twin cities design scene » mid century modern

Store Opening: Find Furnish

Twin Cities Design Scene — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:33:50 +0000

Nestled in the first floor of the white factory building at the Casket Arts Building is a new store called, Find Furnish. Owned by Marie Zellar and Brian Wilcox, Find Furnish specializes in found Mid-Century Modern furnishing and accessories. Marie spends hours looking through garage sales in the Midwest region and brings her treasures back to Minneapolis to restore to their original glory.

Brian and Marie both learned restoration when they were young. After working the political and environmental scene for a number of years, they both decided to partner and return to their restoration roots and open Find Furnish. Whether it is a Pomegranate colored sofa, a lime green 8-track table, or some funky lamps, Marie and Brian keep the selection fresh. In addition to stopping by their new showroom, one may also purchase items off of their Etsy site.

Please join Marie and Brian this weekend for their Grand Opening of Find Furnish at 1720 Madison Street NE, #10, Minneapolis Minnesota, 55413.

Saturday, October 15 from 12 noon to 8pm

Sunday, October 16th from 12 noon to 5pm.

Sitting Pretty Calendar

Twin Cities Design Scene — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:14:03 +0000

Image from Blue Tricycle

I am a big geek for calendars. Every year I look forward to choosing the perfect calendar to put on my wall. Not only do calendars provide a place to write down appointments, but they give me a different piece of artwork per month. I usually save the calendars after I am done to frame the monthly art pieces I like most.

Ever the design lover, I went over to Etsy to look for a calendar of chairs. Surely, a gorgeous, simple calendar popped up on the first page from a local design firm called Blue Tricycle. The calendar features a colorful shadow picture of a different mid-century modern chair every month. The cool thing about the calendar is that you purchase the PDF, then you then download and print off yourself. If you want to shop locally for the design enthusiast in your family, or for your co-workers, I definitely recommend checking out this calendar and the other products from Blue Tricycle at their Etsy shop or at their online store.

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Celebrate Saarinen’s 100th Birthday!

Twin Cities Design Scene — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:55:20 +0000

Image courtesy of edkohler via flickr

It is Eero Saarinen’s 100th brithday! Come bust out your party hats and head on over to Christ Lutheran Church this Sunday, October 24th at 3pm to see Fathers, Sons, and Hidden Treasures. Christ Lutheran Church was designed by father & son team Eliel and Eero Saarinen in 1949.

St. John’s University professor, Nick Hayes, will lecture on the influence of Eliel Saarinen’s work on other local post-war church designs. Hayes is the son of Mark Hayes, who was part of the architectural firm that worked with Saarinen during the church’s construction in 1949. After the lecture, attendees will be able to tour the church, including the church’s Saarinen archives, including rarely seen original drawings by Eero and Eliel.

Christ Lutheran Church is located at 3244 34th Ave S., Minneapolis.

DOCOMOMO’s Modernist Sacred Spaces Tour

Twin Cities Design Scene — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:16:08 +0000

Some of you might have noticed that I have not been posting as frequently over this past month. That is because I have been hard at work helping to put together DOCOMOMO’s (DOcumentation and COnservation of building of the MOdern MOvement) Modernist Sacred Spaces tour! It is going to be a gorgeous weekend coming up, so why not get some friends together and get outside, enjoy a fall drive and see some of the most divine (pun intended) architecture in town?

The self-led tour is this Saturday, October 9th and includes 7 metro churches from the likes of Ralph Rapson, Barry Byrne, Thorshov & Cerny and Hills, Gilbertson, & Hayes. Registration for the tour begins at 9am at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 4801 France Ave S. The tour will visit four Minneapolis churches from 9 AM until noon; then three St Paul churches from noon to 3PM. See the image above for a map of all the tour stops.

A social hour will follow the tour at a Modern Private Residence designed by Minnesota’s own Elizabeth & Winton Close at 641 Lexington Parkway South. Food and drinks will be generously provided by Mid Century Modernist Specialists: Karen Rue with Edina Realty & Nathan Anderson of Avocado Green, Inc.

Tickets are $25 for DOCOMOMO members, $30 for non-members & $15 for students with their ID.

Tickets may be purchased in advance on DOCOMOMO’s Eventbrite site or at the registration table at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 4801 France Ave S.

Where to Find the Best Furnishings on a Budget

Twin Cities Design Scene — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:05:09 +0000

Photo credit: Sustainablog

The beginning of September always seems like a time for change. Cooler weather arrives, students go back to school, and many apartment dwellers find themselves moving into new residences. This time of moving is always a little hectic. Between securing a new lease and battling to get a Uhaul at the end of the month, by the time the moving is all finished, new tenants usually find that they are needing a few furniture pieces to complete their space. Too tired to figure out where to hunt for these pieces on a budget? Not to worry, I have a few suggestions up my sleeve!

