That was then...this is now

There's no accounting for taste...or following fads. Apparently some long-forgotten mid-century decorator was enamored of the Asian style espoused by designers such as James Mont and made a few after-market changes to a Paul McCobb Irwin Collection credenza, and this is what sat in our warehouse for a while, awaiting a makeover. Solid mahogany was hidden beneath black lacquer, and shiny, ornate Asian-style hardware led the eye away from the amazing travertine marble top, which should have been the focal point of the piece.

Paul McCobb Irwin Collection credenza with "enhancements"

But that was then...and this is the same credenza after we had it restored to its former elegant simplicity.

Paul McCobb solid mahogany credenza
with brass hardware and  travertine top
Irwin Collection by Calvin

In the 1855 poem "Andrea del Sarto," the poet Robert Browning used the phrase "less is more," which a decade later was adopted by architect and designer Mies van der Rohe. If ever a piece of furniture illustrated that principle, it's this credenza.