When it comes to finding special vintage pieces for your home, sometimes it’s best to go through an experienced antiques dealer. They regularly trawl markets, deceased estates and auction houses for the best stuff, and can often source specific pieces on your behalf. They usually keep their stock in warehouses, storage facilities and showrooms, so you need to make an appointment to meet with them and look at their collection.
Here are my top five picks for the best dealers in mid-century modern furniture and decor in London.
Sarah Potter (pictured above)
Specialising in Scandinavian and British mid-century furniture, textiles, glass and light, this Clapham-based dealer’s showroom is by appointment only.
Tel. 020 7627 0570
Mobile: 07762 264507
The Modern Warehouse (pictured below)
This Victoria Park-based warehouse specialises in Scandinavian, American and British mid-century furniture, and is open by appointment.
3 Trafalgar Mews
London E9 5JG
Tel. 020 8986 0740
Firefly House (pictured below)
Located in North London, Firefly House stocks a wide range of mid-century modern furniture which is available for hire as well as purchase. They also offer an interior design consultancy.
Tel. 020 7428 3366
Email: welcome@fireflyhouse.co.uk
Caroline de Kerangal 20th Century Antiques
Based in Wimbledon, Caroline de Kerangal has extensive experience as an antiques dealer and sources mid-century furniture, décor, lighting and art for her private clientele. She also offers an interior design consultancy and her showroom is open by appointment only.
Unit 11, Wimbledon Stadium Business Centre
Riverside Road
London SW17 0BA
Tel. 020 8394 1619
Roomscape
With over 20 years’s experience, Roomscape sources a varity of furniture, lighting and décor, and all items can be viewed by appointment in their Camden showroom.
CityStore, Belmont Street
London NW1 8FH
Tel. 020 7956 645 492
It’s here, it’s finally here! The modernist’s guide to shopping for mid-century furniture and decor in London.
First stop is The Midcentury Show at Lords on Sunday, where 50 vintage dealers from around the UK will be showcasing their wares to modern enthusiasts. Sign up to their mailing list for news about their excellent events, which are held several times a year.
The Midcentury Show
Sunday 27th May 2012
10am – 4pm
North Gate
Wellington Place
Lord’s Cricket Ground
St John’s Wood
London NW8 8QN
Entrance £7 on the day
Early entry for trade 9am (£9)
Children under 14 free (note that baby buggies are not permitted inside)
Now, as many of you are aware, there are a great deal of vintage shops that stock mid 20th-century pieces, but I’ve tried to stick to places that deal almost exclusively with furniture and decor from this period. Here are my top picks, which I’ve also sorted by area.
EAST LONDON
Førest London
Specialising in Scandinavian mid-century furniture, this relatively new shop also features exhibitions and collaborations with new artists.
115 Clerkenwell Rd
London EC1R 5BY
Chase & Sorensen
This café-shop in East London specialises exclusively in mid-century Danish modern furniture, with new deliveries arriving direct from Denmark every few weeks.
238-B Dalston Lane
London E8 1LQ
Tel. 8533 5523
Osi Modern
With a special focus on reupholstered chairs and lounges, this East London shop offers a variety of mid-century modern furniture, lighting and objects.
32 Seal Street
London E8 2EE
Tel. 7881 953 708
Two Columbia Road
Featuring a well-considered collection of 20th century furniture, lighting, art and objects, Two Columbia Road stocks many original pieces by the likes of Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Arne Voder and Charles Eames.
2 Columbia Road
London E2 7NN
Tel. 7729 9933
Russell Roberts
A carefully-edited selection of modernist 20th century furniture, art and collectables, with a touch of playfulness thanks to the addition of quirky retro toys and accessories.
8 Cheshire Street
London E2 6EH
Tel. 020 7613 3355
CENTRAL LONDON
Bent Ply
Specialising in furniture, lighting and décor from the 1930s to the 1960s, this shop is just the tip of the mid-century iceberg. More treasures can be found at Bent Ply’s stand at Alfies Antiques Market, which is just around the corner.
