Heywood Wakefield HEAVEN.

If you know me or have poked around a little, you will see I am an avid collector of Heywood Wakefield blond furniture.  I have been collecting for a few years and have quite a bit of things.  Some in original condition and others I bring back from the dead.  Last weekend I found a great estate sale locally with a house full of it!  It worked out that the sale started on Friday, which was my day off!  I had a pet emergency first and arrived a few minutes late to the sale, but to my surprise, the rainy day had kept many away and the few other dealers and pickers milling around just were not interested in the furniture.  I quickly realized my meager budget would not allow me to purchase much, so I decided these 2 chairs were priced decent for me to restore and hopefully be able to cover my expenses.  I left with them!

Rare enough to find an upholstered piece of HW...a pair is just HEAVENLY!  The one on the right seems to have been a doggie's friend and has more damage than the other.  Legs need tightening, wood tended to and doggie issues erased, but these are going to clean up fabulous!

I was happy with my purchase but knowing the rest of it was sitting there an not knowing if someone would take it in, was killing me.  I went on with my business and headed to NJ to spend Sat with a friend helping him clean and wax his new set of HW dining furniture.  He did good, got a great deal and we will need to do some restore work over time, but it is usable and looks great in his space!  The last day of the sale was Sunday, so I planned on hitting it on my way home to see what was left.  I got there with 20 min to spare.....and to my surprise....EVERYTHING was still there!  There were some great casework items in excellent condition and I know how hard they are to find reasonable.  I decided before I got there that if the Tambour Utility Case was there I should get it.  VERY RARE and a brand new one that is being made by the new regime goes for $1200.   I was able to save $75 per piece and then negotiated another $50 off my take.  Here is what I got!

My inventory is so happy spreading out on the new bookcases!  The corner case was my holy grail of attainable pieces and you never find them in what I call 'attainable' pricing.  I think I love them so much because they remind me of school libraries.  Totally modular, Hey Wake's casework is by far exceptional, in my opinion.  Shelves are on pins and fully adjustable.

This tambour door case features one adjustable shelf.  It was not on my holy grail list as it just is not something you find easily or cheaply.  I was over the moon to find this and I paid a mere $250 for it!  It is in impeccable condition!  Tambour is not something I want to take on for refinishing....it is a total pain in the ass!  ;)

Aren't they beauties!?  Great thing about being a legit dealer is I get to write this stuff off for my office!  YEA!  I will have a single straight bookcase for sale I no longer need.  Will keep the one that aged with this set and sell off my other one.  If you are interested let me know.  I have offered it up to a friend first so will wait to see what he wants before I list it.  Oh and as for the chairs?  I'm thinking one of these hues....but leaning towards the blue in the back.  Will be consulting with my mom tonight!  Master sewer and patternmaker, I think we can handle these!  So excited!  Will also be using these Joybird fabrics at $30/yd.  So price point for these babies is going to be a bit high, but I want to do them justice!  The one has some wood damage due to a suspected small dog using it.  The arm is a bit damaged, but nothing horrible and I can totally restore it.  Not sure what the insides look like until I take the upholstery off so hoping the foam, springs and guts are decent.  Will see you can follow along as I go!  I am so excited and hope to get rolling on them shortly!

I am thinking the blue in the back!!!!  Let's see what mom thinks tonight! 

Just a note that I expect this month will be busy.  I have been shipping stuff every few days and people have been inquiring for quotes.  I always try to get things back to you very quickly but swim season started up so I am dealing with weeknight practices.  You will hear from me with an estimated time frame I can get your info to you!  Thank you for your support!  xo Malissa

Adventures in Acquisition. Come along on a ROAD TRIP!