Read on to learn where to buy affordable items after the jump.

Antique Stores on 50th and Xerxes- The shops at the street corner of 50th and Xerxes have always been a favorite of mine. Antique stores Hunt and Gather, Loft Antiques, and the newly opened home consignment store, Bella Galleria are within feet of one another. The visual people at all stores do an excellent job of grouping items together in themed rooms. Clean spaces, eclectic merchandise and affordable prices are always the big factor in why I come back to these shops.

Curbside Pickup- Usually the best time to do this is at the end and beginning of each month. People who are moving usually hit a point where they don’t want to deal with waste removal companies. The result? A lot of nice items get left to the curb. The trick is to get there not long after the item has been put out. Each city usually has a curbside pick up day, where waste removal companies will pick up items for free. This is a perfect time to drive around these areas and stake out your treasure. Just make sure to do a thorough examination of the piece. The last thing you want to end up in a situation like the guys from the 1998 Volkswagen commercial:

Twin Cities Free Market- Put on by Eureka Recycling, Twin Cities Free Market is a website where individuals can post items they no longer want and gladly want to give away for free. It is more gas and time efficient than driving around the cities hunting for items placed on the curb. Plus, this way, you are less likely to pick up a soggy, rained upon sofa. Eww!

Ikea and Target- If the thought of buying used is not for you, Ikea and Target are always safe bets. Target constantly changes their selection and you can usually find affordable options in fun prints and colors. As far as Ikea furniture goes, I have two words for you: Malm & Lack.

Garage Sales-Whether you search and hunt down the ideal garage sale in the Kenwood/Lowry hill neighborhood, or you happen to be driving by one, garage sales are a great way to find treasures to complete your space. If you are shopping a garage sale in your neighborhood, it is also a great excuse to meet your neighbors!

St. Paul Retro Loop- Everywhere you look, retro is all the rage. Some of the best places to shop in town for retro are the shops in the St. Paul Retro Loop. These stores include Lula, Swank, Succotash, Up Six and Classic Retro @ Pete’s.

So there’s my list. I am sure all you lovely readers have other places you like to hunt for affordable furnishings. Leave a comment below and let us in on your secrets to find steals in the Twin Cities!

Succotash’s 15 Year Anniversary Celebration!

Twin Cities Design Scene — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:12:22 +0000

Since 1995, St. Paul Retro Loop store, Succotash, has brought Minnesotans the grooviest, funkiest furnishings, art, clothing, LP’s, pottery and accessories from the 1950′s to the 1970′s. Please come out to the store this weekend, August 6-8 and help store owners Paul and Noreen Allbright celebrate their 15 years of business! To help thank all their loyal customers, Succotash is discounting their inventory 15-50% store-wide. As an extra special thanks, Succotash is hosting a drawing for two Minnesota Twins Target Field Legend’s club tickets. Succotash specializes in design classics, as well as kitschy, fun merchandise. Check out selections of current and past merchandise in the gallery below! (Note: please know that some items featured in photos may not currently be in the store. Call ahead for availability).

Their extended hours for the event are:

Friday, 11-8pm, Saturday, 11-6 and Sunday 11-4pm.

781 Raymond Ave, St. Paul, MN.

651-603-8787

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Floor Sample Sale at DWR

Twin Cities Design Scene — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:08:49 +0000

Have you always wanted the sexy Eames La Chaise shown above? Well you can get it and many other items at a discounted rate at the floor sample sale going on at Minneapolis’ Design Within Reach. The uptown store has this beauty, in addition to many other items (including the Eames Molded Plastic chair, Frank Llyod Wright sofa to name a few) on discount. If you want to learn what other items made it the floor sample sale, visit the store, or give them a call at 612-827-0990

Twin Cities Mid Century Modern (TC MCM)

Twin Cities Design Scene — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:47:00 +0000

Photo credit: Susan Schlenker Ingvaldson

So you’ve watched every episode of Mad Men, drink all your beverages from a martini glass and refresh Craigslist obsessively to see the latest offerings from Mid Century Modern furniture sellers. Believe me, you are not alone. Minnesota’s architecture is chalk full of facades dating back from the 1950′s & 1960′s. There is a good reason why those good ol’ Coen boys came back to their home state to film the 1960′s-set dark comedy “A Serious Man.” For as many buildings that Minnesota has dating back to the mid-century, we have many more Mid-Century Modern enthusiasts who love to share their knowledge and excitement for the era. Jake Rudh, a popular Twin Cities DJ, also loves Mid-Century Modern design. By creating a facebook group called TC MCM (Twin Cities Mid Century Modern), he made a forum for local enthusiasts to share their passion with one another. I sat down with Jake at the cozy Cafe Maude to talk about the evolution of TC MCM.

