In the store: Paul McCobb x 2

Two new additions to our inventory are a solid maple two-door Paul McCobb Planner Group cabinet/bench combination and a rosewood and brass game table.

We've had one of the modular maple cabinet/bench combos before, and I love the versatility of the pieces. Since the cabinet isn't attached to the bench, it can be placed on either side...or in the middle or even separately, I suppose, if that's your preference. I particularly like the cane-paneled sliding doors.

This is the first time I've seen one of the game tables. I have a soft spot for rosewood, especially when it is applied in such a beautiful pattern. The handy drawer for storing cards or game pieces, the brass X-stretchers and brass trim make it even more remarkable.

Not cavalier, just comfortable

When you sell vintage pieces for a living, you see a lot of beautiful things, even though some aren't so beautiful when you find them. You haul them back and forth between the refinisher's and the upholsterer's shops, lug them up and down stairs and into trucks and trailers. You sit on the chairs and sofas, you eat hamburgers at the tables, and your kids play hide-and-seek behind the stacks of inventory in your storeroom. You become familiar with them...and while familiarity doesn't breed contempt in this case, as the old saying goes, it does affect your attitude toward them.

First, there was the Lou Hodges table that my SIL almost put at the curb. Seriously, moving can make even the most dedicated vintage furniture lover crazy tired. Fortunately, he got a good night's sleep before he tossed the piece and eventually partnered with Gerard O'Brien at Reform Gallery in Los Angeles to sell it.

Lou Hodges table, almost tossed

Then there was the Richard Galef trash can (like this one I found on Etsy) that was used for dirty diapers when both the grandsons were babies. I'm sure there are lots of people who would treat a designer piece with a little more respect than that. (Although, in defense of my daughter and SIL, I will say that it took us a long time to identify it as a Galef piece. She got it at an estate sale for $1.00.)

Richard Galef trash can for Ravenware
etsy.com - OrbitingDebris

And, finally, there is the Planner Group coffee table by Paul McCobb that sits, as we speak, in my daughter and SIL's living room. I'll post a picture of one I found on Gerard's site, because the one we all use on a daily basis is so covered with mail and toys that you can't even see the top of it. We sit on it, eat on it, spill on it, play with toy trucks on it, stand on it and generally treat it as if it's indestructible, which it's proved to be so far.

Planner Group coffee table by Paul McCobb
reformgallery.1stdibs.com

Does this make us jaded? Unappreciative? Cavalier? I don't think so. These are tools of our trade, just as wrenches and hammers are the tools of other trades. Once they're fully restored and in our store, we handle them very carefully, so they'll be as perfect as possible when customers take them home. When they're in our own homes, we don't abuse them...but we do use them, just as people have been using them for the past 60-some-odd years. We figure if they've held up that long, they'll hold up for a good while longer.

The moral of this story: When you find a piece you just can't live without, buy it. Enjoy it. And don't be afraid to really live with it.

In the store: Case goods, tables and chairs

To make up for skipping Thursday's post, here's a little eye candy for your weekend. These are new inventory items at the store. If you haven't visited our website for a while, we'd love for you to drop by, because we've given it a brand new look.

72" Danish credenza with curved front

76" Danish teak credenza

Paul McCobb Planner Group storage unit

Brass and onyx biomorphic table in the style of Aldo Tura

94" Danish dropleaf dining table

Set of six chairs by Poul Cadovius

Tobia Scarpa Andre chrome and glass coffee table

In the store: More Planner Group

A very nice Paul McCobb Planner Group coffee table just came back from its makeover at Toshmahal, and its going to make a sleek addition to someone's home. This table is low and lean, and it has a lovely walnut finish with an interesting grain. (You might want to take a look at the great post on Better After about Hank Tosh, the man who works his magic on our wood pieces.)

By the way...I've just started sending weekly emails with inventory updates and store news. If you'd like to sign up, there's a link on the sidebar.

Paul McCobb Planner Group coffee table (with red Knoll chairs by Lewis Butler in the background)

Alternate view of McCobb coffee table

Close-up of the wood grain on the McCobb coffee table

Let there be light & some very cool cabinetry

The latest new items in the store are these beautifully refinished solid maple Paul McCobb Planner Group benches and cabinet. The modular cabinet has grass cloth sliding doors and is shown below on a tall base. It can also be used with one of the lower benches to create an entirely different look.

Paul McCobb Planner Group cabinet and two benches

Another great find was a white Arteluce floor lamp by Gino Sarfatti. It has a leather-wrapped handle, a fully articulating head and a marble base.

