This Week at . . . Urban Artifacts

This may be an odd way to start a review of a store I love that specializes in mid-century modern, but I think that the style has already hit its peak and is likely on the decline. A few years ago, the style was everywhere, prices skyrocketed, knockoffs flooded the market and purists sold Grannie's rocker and replaced it with an Eames lounge. But now they want the rocker back.

You can see it in any design magazine; people are into mixing it up a bit more and branching out, and just as it did originally, mid-century is giving way to 70's and 80's styles (although pretty much anything goes).



Room and Board and Design Within Reach and a million online stores carry the staples and they likely always will. It's not bold and different and its not tired and unhip; it's graduated to classic status. Tasteful? Yes. Interesting? Maybe. Surprising? Not so much.

But there are still mid-century surprises - pieces and designers and combinations that aren't yet ubiquitous. Now that the style is out-of-vogue, maybe they never will be. And for those pieces, my first recommendation is to check out Urban Artifacts; they've been doing this since mid-century pieces were being discarded in alley's and only die-hard collectors were shaking their heads and mourning their demise.



The store is nearly perfect - its outdoor vignettes grab my attention and pull me in every time. The space is small but carefully crowded, artfully stacked, familiar and surprising (with no knock-offs in sight). Yes, they have the Wassily and Wegner, but most of all, they have knowledge.

If you're looking for a particular piece but can't think of the designer, they'll know. If you want a certain piece but can't find it, they will.

And much like their store, their business cards are so damn nice - cool and small (and square but anything but.) Go there now. 2928 N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. 773-404-1008.

For a full set of thumbnails, click here.
For a Flickr slide show, click here.





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Photo Tour . . . DWR's M+D+F

Michael Dreeben's Billet Chaise - Best in Show

When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. And I think I've been a bit too hard on Design Within Reach. I've been a bad and bitter blogger (has it been a bother?).

My attitude about DWR changed last night at their fourth annual M+D+F exhibition of emerging designers. The space was packed with design enthusiasts, finally all together in the same space, milling about and viewing the exhibit, which included a number of interesting concepts by independent artists. It was glamorous, the designers besieged, the observers anything but impartial.

I can't think of many other chains that really celebrate design the way DWR does, that elevates independent artists to celebrity, even if its just for the evening. And that's pretty damn cool. But don't get me started on Pottery Barn.

Before leaving, I had the opportunity to meet Janel, Apartmenttherapychicago's beloved blogger. She was very cool. I also met my personal favorite designer, Michael Dreeben, whose Billet Chaise won the Best in Show; Congrats Michael.

For all thumbnails, click here.
For a Flicker slide show, click here.

A Tale of Three Blogs (and some great stuff for sale)

Raul has 2 of the Eames plywood chairs for sale for $500 each.

This is a story about coincidences, writers, unexpected friendships and the best neighborhood in the world. It started when I emailed Porcelain at Design Boner about her excellent blog. She and I knew that we both lived in Chicago. No big deal, right?

But wait, there's more. We quickly discovered that we also both lived on the north side and in the same neighborhood, Edgewater Glen (which is, empirically, the best neighborhood in the world). Strange, huh?

But there's even more. We actually live on the same block and across the alley from one another. Whoa! (BTW, if you haven't already, check out Design Boner. It's smart and beautiful and interesting and gentle somehow (with great weekend photos every Monday).

So when Porcelain's friend, Raul, wanted to sell the vintage Eames DCM he bought at Scout (for the killer price of $100 - exactly what he paid for it), she remembered a post I'd written about my Ebay DCM score, and she asked if I wanted to buy Raul's so I'd have a pair.


An Eames table in good condition - $80.


A Hans Wegner daybed. Available for $2000. In person, it's really really great.

I setup some time to visit Raul and his wife, Molly's apartment. Immediately, I was intrigued by the space - bold colors, classic mid-century furniture, an actual typewriter (!) and best of all, the entire space was bright and sun-shiny with a gorgeous garden view out their large living room window. When I complemented them on their taste, they told me that their house had been featured on Apartment Therapy, another one of my favorite blogs. So there you go, three people brought together by blogging.

Raul is selling some amazing mid-century furniture pieces, but he'd rather not go through Craig's List or Ebay, so here are the goods. If you're interested, email me, and I'll introduce you to Raul.






The Eames DCM. Originally purchased at Scout, this chair is for sale for $100. The chair has been used, so it needs a little work, but it's a great opportunity to own a classic piece for a relatively small amount of money.


The Jacobson side table - $300.

Details Magazines Looks at the Changing Face of Auctions

When I was a kid, my grandparents often took me to auctions. For them, auctions were part social event and part bargain hunting. For me, auctions were pure entertainment, no less exotic than watching a belly dancer or a snake charmer.

Auctions were typically held in one of the small farms that dot the landscape around the small town where I grew up. I loved the distinct scent of dust and old paper and barbecue, an unintentional but serendipitous mix no less lovely than any purposely concocted perfume. And I relished walking the long tables and examining the goods with all the other adults (unfortunately, they rarely had comic books). But mostly I loved listening to the auctioneer, spouting what at first sounded like gibberish, but which soon sounded like normal conversation.

This month, Details (of all magazines) explores the changing face of auction houses in an article by Monica Khemsurov. Today's heirloom pieces are increasingly mid-century classics. The article also lists the top five auction houses, two of which, Treadway/Toomey and Wright, are located right here in the Chicago area.

While I am intrigued by the concept, I'm afraid they might disappoint. Will a packed room with cunning collectors holding formal little bid numbers prove exotic (or even interesting) to my adult self? And in a world with Ebay, are they even necessary?

Do you attend auctions? How about estate sales? How do you find them? Are they worth it? We all want to know.

All photos from Details Magazine website.

Ebay Watch . . . More Chairs (HELP!)

I was on Ebay yesterday, and I came across these. Aren't they fantastic? I'm something of a contrarian (well, not really), so I'm not sure if they're really great or if they're just different. That green is definitely not an "it" color, and that may be why I like them so much.

What do you think? And how do I combat my recent Ebay-mania? My grandma had a basement that was filled from ceiling to floor with "stuff." I vowed that would never happen to me, but in some ways, it's begun already. It's madness. Help.

Ebay Score? . . . Blue Vinyl Herman Miller Shell Chair

I really really wanted this, but after winning, I began to have my doubts. It's most definitely a score price-wise, but as my friend pointed out this weekend, when I have parties, literally everybody has a seat. I'm the cat lady. Only I'm a guy. And chairs don't shed.

What do you think? Cool? Or was it a mistake?