MCM on the Cheap

Today I had to drop off some donations for an organizing client at Diversity Thrift. I always like to pop in and see what Mid-Century Modern (MCM) furniture pieces they have — about a year ago I found an upholstered Eames DCM for $5, which sells for $250 on eBay! While it may not be an Eames chair, this retro sofa bed (currently at Diversity) has a lot of potential:


The color is much nicer in person.


Yep, just $59!

Ultimately it needs to be reupholstered, but it has great lines and would look very crisp with neutral furnishings and some graphic patterned pillows. The sleeper sofa aspect is handy for urban dwellings that lack a guest bedroom.

My One and Only

After reading through the program for the LifeEdited competition (mentioned in a previous post) I started to think back on old projects from architecture school. One of my favorites was a piece of furniture I designed and built during an industrial design summer lab.

At the time I was living in an old house with wonderful character on Roanoke Street near downtown Blacksburg. My bedroom was very spacious (about 12’ x 13’) and had wonderful natural light. The space posed one major issue, however — there was no closet. Entering my third year of college and moving straight from the dorm rooms, I didn’t have any furniture for storage either. I decided to make a design project out of the challenge and worked with my industrial design professor and the woodshop guys to make it a reality.

My goal was to design one piece of furniture that could house everything I needed in my bedroom except the bed. The piece would have a workspace for my laptop, storage for my IKEA Kassett boxes that housed small items like socks, work supplies, photos and cosmetics and, of course, room for all of my shoes and clothing. I believe that a design should give the most for the least — economy of form. Not only would this piece of furniture have a place for everything I needed, but it would also act as a room divider, separating the calm sleeping space from the active work space.

After a lot of sketching and prototypes, I devised a modular system that could be rebuilt as many times as my needs would change. The frame was made of PVC pipe (before I understood how bad it was for the environment) and the shelving and shear walls were made of MDF. All of these materials were readily available “off the shelf” at Lowes.

I did in fact rebuild the piece multiple times between my third and fifth year of school. The photos below show the final layout, which I felt was also the most successful.











The best part — when I finished school and moved out of the room, I disassembled the piece and returned the PVC connectors to Lowes for a $200 store credit! Now that’s my kind of recycling.

Apartment Therapy in Richmond!

Next Thursday, November 11, Apartment Therapy’s co-founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan will be speaking in Richmond at La Différence in Shockoe Bottom from 6 to 9p. Tickets are $15 for one or $25 for two and all proceeds benefit the School of Richmond Ballet’s need-based scholarship fund. I say it’s worth it — a guaranteed-to-be-awesome speaker and money toward a good cause! Read more and buy tickets here.

Reduce. Reuse. ReStore.

(And of course, recycle.)

The Habitat for Humanity’s Restore is a retail outlet that sells used and new building and home improvement supplies at substantially reduced prices. I made a trip over for the first time last week and was very impressed with their selection. Not only is it a great place to buy, it’s also an excellent donation spot for items that may not otherwise find a good home — used paint, old plumbing fixtures, casework, etc. You can also find bathroom vanities, blinds, doors, light fixtures, sinks, toilets, trim, windows and screens, and a bazillion other building parts in the massive warehouse. If you are doing any sort of home renovation, a visit to ReStore is a must!

They have a small thrift store-like section with furniture as well. I saw some nicely priced pieces — a Mid-Century desk and dresser and a sweet farmhouse kitchen table caught my eye.

I love the ReStore’s concept of recycling building materials via bargain resale to the public. It’s a win win for sure! Check out the Richmond location at 1901 Roane St.

Calling All Architects & Designers!

Herman Miller is having a 70% off sale on their Eames molded plastic chair collection for qualifying A&D (Architecture & Design) firms. I have lusted after the iconic Eames Molded Plastic Rocker (RAR) for awhile now and just might use this opportunity to get one. I no longer work for an A&D firm, but I have friends whose orders I can piggyback on (wink wink). So basically, I would be getting this chair for $179 rather than $500-ish after tax.


Photo from Herman Miller

The most important question is, which color? I have been obsessing all evening, and think I will get the “Greystone”. I am not a woman of bold colors. My closet is filled with mostly white, grey and black. It’s just who I am. The “Aqua Sky” is alluring, but I worry I would be making a lifelong commitment to that color which I’m not ready for. I like to keep my staple pieces neutral and mix in color via textiles and other accessories. Then when I get bored, I can change it up for cheap! That’s my money saving design tip for the day — over and out.

To get more information on the Herman Miller sale, contact your local representative. For Richmond, that would be Trip Vint with American Office at (804) 673-8107. He’s super nice and was actually the one who suggested piggybacking on a friend’s order — very cool!

Barter & Haggle!

I am super bummed! I used Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean my vintage table and it ate the finish. So, word to the wise, don’t use the stuff on antiques. While the table looked impeccable, I am assuming the finish wasn’t as solid as it appeared. It is over 50 years old, after all!