We stumbled across a shop a few years back on our way back from a VW campout in NY state.  I had a chance this spring to stop by again and realized I need to go back and save some more!  Everything needs some work and that is fine by me because I am starting to nest my winter projects!  Yesterday I embarked on a grand adventure.  Me, the kids and our 89 VW Vanagon.  My husband had a family emergency so he headed off to Pittsburgh and I was setting off alone.  I promised to not exceed 65 MPH and keep my eye on the temperature gauge.  This van can't really get to 65 MPH, by the way!  hahaBut I had many mountains to cross on this route and that can cause overheating and trouble if the van decides to malfunction. 

High on the hill overlooking the Susquehanna River on PA Rte 6.

Travelling via a 25 + year old vehicle does require avoiding the fastest way to get somewhere.  We avoid highway driving as much as possible.  So it only makes sense to take the most historically pleasing route across PA, ROUTE 6.  It runs East-West across the whole state just south of the NY border.  Meanders through small towns, up and down mountains and not only is quite scenic, there is much fun to be had shopping and eating!  We passed many antique shops, but I had one in mind to spend my money at, so did not bother stopping. 

My 2 trusty helpers were pretty decent travel buddies.  I only had to yell at them twice for beating each other in the back seat.  They have been raised in the van so it is like an extension of home to them.  They have been on some crazy long trips and camping adventures, so it was just like another day to them. 

We arrived at our destination and immediately got to talking shop with the adorable owners.  A father and son team who have many years of estate picking, sale going and show selling under their belts.  They only buy Mid Century Modern items and have a shop full of gems, if you know what you are looking at and can see past the non elegant presentation, full of dust, spider webs and issues that need to be tended to.  They always treat me fair and I can get some nice pieces for my shop.  They are in love with the history of the designers and pieces, just like me, so you can imagine how much I treasure the few hours I spend conversing with them both.  They also have the largest stash of Hey Wake I have seen and their shop is somewhat of a museum to those in the know.  Many folks came through while I was there, but I could see by the blank looks in their eyes that they were not MCM fans and had no clue what they were looking at. 

I had plenty of time to ponder items in my price range and go over a loose plan for restoration.  Talking myself up to the task perhaps, or mainly building my self esteem to know I could tackle the job, with dignity and integrity because no restoration job should be half assed.  :)  I came back around to a set of Gio Ponti Shaker Style chairs.  Gio Ponti was probably the most popular Italian modernist of the era....an architect, furniture designer and industrial designer.  His spin on the traditional ladder back chair is pretty neat.  It's exaggerated in a cartoon kind of way.  I just thrifted a smaller back Ponti chair the day before, so it quickly turned in to Ponti fest this weekend!  These chairs are dainty and light, another Shaker tradition.  They need restore work, but after my last cord restoration, I know I can do it.  :)  I got a set of 4 in chippy black lacquer....rustic and nice for those who like to mix MCM with more traditional pieces and a pair in a blond finish, which look great with the little HW cart I picked up for a friend.  He gets first dibs on them.   I have been wanting a full set of chairs in the shop because I have done well with them, so that made me happy.  These chairs definitely are not for everyone.  They are very dainty.  My almost 6' and plus size stature feels very large on them.  They would do best in a household with lighter folk and no kids or people who are rough on their furniture.  I love Danish modern, but I have Hey Wake in my dining room.....it can handle larger people just fine and it's more comfortable to me.  Just something to keep in mind when shopping.  Shipping my stuff does not allow my customers to try before they buy so I want to make it clear what thoughts I have on it, in case that helps someone make a decision!

Gio Ponti threw up in my driveway!  The chairs are very cute and the design is exaggerated and cartoony. 

So now you are wondering about those Eames chairs?  Yes, they are Herman Miller Eames shell chairs.  Structurally, they are great, on a swivel base.  They have upholstery issues so I am going to try to deal with that and bring them into a new life.  I have 3 options, try to clean up the fabric on it (I picked 2 of the cleanest) but the foam inside is degraded, paint the fabric if I can OR remove all of it and clean the glue residue and try to polish the fiberglass.  I found a blog with someone else's adventures in restoring one of these so plan to use it as a reference.  They are a great chair and actually comfy even in this degraded state.  They hug you or at least hug me because of my wide butt.  :)  The fiberglass is moss green.  I think they are pretty. 