95 Lisson Grove
London NW1 6UP
Mob. 07711 940 931
Tel. 0207 725 9515
Antik Modern at Albam Clothing
An unlikely source for mid-century furniture and décor is men’s fashion boutique Albam Clothing, which stocks select pieces from Antik Modern in their Soho, Spitalfields, Islington and Covent Garden stores.
Alfies Antique Market
Housed in a former Edwardian department store, Alfies is home to roughly 60 dealers with some really incredible stalls representing mid-century modern design. It’s one of my favourite London destinations for vintage, but the sheer size of the place can sometimes be overwhelming. It’s a bit of a bugger to get to in terms of public transport, but it’s worth the hike from Marylebone tube.
13-25 Church Street
London NW8 8DT
Tel. 020 7723 6066
The modern enthusiast should make a beeline for the Quad and Decoratum in the basement:
Bent Ply
The Quad, Basement.
Stocks an impressive range of furniture by the likes of Alvar Aalto, Gerald Summers, Marcel Breuer, Ernest Race and Hans Wegner. There is also a stand-alone shop around the corner on Lisson Grove.
Decoratum
Basement
Tel: 7724 6969
Boasting over 5,000 square feet dedicated to vintage mid-century furniture, lighting and accessories, Decoratum is a modernist’s dream. Purchases can be shipped worldwide.
Here are my other picks for MCM at Alfies:
Robinson Antiques
Stand G077-78 and 91-92
Tel. 07955 085 723
20th century glass, pottery, chrome and stainless steel.
Thirteen Interiors
Stand G001-G005 and G050
Tel. 07811 008 144
20th century furniture, lighting and collectables.
Francesca Martire
Stand F131-F137
Mob. 07990 523891
20th century furniture, glass, ceramics lighting and jewellery.
Modo Italia
Stand F040-49
Tel. 07796061901
20th century Italian furniture, ceramics and décor including pieces by Gio Ponti, Paolo Buffa and Osvaldo Borsani.
Stephen Lazarus
Stand F017
Mob. 07981 374 909
Mid-century lighting and furniture mixed with industrial pieces.
Ian Broughton
Stand SO48-49, 59-60
Tel. 020 7723 6066
1930s to 1960s homewares, textiles, barware, furniture, ceramics, glassware, ephemera, collectables, kitsch, bakelite, record players, games and lighting.
SOUTH LONDON
Designs of Modernity
Located in the basement of Crystal Palace Antiques and Modern, Designs of Modernity offers a good range of Scandinavian, British and American 20th century furniture, lighting and décor.
Jasper Road
London SE19 1SG
Tel. 07966 285 694
NORTH LONDON
Fandango
2 Cross Street
London N1 2BL
Tel. 07979 650805
With a line-up of 20th century furniture and décor, Fandango mixes classics by Arne Jacobsen with lesser-known pieces and objects.
Peanut Vendor
133 Newington Green Road
London N1 4RA
Tel. 7226 5727
A warm and eclectic mix of classic ‘big names’ with an assortment of lesser known or anonymous ‘50s and ‘60s coffee tables, chairs and accessories.
WEST LONDON
Paere Dansk
Specialising exclusively in Danish solid rosewood furniture, Paere Dansk sells both original vintage pieces by the likes of JL Moller alongside new editions of the original designs.
13 Stratford Road
London W8 6RF
Tel. +44 7771 861939
Some of the best mid-century modern dealers in London have warehouses and showrooms which are only open by appointment. I’ll list my top picks in tomorrow’s post, so please do check back in.
Do you love mid-century modern furniture? Do you have a favourite shop in your area?
It’s no secret that I spend a lot of my free time on Etsy, and I’ve been showcasing some of my favourite Etsy finds on Wee Birdy for almost five years. So when I was invited to speak at Etsy Success Sydney, I didn’t need to think twice.
The day-long event is part of the Vivid Ideas Exchange at Vivid Sydney 2012, and will take place at the newly renovated Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday 2 June. It’s the perfect location for taking in the extraordinary beauty of the light installations and projections once the sun goes down.
