We had only been in business for three months, my daughter and SIL had just sold their home, and they were in the process of moving (with a 21-month-old and a 6-month-old) into the back of the old store.
At the height of their mover's fatigue, the table that had looked like such a great find at the Salvation Army store was starting to look like a liability. As they saw it, they only had three options: 1) have the table professionally restored, which was almost out of the question for the fledgling store, which was still in "wipe a little Restor-A-Finish on it" mode 2) sell it "as is" on Craigslist or 3) literally leave it on the curb for trash pick-up.
Fortunately, my SIL got a good night's sleep and decided that there might be a fourth option. He contacted a well-known dealer on the West Coast, who agreed to take the table on consignment. As is sometimes the case in this business, the dealer had an abundance of his own pieces to sell, so he just recently listed it, but it will have been well worth the wait when the table sells.
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| Handcrafted Lou Hodges dining table for California Design 1stdibs.com |
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| Our almost-discarded walnut and oak Lou Hodges table displayed with felted folding chairs by artist Tanya Aguiñiga 1stdibs.com |
That table actually looks good, hope it sells soon!
ReplyDeleteYes, it really does. I'm so glad it didn't end up in a landfill.
DeleteIt's a gorgeous piece!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness my SIL's cooler head prevailed after a good night's sleep...but I know that point of exhaustion in the middle of a move when you're ready to put EVERYTHING at the curb!
DeleteWhat a beautiful piece! Great table. Is it an extendable table with the panels in the middle.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking of you Dana! Re watching Mad Men - the furniture is heaven!!x
Yes, it has two leaves. The funny thing about Mad Men is that the furniture looks so gorgeous on TV but really isn't in such great shape. In the storyline, when they formed their own company, it was necessary in real life to sell off props from the original office set, so they listed them on eBay. I actually bid on a chair, just to have as a conversationpiece, but it was pretty ratty looking. I guess you can do wonders in that final edit.
DeleteAhh that's interesting about the furniture from the set of Mad Men Dana. The old smoke n mirrors of Hollywood! They should have come to you and your SIL's store to source their prop furniture!! Your pieces always look great.x
DeleteSo glad he didn't kick it to the curb. I doubt it ever would have made it to the landfill though. Someone would have snatched that beauty up in a flash. I know i would have!
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right. That piece would make for some fine curbside collecting, although possibly by someone who had no interest in its pedigree and just needed a table of some sort till he could buy a "nicer" one at The Room Store. I'm so glad my SIL had the great idea to consign it with someone who specializes in California Modern. The market for it is much greater on the West Coast, as is the likelihood that it will truly be appreciated and taken care of for years to come.
DeleteI just saw those fuzzy folding chairs in a photo the other day and was wondering who designed them. Mystery solved!
ReplyDeleteTanya Aguiñiga is one of just a few contemporary artists whose work is sold at Reform Gallery. She's young (age 34) and extremely talented. I have a post about her scheduled a few days out.
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