TWO JEWELS FIND A NEW HOME

I am very excited to announce this lovely pair of Aesthetic Movement side chairs have found a new home, with a young, hip interior designer in Salt Lake City.  I just love that younger designers see the value in mixing old and new and actually using real vintage and antique pieces instead of settling for mediocre repros.

I am DYING to see photos of them as captains chairs at his dining table.  Coming soon.

Little peek on site

I am so excited to see this amazing project coming together.  Might not look like much yet, but this will be just stunning when it is complete!  I am so lucky to have clients that have the sophistication and vision to embrace an ultra minimal house filled with amazing antique furniture.  This is what I call a dream project!

DESIGNER DAYS IN SLC

I am headed home after a successful and truly enjoyable week in Salt Lake City.  I got a lot of work done, including shopping for antiques laden with character, fabulous fabrics, unique accessories, and even some very mod wallpapers.

I was able to coordinate a photo shoot for one of my recently completed projects, and met with some manufacturers and upholsterers.

I was also honored with an invitation to speak about interior design branding for the International Interior Design Association.

Oh, and met with some clients too!

I even managed to miss any active snowfall and just got to enjoy looking at it perfectly blanketing the mountains.

Now it is back to Des Moines and whatever winter weather may await...

LATEST TRANSFORMATION

I am very excited to share my latest completed furniture restoration project, in particular because I worked with an amazing upholsterer who documents all stages of restoration offering a rarely seen view into this little-acknowledged art.

This wonderful sofa had great bones and great sentimental value for my clients who live just outside Kansas City.  They very much wanted to keep the piece, but were unsure of how to use it in their home in its current state.

It needed repairs to the frame, new stuffing to the cushion and desperately needed a new upholstery job.

After a broad review of fabrics, we kept coming back to one of the first we selected from Magnolia Fabrics.  It was bold and unexpected for this piece, but just felt right for the client and would completely reinvent this heirloom.  We decided to go for it.

So we consulted with the wonderfully knowledgeable Kansas City Upholstery who did a full and comprehensive restoration, completely taking the frame apart and re-gluing it, and documenting the process.

After all this tender loving care, I was desperate to see the final result!  And it was no let-down, that is for sure.  This piece now lives happily in an eclectic, modern home and will be in top-notch condition for many years to come.  Thanks to my wonderful client and the expert services at Kansas City Upholstery!

AN UNLIKELY PUBLICATION

I find the magazine The Economist to be highly informative and generally pretty spot-on about world events.  So when I picked up the December 19th issue, I was quite surprised to see, not only an article on the antiques business, but one that was quite negative about the state of the industry, and industry they claim is dying.  So I of course told everyone I knew about this article and what I thought.  After a few days, I realized I should tell The Economist what I thought as well.  So I did, and amazingly enough they published my letter in the print edition, a place usually reserved for diplomats or CEO's letters.  I suspect I was the only one, probably ever, to write a letter to the editor at The Economist about old brown furniture.

"I disagree with your take on the antiques trade (“Out with the old”, December 19th). It is not dying, merely changing, and its future is bright. The traditional definition of an “antique” being at least 100 years old is restrictive and outmoded. The New York Armory Winter Antique Show now allows items from as late as 1969.

You implied that the popularity of Mid-Century Modernism explains why antiques are out of fashion. However, one may see in this a sign that the younger generation still appreciates old things, just different things than their parents appreciated. Thirty-somethings are expanding their tastes; the heavy hand of Mid-Century is lifting and early 20th Century Modernism and Art Deco styles are creeping in. 

A more eclectic use of styles in interiors is indeed returning. In the Architectural Digest 2016 forecast, several interior designers noted a trend away from Mid-Century period rooms towards more traditional styles mixed with the modern. Robert Stilin, a designer, even used the term “brown furniture” in a positive light. Not quite the definitive death that many old-guard dealers are predicting. 

CHRISTA PIRL

Christa Pirl Interiors & Furniture"

NICE FEATURE

Thanks to The Highboy for featuring my 'Aphrodite' settee in their recent article on sofas and settees! Read the article here.

SCREAMING DEALS IN THE SLC

If anyone is in need of some chairs or footstools in Salt Lake or Park City, several of my pieces are on sale through November 5th.  All the below pieces are 30% off, with an additional trade discount available.  All are available to see in person at CG Sparks in downtown SLC, and ready for pick-up.  And if you want to take advantage of the sale and are not in Utah, no problem, we are happy to offer you the discount as well, but will need to charge a shipping fee.  Still a great deal!

Please contact me if you want more information!

Set of four Bentwood dining chairs, regularly $2,800, now $1,960.  Also available as singles.

A pair of Eastlake side chairs, regularly $1,950, now $1,365, also available as singles.

A single Bentwood cafe chair, regularly $650.00, now $455

And these cutie footstools-

regularly $495, now $345

regularly $475, now $332

regularly $350, now $245

MY LATEST POST ON 'THE WEEKLY'

I am excited to share my second contribution for The Highboy's wonderful blog, 'The Weekly'!  There are lots of great insider tips here...

http://blog.thehighboy.com/what-to-consider-when-reupholstering-antiques/

MY FIRST ARTICLE FOR THE HIGHBOY

I am so excited to be a contributing writer for The HighBoy​'s online magazine 'The Weekly'!  It gives me great joy to be able to share my nerdy love of furniture history with the world!


Here is the link, happy reading, fellow furniture addicts...

NOW ON THE HIGHBOY!

SO EXCITED to be part of The HighBoy​ family!  I love the philosophy  of this online curated antiques and fine art site.  They promote the idea that everyone should live with good antiques, mixing and matching styles and periods.  It is about living with what you love and actually using antiques, not just looking at them in museums (which I also highly advocate)!

WANT YOUR OWN FABRIC ON IT? DONE. ONLY WANT THE FABRIC? ALSO DONE.

I have found a small business is an ever-evolving thing, at least for the first five years or so.  When I started up my interiors business I was unsure of who to market to, homeowners or home builders, and whether I should work on remodels or new builds.  It all sorted itself out after a few years.

I am now in that exploratory period with Christa Pirl Furniture, and after a busy month talking to lots of designers and homeowners, I have gained some valuable insight and have decided that I will now be offering -

1. Chair and sofa frames before they are reupholstered.  This gives both designers and homeowners to customize pieces to suit.  Send me the fabric and I will send you the finished piece, or just purchase the frame alone and have it reupholstered yourself.  These will be on the website soon, but in the meanwhile...

A lovely set of four Thonet bentwood armchairs, circa 1960, they need reupholstery and refinishing-

An Eastlake/Aesthetic Movement Settee and two matching chairs with original black lacquer, needs lacquer touch-up, springs and foam need some work under the seat, and desperately needs new upholstery!  See two chairs in the set that are complete here.

Two fantastic mid-mod armchairs, circa 1960, these are already refinished in a dark walnut stain, but will need new upholstery, see two almost identical chairs complete here.

A statement baroque side chair with dramatic high back, in need of refinishing and upholstery-

And an early 20th-century Eastlake style armchair.  This one needs some work to the seat, the wood only needs a bit of touch-up and of course, reupholstery-

2. My favorite fabrics from my favorite suppliers, prints I feel are unique and work well with lots of frames.  These will be on the website in the next few weeks, and stay tuned for more info on my own line of fabric designs, coming in 2015!

Give me a call or email for more info on the frames shown!