Last but not least.  The coffee table.  Recognize it?  Yep, Paul McCobb planner group!  Such a simple design, yet oh so stunning!  The simple splayed legs scream sexy.  We discussed it in length and Tom is convinced it is an early model and that the 2 toned presentation is original.  He has found no examples of it to prove it, but he has a personal collection of McCobb and I trust his valuation.  The label residue is still on the underside over the black finish.  It has some chippy spots around the edge and some areas on the top are rubbed through the black. I have not decided how I will attack that or if I should leave it as original wear.  I do think it adds character to the piece.  I am smitten with McCobb and because he was America's designer, and massed produced, his stuff turns up.  Definitely consider adding one of his pieces to your MCM collection.   

And finally, no road trip is complete without some great eats!  There is a stretch on route 6 somewhere near Wyalusing boasting a few road side BBQ joints.  We try to hit Chris' Western Beef whenever we are travelling through.  It is a kitschy little joint and we just love it!  They close for the season sometime late September, and we have been there on their closing weekend, just barely getting through in time! 

I live for places like this!  Bring on the KITSCHY Roadside fun!

My partners had worked up an appetite!  This joint has a cool vibe, outdoor seating and decent food!  Ice cream too, but they had already had some while I was shopping so we passed on dessert.

We had a great trip!  The van behaved and I did not have to call AAA!  It was a good day.  Today I will repent and clean my garage, organize my hoard maybe work on my slat bench and keep on trucking!  CHEERS!  xo Malissa

Farstrup Mobler. Classic Danish modern farmhouse design.

THE FOLLOWING TAKEN FROM FARSTRUP.COM

Farstrups profile

– craftsmanship since 1910

Farstrup Furniture A/S has its roots in the village of Farstrup, and well-established sawmilling traditions. The company was founded as a sawmill in 1910, and after some years the production was expanded to comprice furniture – since 1960 in a significant volume.

We have continuously expanded and modernized the production in Farstrup, and can therefore guarantee that all the furniture is 100%.

"Made in Denmark"

Farstrup Møbler is Danish Design and crafts through and through. In other words, we make furniture from scratch: we cut the wood, process it in our joinery workshop, apply the finish and assemble it.

We also have our own stitching and upholstery workshops. This keeps us in complete control of the high quality that has been our hallmark for decades and which our customers expect of us.

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I have been smitten with Farstrup chairs ever since I have laid eyes on them!  My first find was the little black #216 classic stick back.  It was in poor condition and there were huge chips of paint missing from it.  I felt it needed to be saved.  After a lot of stripping and sanding, it has been fully restored and it absolutely gorgeous!  The 216 model has been reintroduced by Farstrup and is back in production for their European market.  Alas, they are not imported to the US.  The only option you have to obtain one of these lovelies is to find a vintage one.  I will tell you they are out there, but unfortunately, finding a full set in one blow may prove difficult!  That is one of the reasons I pick them up.  I do find a lot of my single and pair chairs go to homes that are looking to add them to a set already in use!  That makes me super happy!  This chair does have a doppleganger, though! 

DOBBLEGANGER made by FDB MOBLER, another Danish company.  Notice the indent across the top of the back!  Farstrup does not have this.  Otherwise, they are pretty close.  The seat from above is also shaped different.  This chair is attribute to Folke Palsson. (photo credit: http://decorationavenue.blogspot.com/2014/04/fdb-mobler-chairs.html)

I do not know much about FDB Mobler other than they had some very well known designers working with them.  Construction and quality seems similar to Farstrup.  You cannot go wrong adding any of these to your home.  They add a certain charm and mix well with other period furniture, if you aren't a pure modernist. 

I have 3 styles of Farstrup chairs in stock now as you will see at the top of the page.  Please have a look in the shop to check them out!