I’m excited to be part of a cracking line-up of speakers, including Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson, Jo Walker from Frankie magazine, Valerie Khoo from Sydney Writers’ Centre, Darryl Nichols and Andrew Valder from Garage Sale Trail and Lexi Kentmann from Pottymouth Mother.
I’ll be discussing online etiquette alongside Stuart Buchanan from The Nest and Chantelle Ellem from Fat Mum Slim.
Check out the full program here – it’s going to be an amazing day full of ideas, expert tips, practical advice and inspiration.
I have two double passes to give away for Etsy Success Sydney, valued at $200 each. All you need to do is tell me in 25 words or less in the comments below why you’d love to go to Etsy Success Sydney. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
To be eligible to win you must “like” Wee Birdy on Facebook here. The competition is open to Australian residents only – unless you fancy hopping on a plane and getting yourself over to Sydney in time for the conference?
Entries close Monday 28 May at 5pm EST. I’ll choose the best two comments and winners will be announced on Tuesday 29 May on Wee Birdy’s Facebook page, and will be individually contacted via email.
I’m kicking myself for not getting this post up earlier last week, when I first saw these incredible LEGO creations. Apparently they’ve hit the papers in Britain, but I’m hoping that they’re still news to some Aussie readers. Besides – they’re too beautiful to ignore as a Birdy of the Week.
The brainchild of LEGO and bird enthusiast Thomas Poulsom, the series of six British birds (including Bobby Robin, Kingsley Kingfisher, Billy Blue Tit, Penelope Puffin, Gloria Goldfinch and Woody Woodpecker) were made using the only LEGO bricks he had on hand.
Thomas’s goal is to get enough supporters for them to become official LEGO products – so if you love them please do give them your tick of approval here. He needs 10,000 supporters and so far he’s got 571 votes (when I first heard about them last week, he only had 17 votes). Vote, vote, vote! (please!)
I’m back after a wee Fashion Week break – more on that later – with A Week of Modern (part II). I was a tad ambitious trying to squeeze so many posts (and research) into one week, so I’m looking forward to bringing you more of my mid-century modern finds. Which brings me to this week’s birdy pick: Danish architect Kristian Vedel’s family of classic wooden birds.
As with the Eames house bird, I’ve avoided Vedel’s birds in the past because they’ve enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, and I always try to choose something new and a wee bit different. But since we’re celebrating all things mid-century, I think it’s time we have a closer look at these delightful little birds.
Vedel designed an entire family of wooden birds in 1959, including grandparents, parents and babies. The heads can be moved to convey different expressions – curious, downcast, perky and alert – and it’s astonishing just how much character is revealed with just a slight tilt of their beaks. The bodies of the birds can also be inverted to represent both male and females.
Vedel’s birds continue to be handmade in Denmark in either natural or smoaked oak that has been aged for 15 years. They’re available in three different sizes – small, tall and chubby, and start at AU$100 from Great Dane Furniture in Australia, or from the Lollipop Shoppe in the UK from £33.
Want more Wee Birdy? You can find me most days hanging out on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook – come over and talk to me!
Yesterday I picked out my top 12 Etsy shops for original mid-century clobber. But there are also loads of designers on Etsy making vintage-inspired fashion. And some of them are custom-made. Here are my top five shops for ’50s-inspired frocks:
Soho Mode (pictured above)
You can still order frocks via Soho Mode’s Etsy shop, but all of the off-the-rack frocks are available from the new website. Either way, check it out for the most adorable ‘50s-style tea dresses in gorgeous floral fabrics.
Heart my closet (pictured above)
A really lovely range of made-to-measure frocks that are inspired by the ‘50s and ‘60s. If you like super-flattering frocks with sleeves, check them out.
Michelle Tan
Michelle makes a range of girlish ‘50s-inspired frocks and skirts with sweet details, such as Peter Pan collars, bows and button embellishments.
