Rare Scandinavian Rocker by Lena Larsson

A quick glance may have you thinking this the same rocking chair Grandma had with its black lacquered frame and natural colored seat.  Closer inspection reveals the gracefully shaped arms that transition into the back frame.  The spindles are all finely tapered.  There is a balance and lack of bulk that distinguishes Scandinavian designs from American.

The "Grandessa" rocker (a.k.a. Bohem 2402) was designed by Lena Larsson in the 1950's and produced by Nesto.  Its graceful design is not only beautiful but comfortable as well and the high back is even suitable for taller users.  The black and natural wood fits perfectly with many current designs.  This piece is in excellent condition and can be a functional sculpture and focal point of a room. 

It even comes with a cushion that I am assuming wasn't original but the bright colored vintage fabric could also add a pop of color to the room.

Dimensions: 43"H x 36"D x 24" W

Available for $429

Bleached Mahogany Dining Table and 4 Chairs for Brown Saltman

I've featured pieces by John Keal a number of times on the blog.  His designs always showcase great details and quality materials and construction.  They are all destined to become mid-century classics.

This is one of the many designs by Keal that uses mahogany.  The straight, linear bands in the wood grain allow for some interesting designs and patterns.  Keal uses this to effect on the table.  The layup has the grain following the circumference of the table at the edges.  In the center of the main part of the table, the grain runs one direction.  On the leaves it runs perpendicular.  This has the colors of the wood shifting differently as you move around the table.  The top surface of the main table has been recently refinished, the remainder of the table and leaves are original.  The legs are of solid mahogany with brass tips.

Keal also added some interesting design details to the chairs.  The "captains" chairs do not really have arm rests but incorporate a sculpted handle.  All the wood components of the chairs are solid mahogany and have a lot of tapering and sculpting which results in a look that is more elegant than many designs.  The seating surface is a black vinyl with an embossed basketweave pattern.  One chair has a worn mark in the seat but otherwise the vinyl is soft and in great shape.

Dimensions:
                   table: 42" x 42" x 29"H   each leaf is 15" wide (2 leaves total)
                   chairs: 30"H x 21"W x 21"D

Sold

Heron Rocking Chair by Mitsumasa Sugasawa

The Heron rocking chair by Mitsumasa Sugasawa was manufactured by Tendo Mokko in Japan.  Although it is Japanese in origin, a glance at this chair would easily have it mistakenly attributed to a Scandinavian manufacturer and designer.  Many of the design details are featured in pieces by Ingmar Relling or Sigurd Ressel and made by the likes of Westnofa or Vatne Mobler.  In fact, Sugasawa studied at the Danish National Engineering Laboratory.

The frame of the Heron rocking chair is made from a single bent oak ply molding (except the arms) and is much more sturdy than some of the Scandi pieces.  The sculpted design is as comfortable as it is beautiful.  All the support seems to fall just in the right place, even for someone taller than average.  This one has the original fabric which, other than a couple small splits in the fabric, is in good shape.  The frame and finish is in excellent shape as well.  This classic piece is ready to be enjoyed for a few more decades.

Dimensions: 36"H x 22"W x 32"D

Sold

Vintage Folding Leather Butterfly Chair

The Hardoy Butterfly chair has been around for decades and is a modern classic.  It is still made today in various forms and quality levels.  It is a design that lends itself to many different design styles from mid-century to contemporary modern, rustic and industrial.  There is something so inviting about the look of a leather sling chair with a nice patina.

Not sure of the origin of this one.  It is a folding frame design.  The leather is a deep chocolate brown that almost reads as black.  It has had enough use to make it look and feel comfortable but shows little wear.

Dimensions: 34"H x 32"W x 30"D

Available for $110

Mahogany Credenza by John Keal for Brown Saltman

I've had the pleasure of working on a number of pieces by John Keal and always enjoy the opportunity to experience more.  All of Keal's pieces exhibit the designer's attention to detail with every aspect from aesthetics, to functionality, to material quality obviously having been considered.  He always seemed to incorporate some little "trick" feature that showed creativity beyond most designers.

This piece is no exception.  The frame is all hardwood wrapped with mahogany veneers and finished off with many solid mahogany pieces such as the legs, rounded front edges and the drawer pulls.  This piece has a "hidden" tray compartment below the doors and drawers that can be used to store large serving trays or other large flat items.  The uppermost drawer has dividers for organizing utensils, etc.  The open storage on either side of the drawers as an adjustable shelf on each side.

Originally this pieces was finished in bleached mahogany.  This is not a color and finish that I love and I find it difficult to incorporate with other pieces.  I opted to change it to a more traditional rich dark brown mahogany color that would also work well along side walnut pieces that are from the same era.

Dimensions: 66"W x 33"H x 20"D

Sold

Modern Zebra Wood Crib and Changing Table Set

No, this isn't mid-century at all.  I have yet to see a true mid-century crib or changing table that I think has good aesthetic design or functionality.  If you are a design conscious expecting parent you've probably discovered there aren't many options available today that offer good design and build quality and don't cost an arm and a leg.

These two pieces were not made by the same manufacturer.  However the materials, design and build quality are nearly the same, so work well as a set.

The crib is the Studio crib by Nursery Works.  Nursery Works is in Los Angeles and builds very high quality, low production furniture for children.  All their pieces are bench made, not mass produced using hardwood frames, exotic woods and low or no VOC finishes.  Hardware such as hinges and drawer glides are also high quality, high load design pieces built to last a lifetime.  This crib has a number of ingenious design features incorporated.  The base has 2 full depth drawers for storage.  The base can also be removed when using as a toddler bed to minimize the mattress height.  The end of the crib has a drop down shelf that holds a changing pad and has small storage compartments behind it.  As the child grows, this shelf can be converted to a drop down desk.  There is additional storage below the drop down desk.  The white mattress platform has 3 adjustable height positions (and a 4th when removed).  The white "rail" sides can be removed to convert to a toddler bed.  The use of Zebra wood and stark white is a striking modern look.  An Ikea Vyssa mattress will be included if desired.

The changing table is the Manhattan model by Litto Kids.  It looks like they have gone out of business but they were also based in Southern California and operated with the same philosophy of quality materials, production and design.  This piece is also built on a hardwood frame with Zebra wood veneers over and low VOC finish.  I refinished the wood portion of this 4 years ago when we were expecting.  I used  pure tung oil cut with orange oil for the finish to stay with the low toxicity, low VOC finish methodology.  This piece also uses high load, side mounted roller bearing glides for high durability and safety.  The 3 drawers are deep and offer ample storage for all the necessary baby goodies.  The case sits on a polished steel base.

New, the crib sold for $2200 and the changing table for $950, so together would have been well over $3000.  I'm offering these as a set only as it would be challenging to find matching pieces.

Sold

Dimensions:

                 Crib 64"W x 46"H x 32"D
                 Changing Table  42"W x 39"H x 20"D