In any case, I have a solution to my dilemma. I have never refinished a piece of furniture before and certainly did not want my table to be the guinea pig. I was looking at an unhappy price tag of about $200 to have it professionally redone. Enter the subject line of this post (Barter) and my friend Bart of Killer Junk. Ha, “Bart”-er. I made a joke!

I consulted him about my table issue and, furniture fixing being a favorite pastime of his, he offered to repair the finish in exchange for more home goods (I gave him some IKEA planters in exchange for repairing a chair awhile back). What a great deal, and what a nice guy! Check out the Killer Junk blog often — they are currently running a series called “How to Anger a Purist”. Good stuff.

Bartering and haggling is not a common practice in the US the way it is in other parts of the world. It’s a great thing though. A trade of services or goods is often more fulfilling for both parties than a monetary one. Craigslist even has barter listings. I highly recommend haggling as well. I always try to get people down on price, even in big box stores like IKEA. About a month ago I was looking at a piece in the “AS IS” section of IKEA and got the price down from $50 to $35. In this economy, people often just want to make a sale. It never hurts to ask!

On that note, let me know if anyone is interested in trading my organizing services for a sweet piece of Mid-Century furniture (or a nice home cooked meal).

At Last!

I finally found the Mid-Century Modern table and chair set that I have been daydreaming about for over a year now! Even better — it was only $400 (with tax) for the whole set, which included six chairs and three leaves for expansion. The furniture is immaculate, which is rare for this period especially with larger pieces like this one. After selling my IKEA dining table and chairs this weekend for $150, my net is only $250. Not bad!


Basswood crates at Goodstuff

The place? Goodstuff Consignments in Forest Hill. Right now the entire store is marked down 40% to 50% to make room for new merchandise (hence my table/chair score). I enjoyed some solid conversation with the owner, Peter Burnet, about photography, art and design. The small store was impressively organized and the basswood crates he was using to display merchandise were great. The idea is so simple (which I love) and they had a really beautiful rhythm in repetition. He purchased the crates from the Mennonites at The Green Dragon in Lancaster, PA. IKEA has a similar product that I am a fan of — the IKEA PS Bintje. Surprisingly expensive for IKEA though.



Best of all, the entire table fit into my car (the chairs, admittedly, were a second trip). I’m telling you, EVERYTHING fits in my car. I once crammed a full-sized mattress in there...

I am currently in the process of reupholstering the chairs and will post pictures once they are finished!

To IKEA or Not to IKEA?

That is the question. I have seen many a heated blog discussion on such sites as Apartment Therapy (a favorite) about the merits, or lack thereof, of IKEA. People seem to either love it or hate it. My perspective is somewhere inbetween.

The good {list}...

1. Accessories


KASSETT Box with lid — one of the most versatile organizing products ever

I have to agree with the IKEA-haters that an all-IKEA home is a little bit dull and uninspired. However, many of their accessories are very well designed and can add a modern touch to any space. Because they are accessories, their presence among other pieces doesn’t scream “IKEA”! Frames, kitchen accessories, lighting, organizing product, plants, pots, textiles — all A+ in my book for both price and design. One IKEA accessory I can’t bring myself to buy is the artwork. It’s mass-produced and I do feel that art is something, more than other things, that should be personal and unique.

2. PS Line

From the IKEA website:

“PS stands for POST SCRIPTUM, or the latest additions to the world of IKEA design. The IKEA PS collection is one way of sharing the design values IKEA has — form and function at a low price. IKEA PS gives designers free rein to shape the latest creations, where the aim is to create products that are emotional, fun and less predictable, appealing to those who prefer an individual taste to a common style.”

Today the PS Line tends to be some of the most innovative and original pieces in the IKEA collection. A personal favorite is the uber-affordable IKEA PS Cabinet that was created by teaming up with a local locker manufacturer.


IKEA PS Cabinet

3. Social and Environmental Responsibility

IKEA thinks about their social and environmental impacts when they design their products. There’s the obvious “flat pack” methodology that they have been using since the 1950s. In the 1990s, IKEA developed an environmental policy and has since expanded their social and environmental involvement into the 21st century. Providing “design within reach” (unlike the actual DWR) is a social feat in and of itself.

4. The Food

You just can’t beat hotdogs for $0.50 or an ice cream cone for $1! Their Swedish Food Market is pretty great too, especially for unique gifts and/or party favors.

The bad {list}...

1. Laminate and Particle Board

It’s ubiquitous in IKEA. When I am reviewing any piece of furniture (whether at IKEA or elsewhere) I ask myself, “How gracefully will this piece age?” Scratches and dents are a part of life. Furthermore, as an architect I prefer honest materials and I especially hate the printed fake wood laminate. The bottom line is that the stuff just doesn’t hold up, especially if you move around a lot like I do. Stick with solid wood and other materials that will stand the test of time. IKEA has very affordable wood products, many of which can be stained to your liking. The IVAR series is a personal favorite for storage.