Dig for Victory (pictured above)
This UK-based Etsy shop sells limited-edition and one-off pieces ‘50s-style frocks made from vintage fabric. They are also opening a bricks and mortar shop in Brighton, so keep an eye out for it if you’re in the area. I love the elbow-length Audrey dress (above left).
Here, I’ve trawled over 100 pages in my Etsy Favourites folder to bring you my top 12 shops that specialise in fashion from the ’50s and ’60s.
1. Wear it Again
An excellent resource for the most exquisite ‘50s party frocks in organzas, chiffons, satins, tulles and taffetas. Keep an eye out for classic Alfred Shaheen frocks.
2. Jumblelaya
An impeccable collection of vintage dresses, with an impressive line-up of the prettiest ‘50s full-skirted frocks I’ve seen.
3. Dear Golden
This Michegan-based Etsy shop specialises in superbly-preserved frocks from the 20th century. Keep an eye out for magnificent ‘50s party and evening gowns.
4. Travern 7
A small but perfectly formed collection of unusual mid-century day and evening dresses, as well as suits and ensembles.
5. Hollie Point
A fantastic Etsy shop boasting an impressive range of day and evening dresses from the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well as an immaculately curated collection of jewellery and accessories. I love the floral enamel floral broches.
6. Swanee Grace
This New York-based shops stocks a great line-up of day dresses from the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well as separates and accessories.
7. Quirk Vintage Clothing
Based in LA, this Etsy shop specialises in mid-century day dresses, with a scattering of evening gowns, bridal, tops, sweaters, hats and coats for good measure. I spotted a Christian Dior ’50s dress here.
8. Capricious Traveller
A great collection of mostly day frocks from the twentieth century, with some interesting jewellery pieces as well.
9. Nod to Mod Vintage
This shop stocks a large range of frocks spanning the twentieth century, with some really fabulous pieces from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
10. Thrush
One of the few really fab vintage shops on Etsy to sort by size, which is kinda important as a lot of vintage frocks are very tiny indeed.
11. My Favorite Vintage
An excellent shop for vintage shoes, as well as some rather incredible mid-century evening wear.
12. Simplicity is Bliss
Lots of fabulous ‘50s day frocks here, but I’ve also spotted some really lovely black cocktail numbers as well.
Etsy is an excellent source for original mid-century decor and furniture, but it’s sometimes hard to know where to find the good stuff. I’ve gone through hundreds of Etsy vintage shops and collated my top 10:
1. Hindsvik
This Canadian shop stocks mid-century furniture, textiles, and decor, including a good range of Danish wooden objects and German ceramics.
2. bitofbutter
This Seattle-based shop sells an extensive range of mid-century and Scandinavian homewares, textiles and furniture, boasting pieces by Cathrineholme, Arabia of Finland and Royal Copenhagen.
3. 1001vintage
Based in Amsterdam, this shop offers a large collection of vintage home décor including an impressive range of West German vases. I’ve also spotted some rather sweet Abraham Palatnik figurines as well as pieces by Royal Copenhagen.
4. pillowsophi
Pillowsophi specialises in Scandinavian ceramics, English stoneware, vintage brass and French glass. Look out for pieces by Denby, Royal Copenhagen, Soholm Stentoj and Arabia.
5. Hueneme Vintage modern
This Amercian Etsy shop divides its stock into “early mid-century modern” and “late mid-century modern”, including Noritake, Heath Ceramics and glassware.
6. Vint
An eclectic collection of mid-century modern bric-a-brac with an extensive line-up of kitchenalia, ceramics, melamine and plastics.
7. GoGoBerlinette
This Berlin-based shop offers a wonderful range of West German mid-century modern pottery, white porcelain and bric-a-brac.
8. Pardon My Vintage
A good selection of ceramics and enamelware including Cathrineholm, Iittala and Arabia of Finland.
9. Monki Vintage
This Portland-based shop stocks an excellent collection of Scandinavian modern, industrial and vintage home décor. Look out for charming Jacob Jensen teak viking figures and Scandinavian wooden toy blocks.
