're slowly adding improvements to the outside (a new owl mural on the south wall and a fabulous planter box) as well as the inside. It's a work in progress with many improvements to come in the next year.

You're still on Burnet, is there a reason you stayed on the same street?
We were thrilled to find a building to rent so close to the old space. While we looked in absolutely every area of Austin for the perfect space, we were lucky to find it right down the street. It was the best combination of space, look and location. Since Burnet Rd. is booming with new construction projects and because it has a reputation for having a variety of furniture stores, it was a good fit for us.

Where do you find most of your furniture? How often do you get new things in?
I travel thousands of miles a year to buy estates (I rarely go to estate sales) in the Texas and the Midwest and shop at large antique shows and flea markets in states from California to Florida, from Minnesota to New York. For those trips, I usually drive a cargo van pulling a huge trailer and come home with a lot of items, which makes the trip more cost effective.

In addition, I buy from individuals who have a piece to sell and middlemen, a.k.a. pickers, who sell to me on a regular basis. They know my buying tastes and habits and can usually predict what I will buy and for how much. They often find items to sell to me at estate sales, consignment stores, thrift stores, garage sales, etc.

In short, I do whatever it takes to find around 30-50 items a week to provide the essential merchandise for Uptown Modern.

Care to give away any of your shopping secrets?
Daily we field the question of, "where do you get all of your stuff?" It is something absolutely everyone wants to know — I think they're hoping there is one specific, secret warehouse that antique dealers know about and go to for those one-of-a-kind rare finds and constant supply of vintage goods.

The truth is that I have many shopping sources and don't do most of my shopping at any one of them. In order to find a good quantity of quality vintage items, antique dealers or shop owners have to have a variety of ways to get items to sell. Since everything is vintage and not available by ordering from a factory, merchandise has to be found one piece at a time at venues in many places. The truth is, finding good vintage items is time consuming and takes persistence and planning.

The next time your spending a weekend exploring vintage stores in Austin, make sure you hit Uptown Modern.

Uptown Modern
5111 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX 78756
512-452-1200

Sunday: from 12pm-5pm
Monday-Saturday: 11am-6pm

Vintage Views: mid2mod

 

Welcome to a new feature here on Mad for Midcentury, Vintage Views. Vintage Views is where I’ll interview vintage store owners, mid-century furniture experts, mid-century modern housing fans and anyone else who’s knowledgeable in mid-century that will talk to me.

We start Vintage Views by talking to Joe Eggleston, owner of mid2mod in Dallas, TX. The mid2mod blog is a must read mid-century blog and the store is a definite destination for anyone in Dallas.

 

How did you get started in the mid-century furniture game? 

A few years ago, my wife Jennifer and I bought a 1950s ranch home. We were already estate salers and picked up small mid-century items fairly often, but we really stepped up our buying after we became homeowners.

In 2010, when our house was finally full, we decided to open a mid-century booth at an antique mall with my mother-in-law, Dana. The booth didn't turn out to be as much fun as we had expected, so we had a yard sale and sold our entire inventory. Before we had even finished the sale, I looked at Jenn and Dana and said, "Be honest, aren’t you going to miss this?"

After many long discussions, I quit my job and in 2011, we put our house on the market and moved into a tiny apartment behind our first storefront. mid2mod was born. It didn’t take long to outgrow that location and we moved to our current Deep Ellum location in 2012.

Do you have a focus or specialty, or do you buy anything mid-century that catches your eye? 
In order to get the store up and running, at first we bought whatever we could find and afford. Today, our focus is on beautiful, well-built designer furniture that is historically significant.

How often do you go out looking for new stock? How often do you get new things in? 
I’m constantly looking for new stock. We average at least three or four new items every week, with the occasional truckload.

What pieces have you bought for the store but ended up keeping for yourself? 
None. When we opened the store we decided that we’re in business to sell furniture, not decorate our house. There are pieces you really hate to let go, but if you ever kept one, you'd want to keep them all. To be honest though, when we have a ton of inventory and multiples of pieces, I'll probably start keeping some.

Do you do most of your shopping at estate sales or somewhere else? 
Somewhere else, but let’s keep some mystery about this business.

Plus, mid2mod has been in business long enough that people contact me several times a week offering pieces for sale or consignment. These days, quite a few things come to us.

What's your best find so far? 
Right before I opened the store, I scored an Alvar Aalto Paimio chair. I was probably more thrilled about that one than any other since, simply because it was the first.

Do you have a piece that you've been looking for, but haven't been able to find yet, for yourself or the store? 
I’m still looking for a Mathieu Matégot wrought iron dining set for the store.

Care to give away any of your shopping secrets? 
I wish there were a secret that would make this business easier, but it's a matter of constantly being on the lookout, building contacts and turning over merchandise so you can keep buying new items.

Probably the best advice I got at the beginning was from someone who’s been in this business a long time. He said, “Train your eye.” He was right. You have to know what you're looking for, otherwise you’re going to end up with a lot of junk.

Create a large set of pieces in your head that you know is good design. Then gradually discover new things to add to the set, and commit to buying only from within that set. The only way you can accomplish this is by constantly researching and refining your taste.

Do you have a favorite mid-century line or designer? 
That's a hard one; I've been really fascinated with Dunbar lately. I think my favorite piece ever is the Harvey Probber El Dorado sofa. But my favorite designer? George Nelson. No wait, Hans Wegner. I give up. I can’t narrow it down to one or even two. There's too much great design out there.

Next time you're in Dallas, be sure to check out mid2mod.

Mid2Mod
2928 Main St. #100
Dallas, TX 75226
214-782-9005

Sunday: 12pm-5pm

Wednesday-Saturday: 12am-7pm

Warehouse Location
2656 Main St.
By appointment only