IVAR three sections/shelves — super vesatile modular shelving

2. Quality Control

Unfortunately, many times you are getting what you pay for at IKEA. I always make sure to look over a piece for imperfections before I buy. Flaws are all too common in IKEA furniture and my own personal quality control can take a lot of time and energy. Sometimes I even purchase multiples if I am buying a flat pack piece just to make sure I have a “good one” when I get it home (and then return the rejects). In the end I usually feel that it’s worth it to have a nice piece for such a good price.

All in all, I don’t think that IKEA is evil — a piece of furniture or other designed object should be judged on its own merit, not where it came from. With a tight budget like mine, IKEA is one of the few options for owning modern furniture. It’s not every day that I find an Eames chair for $5! I do love mixing the new with the old, however. It creates a texture that an all new interior might lack. Plus, there’s nothing more environmentally friendly than second hand furniture, so I try to go that route whenever possible.

Ralph’s Warehouse

I have been remiss in my blogging efforts this week! Things have been busy, which is good for the wallet.

Last weekend I discovered Ralph’s Warehouse. There isn’t anyone there named Ralph, but it is in fact a warehouse. Located in the VCU area near the intersection of Broad St and N Belvidere St, the warehouse (not shop) is stocked with the cool Mid-Century finds of Susan Auman (owner and estate sale junkie). She’s super nice and opens on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30p or by appointment.

I spotted several Saarinen and Jens Risom deals while I was there — nice!

My MCM Obsession Continues

So I think I might have a mild hoarding issue... with Mid-Century furniture (especially chairs). Last year I helped a retired architect reach his goal of moving back home to Seattle. He had tried to move many times in the past, but his anxiety about paring down his Eames / Saarinen / MCM collection stopped him in his tracks every time. He literally had 15 to 20 Eames shell chairs strewn about in his attic (drool). Long story short, I helped him design a decision making process and he was finally able to move. But I can totally see myself with an attic full of Eames chairs 20 years from now. I just can’t help it — the stuff is incredibly beautiful to me.


Similar to my new Eames chair — image snagged from Garage

On that note, it’s even more beautiful when it’s cheap! I had a super lucky thrifting weekend. I found an authentic Eames DCM dining chair for $5 at Diversity Thrift — flawless condition. I am thinking with a price tag of $5, the manager had no idea what it was (the same chair sells for $250 on eBay). Also, I went to the Killer Junk yard sale on Saturday morning and picked up a super cool Mid-Century lounge chair for only $35. All it needed was a good scrub and it looks like new. For a grand total of $40 I have two new pieces I absolutely love! What makes me not a hoarder? I am selling my IKEA chairs that the new ones are replacing. In one, out one!

P.S. — I ran into John Cheski of Free Run Wine Merchants (previous post) at the Killer Junk yard sale. Richmond is a small world. Love it!

An MCM Search Follow-Up

I found this great blog called Killer Junk by a couple of guys who collect modern furniture, fix it up and sell (some of) it for super cheap! They are located in Manchester. I will be checking their blog frequently for that coffee table...

My Mid-Century Modern (And Soul) Search

Today I ventured out to Forest Hill Antiques on the hunt for a Mid-Century Modern coffee table. I’ve been searching for this piece of furniture for about four years now with no luck. Everything I love seems to be way out of my price range, leaving my living room feeling a bit naked. That’s okay though. I would rather have nothing at all than a bunch of stuff I don’t feel good about.

I almost lost track of that attitude today in my quest to purchase a coffee table. I’ve only recently begun to frequent antique shops and thrift stores for the pieces I want, and I’m realizing it might take some time. After a period of frustration today, I’ve decided I’m okay with that too. A wonderful 80 year old woman named Bitsy at Forest Hill Antiques brought me back down to earth. We got to chatting and realized we have a lot in common. She’s a child of the depression era (the original one) and knows a thing or two about living minimally. After that conversation I was reminded that life is about experiences and people, not having the perfect (fill in the blank). It’s easy to get side-tracked when I’m on a mission.

Despite not finding my coffee table today, I did enjoy checking out Forest Hill Antiques. Everything seemed very reasonably priced and they had an awesome selection of Mid-Century Modern furniture and decor. Highly recommended! Also, if you are ever in Northern VA, check out Mom’s Memories (13231 Gordon Blvd, Woodbridge, VA 22191). The prices are absolutely jaw dropping and they also have some Mid-Century pieces mixed in. I almost purchased a coffee/side table set for only $110, just to give a feel for how inexpensive it is. We’re talking IKEA prices. I have also seen some nice “fixer upper” pieces at Diversity Thrift here in town. Good, quality stuff is definitely out there — it just takes some patience to find it at an affordable price.