10. Brooklyn Retro
Based in Brooklyn, this shop specialises in mint condition vintage typewriters in a range of gorgeous sorbet colours, as well as a rather unusual selection of bric-a-brac.
Phew. So they’re all of my favourites – what about you? Do you collect mid-century modern decor? Have I missed any of your favourite Etsy shops? Let me know in the comments below.
It’s ‘A Week of Modern’ on Wee Birdy. Click here to read the other stories.
Australia loves Georg Jensen. In fact, we’re so enamoured by the Danish jewellery and homewares company, we’re the biggest market outside of Scandinavia. And evidently, Georg Jensen likes Australia, as they kicked off the tour of their heritage sterling silver “Ambassador Collection” at Sydney’s designer furniture store Corporate Culture, and invited me along for an exclusive presentation with their head of silver, Anne Mette Müller-Krogstrup (below, left).
I was already a Georg Jensen fan, and had visited the basement museum at the flagship store in Copenhagen a few years ago. Even so, I’m more familiar with the modern collections and their distinctive mercurial quality and organic shapes. I’ve collected a few pieces over the years, including my beloved Arne Jacobsen steel cutlery set as well as a few bowls and dishes.
But the Ambassador Collection was really something else. The carefully selected pieces not only provided an instant ‘snapshot’ of the brand’s history, it also beautifully illustrated the emergence of modern design in the 20th century – and how Scandinavian design, in particular, made a significant contribution on a global scale.
But this was no standard exhibition – the magic began when we were invited to don a pair of white cotton gloves. As Anne Mette gave us the potted history of Georg Jensen, she passed around the very first piece he made over 100 years ago: a highly detailed Art Nouveau silver necklace. I held it in my (gloved) hands (below, right) and the design nerd in me silently OMGeeed. The necklace was followed by the exquisite Magnolia collection (circa 1905, above), which features organic forms and highly stylised buds and leaves. I couldn’t help but be transported back to Glasgow and the work of another early proponent of the Art Nouveau movement, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Japonism was evidently a major influence for both of these designers in the early years of the twentieth century.
I was equally fascinated by the highly decorative Grape collection in 1918, which was clearly influenced by the British Arts & Crafts movement (William Morris et al). Harald Neilsen’s stunning Pyramid Collection (circa 1927, below), also caught my eye. The geometric forms were apparently inspired by the opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb, and make it an outstanding example of Art Deco at its finest.
The time, talent and craftmanship that goes into each piece is evident throughout the collection. The finely hammered Champagne bowl (below) designed by Georg Jensen in 1926 is testament to this, and absolutely mind-blowing.You can actually see and appreciate each strike of the hammer against the steel, which became a hallmark of Jensen’s style.
One of Georg Jensen’s head silversmiths was also on hand to demonstrate some of the techniques he has finely honed over many years. He had an impressive line-up of tools, one of which – a rather dainty hammer with a fine wooden handle – he handed me for inspection. I turned it over in my hand and had a bit of an air-whack, when he mentioned that it had once belonged to Georg Jensen himself. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that sent my inner geek into another silent round of OMG.
Perhaps the most impressive piece that resonated was Henning Koppel’s Fish Dish 1026, which not only marked a turning point in design, it contributed to the success of mid-century Danish design, which became an international sensation.
Moving from table to table was like moving through the history of 20th century design, and it was enhanced by dramatic draped and twisted black fabric backdrops created by stylist Steve Cordony. To complete the scene, magnificent floral arrangements by Sydney’s premier florist Grandiflora added bursts of vibrant colour and greenery to the gleaming array of sterling silver. It was all thoroughly, and rather splendidly, modern.
FYI, in case you’ve ever wondered, the correct pronunciation is Gayor Yensen. (Definitely NOT Yorge Jensen, which I’ve heard more than a few times.) But apparently they’re quite happy if we just call him George. Just pronounce the ‘J’ in ‘Jenson’ with a Scandi ‘Y’.
Pieces from the Georg Jensen archive are available by special order.