Read after the jump to learn more about TC MCM

Jake’s love of the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic dates back to his childhood when he watched The Jetsons and other shows from that era. Now, he has retro and space age furniture all throughout his own home:

“Luckily, my wife & I are on the same page. We love being surrounded by classic beauty and, for lack of better terms, sexiness. Mid Century Modern, whether it’s iconic designer pieces, Danish modern or space-age futuristic are all really sexy designs. It’s streamlined, it’s sleek, and we just love it.”

Rudh, DJ of the popular “Transmission” dance night at Clubhouse Jager in Minneapolis, thought up the idea for TC MCM after seeing the advantages that social media created for his dance night and other events he hosts around town:

“I think the blueprints for the (TC MCM) group came from my Transmission Facebook group page. I saw how quickly that page grew, and wanted to do the same for TC MCM. I believe the almost 800 people have joined because they see it and think ‘This is part of who I am. I love Mid Century Modern, I live in the Twin Cities, so why not join?”

On TC MCM’s page, you can find posts ranging from discussion forums, retro house listings, and people looking to sell or buy furniture. There are even grassroots campaigns to try and save historic architectural sites, such as the one to save the first Dairy Queen built in Roseville in 1947. Additionally, occasional events occur where members of the group can come together, such as a discussion panel that was held at Eliel Saarinen’s 1949 Christ Church Lutheran last fall. A couple members have even found their current cherished mid-century modern homes through using the group and seeing them posted on its walls.

The success of the TC MCM group totally depends on its members, so join it today and start a conversation! Rudh urges the members to speak up, “When you see something…like a house that you drive by and you think, ‘wow, this is unbelievable!’ share it with the rest of the group.” So go on and spread the Mid-Century love of TC MCM with all of your friends!

Profile: Remnants Upholstery

Twin Cities Design Scene — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:57:26 +0000

As I walk into the Remnants Upholstery studio in the Northrup King Building, I feel like I am stepping back into a chic living room from the 1950′s. Owner David Osterberg invites me to sit down on one of his white Saarinen Tulip Chairs. Located in Northeast Minneapolis, Remnants is an upholstery studio that specializes in mid-century modern furniture and antiques. Read more after the jump to learn about Remnants Upholstery and tour the studio!

David Osterberg began his career as an architecture student, but with the recession of the late 1980′s, architectural jobs were hard to come by. “I decided to go back to school and do something that I could do for myself,” Osterberg says, “I had done furniture design in college, so I thought I would take some upholstery classes and see where that lead.”

The rest is history. Osterberg began his business in the Longfellow neighborhood, before moving his studio to southwest Minneapolis. He recently has settled into a studio next to Danish Teak Classics in the Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis.

Being a mid-century enthusiast, Osterberg has developed a relationship with the furniture manufacturer, Knoll. As a result, he receives many referrals from the manufacturer for especially difficult jobs, such as Arne Jacobson’s classic Swan chair. Osterberg describes his relationship with Knoll:

“A lot of other upholsterers don’t want to touch items like a Swan Chair. they look at it and think it an unconventional upholstery method. It is done in a very different way and they don’t want to experiment. I have had people bring things to me, like Swan chairs for example, that other upholsters have worked with, almost in tears from previous upholstery job. So I am the go to guy in fixing it.”

While David loves mid-century modern pieces, he is a jack of all trades and works with all different time periods of furniture. He tells me, “as a student, I did a lot of Victorian, hand sewn, horse hair pieces. So I am very well rounded. I’ve restored 300 year old pieces that have come out of France that should be in a museum…I know clients would look into my shop in the past and think ‘Oh, he does not know how to do my antique piece’ because I only had modern pieces, but modern is my aesthetic.”

Well versed in most styles of furniture, David Osterberg turns his client’s furniture into works of art. Not only is he talented at his upholstery work, he is enthusiastic about sharing the story behind his pieces. David is in and out of his studio, the best way to reach Osterberg is by calling ahead to make an appointment at 612-823-5591 or e-mail him at REMNANTSUPH@msn.com. Check out the Remnants Upholstery studio below:

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Herman Miller Event

Twin Cities Design Scene — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:59:41 +0000

If you have been contemplating purchasing a new Eames Lounge Chair to kick your feet up on, or a new Aeron or Embody chair to take to work, now is the time to do it! Starting June 4th-June 14th, Herman Miller is having their biannual event where product prices drop by 15%. Click on this link to find the nearest Herman Miller retailer near you.