Black & white cowhide lounge chair; black & chrome floor lamp; vintage plastic plants; black Danish style wood slatted bench; vintage stereo; black Swan couch; chrome and glass tiered display, vintage glassware and ice bucket, chrome and glass accent tables, and a vintage burgundy shag rug.
Outfitting an apartment takes a fun spin when the owners and interior designers of two Hawthorne District stores, Vintage Pink and Deco to Disco, come together at the newly developed apartments, The 20 on Hawthorne, to create two “vintage vignettes. Pulling items right from their shop floors, they demonstrate how easy it is to furnish comfortable and stylish living spaces that not only look fabulous but are good for the environment, too.
The contemporary design of The 20 on Hawthorne apartments – with its clean lines, natural wood surfaces, recycled materials and large energy-efficient windows – are ideally suited for an “outfitting” in Mid-century Modern furnishings. Developed with a small carbon footprint in mind, the building makes eco-living easy for its residents. Reuse is one of the best ways to do that.
Recycling seems normal these days, but reuse is often overlooked. And when talking about home furnishings, the thought of refinishing is out of the question for some. You’ll be happy to know that hard work is not always necessary, or it has already been done for you. Some classics – like the blue Herman Miller chairs in the kitchen photo on page 23 – have been only gently used and are ready to be adopted into a new home. Plus, many furniture resale shops offer couches and chairs that have already been repaired and reupholstered, tables that have been refinished, or lamps that come with newly designed lampshades. Each item has been reborn shiny and new but remains true to its fashionable roots.
Vintage Pink's entrance on Hawthorne
Vintage Pink is one of those shops that is ready to help. It’s owner, Kevin Keehn, helped coordinate these photo vignettes using many Mid-Century Modern items, which Kevin reports are the hottest sellers these days. His Lower Hawthorne shop features multiple collections of home furnishings, with interior designers that keep their own vintage merchandise on the sale floor. Lower Hawthorne has an inspiring selection of vintage shops that regularly work together to help spur their customers’ home decorating ideas.
Some of Deco to Disco's recovered furnishings
Deco to Disco, right across the street from the The 20 on Hawthorne, also contributed to these vignettes. Owner, Sandra Kambel, and her partner, Miles, who does custom upholstery, focus their recycling efforts on giving unique mid-century furniture a new life through upholstery, using vintage fabrics whenever possible. They also offer a small selection of reproduced designer pieces at affordable prices. The black and white cowhide lounge chair and the black Swan style couch are two such items. Along with furniture, several of the accent items came from a select group of specialty vendors within the store such as Sputnik Housewares, where you can find everything from toaster ovens to tiki mugs.
In front: two blue Herman Miller shell chairs; vintage table cloth with embroidered flower accents covers a classic mid-century kitchen table; orange Melmac breakfast dish set. On the counter: working vintage appliances and other vintage containers. Above: Belgian orange & white pottery, black & white polka dot serving bowl, vintage aluminum canister set, a vintage Hilo Hattie album, and contemporary colanders in blue and orange.
Marla Watson and Jennifer Browning, both interior designers at Vintage Pink, put their collective vision to work to create these hip apartment settings. Jennifer commented that it was exciting to work with such a great blank canvas. “I love manipulating space — coming in and creating something that complements the room. I knew exactly what it was going to look like before it was done. I just visualized it as I gathered everything.” Marla joked that “furniture is our passion” …after watching them work, it’s clear that she wasn’t joking. Marla also noted that vintage furnishings offer a variety of looks. With just a few simple pieces, you can create rooms that reflect your own personal style and character.
Lounge Lizard, at 13th and Hawthorne, specializes in lighting – with everything for your floor to your ceiling needs. Christopher Twombley’s showroom, shown above, also features cool vintage appliances like fondue pots, as well as an abundance of larger furniture pieces.
These photos should spark all sorts of creative ideas for reusing fabulously fashionable vintage items when decorating your living space. Wander through our neighborhood stores to see some of the hip things that are available. And no worries if you’re on a tighter budget; there is always a special find that will delight your sense of style and add just the right touch to your home decor. With our great shopkeepers on hand to help locate those hard to find pieces, you will be able to find the perfect piece that “ties the whole room together.”