Georg Jensen Sydney flagship store 60 Castlereagh Street Sydney NSW 2000 Tel. +61 2 9221 7419
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am-6pm Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 11am-4pm
p.s. thought you might like to see these photos of the George Jensen smithy, circa 1920, below, and 1918, bottom:
It’s ‘ A Week of Modern‘ on Wee Birdy – have a look at the other posts so far this week.
It’s a total travesty that I’ve never featured the Eames House Bird as a “birdy pick of the week” before. I always thought it was a bit obvious, so I steered well clear. But since it’s “A Week of Modern” on Wee Birdy, I really can’t ignore this iconic little fellow any more.
The original black wooden bird was actually an Appalachian artefact (circa 1910) that Charles and Ray Eames picked up on their travels. It stood on the floor of their acclaimed Pacific Palisades house for over fifty years.
I love the way that their beloved collection of objects from different cultures and eras worked seamlessly to create this timeless yet very modern look. They clearly adored this bird because he pops up time and again in the Eames’s photos – and is used as a prop in many shoots of their iconic chairs.
In co-operation with the Eames family, Swiss designer furniture company Vitra has used 3-D scans of the original bird to create the solid alder wood reproduction. It’s made in Germany and you can get it from Nest in the UK (for £103.33) and from Space Furniture in Australia. It’s also available on DWR.
I haven’t done a themed week in a while so I was inspired to run “A week of Modern” on Wee Birdy to celebrate the Sydney launch of Australian Modern magazine.
The timing of the mag, by Chris Osborne Publishing, couldn’t be better. There has never been so much interest in the mid-20th century modernist movement, thanks in part to the popularity of Mad Men which has inevitably influenced fashion and design in recent years.
For instance, Louis Vuitton’s unashamedly feminine Spring Summer 2012 collection featured mid-century silhouettes in a spectrum of ‘50s milkbar hues, Peter Pan collars and exaggerated broderie anglaise. Meanwhile, Christian Dior revisted the glory days of their mid-century New Look with full skirts, cinched-in waists, and a reworking of their iconic bar jacket.
And back to those Mad Men, I know I’m not the only one coveting Don and Megan’s Manhattan apartment featuring an amazing sunken lounge in the latest series (five).
Australian Modern is a welcome addition to the niche magazine market, as it shines a new light on 20th century Australian design and architecture. Apart from its sister publication, Brisbane Modern, the only other magazine catering for mid-century modern enthusiasts was US-based Atomic Ranch.
In the launch issue, Australian Modern delves beyond the obvious and well-known names in Australian design and art history, with features on artist Ludwik Dutkiewicz’s oil paintings, Clement Meadmore’s chairs and Peter Travis’ ceramics.
It also does a fine job in covering mid-century architecture around Australia, from the brutalist Henty house in Launceston to ‘60s suburban modern homes in the Brisbane suburb of Aspley.
Other entertaining stories include a fascinating look at the prevalence of Googie in Australia (oh, how I’d love to go on a Googie-scouting roadtrip) and the impact of mid-century French fashion on the local Australian industry, which rather interestingly reveals just how fashion-forward and innovative David Jones once was, collaborating with the likes of Christian Dior in bringing the New Look to our shores. Perhaps some valid lessons which could be learnt today?
I don’t usually write about competitions, but this one is so awesome that you might actually abandon me if I kept this one all to myself, as tempting as it might be. Samsung is on the hunt for 100 global bloggers to send to London to cover the 2012 Olympic Games. It’s the most awesome of Once in a Lifetime Awesome Competitions. Got your attention now?
And it’s not just about the Games – they want bloggers who can share their unique experience of London and uncover the best the city has to offer. The winners will broadcast their experience to the world on a specially created Samsung blog, www.samsungglobalblogger.com.
I’ll let Jamie Oliver tell you a bit more about it.
If you would like to take part, you’ll need to record a 30 second video stating why you should be picked to come to London and submit it online at www.samsungglobalblogger.com. Hop to it – entries close 29 April.
