Viva art deco (again...) Art deco is like Abba and Led Zeppelin. Every decade or so there is a huge revival that sweeps the earth, and then it goes away again. It is such a revolutionary and bold style that it will always come back, but then, after a few years, people become saturated. It packs a punch but lacks the sensibility to hang around, like Danish modernism. Some versions of it will always be around. There will always be people looking for the big old lounge sets with the armrests that you could land a Boeing on. And there will always be an appetite for amazing pendants and table lamps.Despite South Africa’s substantial architectural art deco heritage, particularly in Cape Town,...
A famous brand does not always guarantee quality of workmanship. Mid-century modernism came into full swing in the optimistic post-war 1950’s. It was the time of the American dream – the believe that anyone, regardless of social standing, could, through determination and hard work, reach their idea of success. Mass production of well-designed furniture made this ideal closer. Suddenly, middle class people could surround themselves with great design and pretty things, and it became affordable! The inconvenient truth is that the build quality of some of these amazing looking branded mid-century pieces were… how shall we put it… marginal. Yes, even the Scandinavian ones. The use of thin veneers on composite boards became the rule. Let’s just be clear –...
In October Huisraad Modern bought a rare Eileen Gray black lacquered brick screen at the decade's most publicised mid century modern furniture auction in South Africa. It was the auctioning off of the well known Prop House collection owned by Capetonians Will Hinton and Tess Wolpe. The Huisraad Modern Eileen Gray brick screen For a moment we fantasised that we miraculously came into possession of an unaccounted for original, Japanese lacquer, Eileen Gray brick screen that she hand made in the 1920’s in Paris. The process to find out more about this screen gave us a glimpse into the life of one of furniture designs’ most enigmatic historic personalities. Eileen Gray Was it not for an Eileen Gray...
Scouring the South African second hand scene in all its guises for valuable vintage furniture turned out to be a way more exciting and engaging project than I though it would be. And I already had high hopes when we started out. The stories attached to furniture are fascinating. The stories of the South African companies who made the furniture, what inspired them, and who they copied. The stories of specific pieces and the families that they belonged to for decades. The stories of how furniture traveled from one family to another. And of course the stories of the real heirloom pieces that were passed down through generations. Real antiques never really appealed to us. It is the vintage stuff,...
If it was not for an over priced haberdashery counter with potential but an owner unwilling to negotiate in the CBD of Vereeniging, we would probably not have spotted this one in the store next door. It was not on offer and still being used as a counter and camouflaged by merchandise stacked around it. We found a couple of great vintage pieces in this shop, belonging to the amiable and handsome Mohammed Sahib: Two mid century book cases, an old sewing cabinet, a modernist chrome and glass coffee table and a somewhat eccentric red steel garden chair. We were ready to pay for these when we saw the unit. “Whoa, look at this!” Ali said. And Mohammed promptly invited...