Arteluce floor lamp by Gino Sarfatti

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Be sure to check my July 28 post for the giveaway of these items:

In the store: McCobb and C. Jere'

New to the store is a perfectly compact Planner Group dropleaf table and four chairs by Paul McCobb, as well as a C. Jere' bird that is too much fun!

The McCobb table measures 57"L x 36"W x 29"H when extended, and the chairs are designed to tuck neatly into the table. The set is of solid maple construction and is in excellent condition.

The C. Jere' bird is a piece I'd never seen before, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. The sculpture is 20"H x 10"W and is made of enamelled copper with applied "dots" in delightful shades of orange, purple and yellow.

Paul McCobb Planner Group table and chairs

C. Jere' enamelled copper bird

In the store: Surfaces and seating

Lately we've been buying quite a bit of new inventory, but most of it has been project pieces that are either being restored now or are in line to be refinished or reupholstered, so I haven't posted pictures in a while. We finally picked up a few things that didn't need restoration and went straight to the floor.

Just yesterday morning my SIL picked up this Knoll Cyclone table by Isamu Noguchi. It's a real beauty in excellent original condition which had been used in the break room at a local doctor's office for decades.

Knoll Cyclone table by Isamu Noguchi

Here's a great little Danish tea cart in teak that will soon have new casters. The top lifts off to be used as a tray. I had one similar to this before I got my larger glass-topped one, and I loved it. Whoever gets this one will have a little gem.

Teak tea cart with removable tray

These Danish cane-backed chairs are in great condition. I love the angled backs. If these were mine, I'd reupholster the seats in a heavy, nubby fabric and then put some sort of low, eye-catching table between them.

Danish cane-backed chairs

This is a very early Knoll Tulip table by Eero Saarinen. It has some edge wear, but at the moment we're not planning to have it refinished. This is the type piece some serious collectors prefer in original condition, so we'll probably leave the restoration decisions to the buyer.

Early Knoll Tulip table by Eero Saarinen

Paul McCobb lovers will recognize this Planner Group desk and chair immediately. The iconic pair will probably be sold quickly, as they are in high demand.

Planner Group desk and chair by Paul McCobb

The  pièce de résistance is this huge Royal System wall unit by Poul Cadovius. This baby is massive and takes up a huge section of wall in the store. It was bought in Denmark in the 1960s by a friend of my SIL's family.

Royal System wall unit by Poul Cadovius

More mid-century masochism

Looking at mid-century listings around the country on Craigslist can hurt so good! Here are the lastest luscious items that technology puts right at my fingertips...but geography keeps completely out of my reach.

The Paul Laszlo cocktail table and the turquoise lamp are absolutely killing me.

All photos from craigslist.org

Bertoia for Knoll chairs - Seattle

Brass light fixture - Seattle 

Cork table lamps - Seattle

Drexel Declaration credenza - Los Angeles

DUX lounge chair - Los Angeles

Finn Juhl armchairs - Chicago

Florence Knoll chair - Philadelphia

George Mulhauser for Plycraft - Los Angeles

Grete Jalk sofa - Seattle

Jens Risom swivel chair - Portland

Milo Baughman dresser & night stands - Los Angeles

Paul Laszlo cocktail table - Los Angeles

Paul McCobb Planner headboard - Portland

Pink refrigerator with turquoise interior - Denver

Turquoise lamp - Indianapolis

The delightful agony of craigslist

My friends would tell you I’m about as mentally healthy a person as they know, but I have to confess a secret they haven't guessed.  There’s a tiny masochist in me that comes out and sits on my shoulder and makes me look at all the fantastic mid-century items on craigslist around the country…things that are too far away and too expensive to have shipped to Texas...things that other people can have, but I can't. 

Since misery loves company, I’m going to share these finds with you.  If you’re lucky, I might have uncovered something near you.  If not, you’ll suffer right along with me.  And just to be sure, I’m going to include some items from the Dallas-Fort Worth area that I can get to. 

Read 'em and weep. :)

Broyhill Brasilia bookcase
Seattle craigslist

Eero Saarinen marble tulip table
Nashville craigslist

Paul McCobb Planner Group chairs
Denver craigslist

Mies Brno chairs
Philadelphia craigslist

Edward Wormley Drexel Precedent chest
(This piece is being sold by a dealer
 I've bought from so often that I consider him a friend  now.)
Dallas craiglist

Warren Platner lounge set
(So near, and yet so far...
This set is just a few streets from me in my own neighborhood...
but the seller wants over $15,000 for the set.)
Fort Worth craigslist

 Adrian Pearsall chair
(Still out of reach, unless I put it on layaway...
The asking price is $2500 for this chair.)
Dallas craigslist