Golden Age Furniture

[Travis]

I am in the process of trying to find furniture. I need everything, couches, chairs, dressers, tables, etc. to comfortably fill (not overfill) an apartment. I want to go with new vs. vintage simply because I want to be able to get some sort of payment plan and I want everything to match, not look like I bought each peice at a different garage sale. What qualities should I look for to give it that "period look"? Sorry if this topic is covered somewhere else, but I didn't find anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[FedoraGent]

Funny...

Funny but Magneto and I are doing the same thing. So if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. One that I can give rather than just take is

http://www.rejuvenation.com

You'll thank me later, it's an awesome sight and a great website.

Jon

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

I am in the process of trying to find furniture. I need everything, couches, chairs, dressers, tables, etc. to comfortably fill (not overfill) an apartment. I want to go with new vs. vintage simply because I want to be able to get some sort of payment plan and I want everything to match, not look like I bought each peice at a different garage sale. What qualities should I look for to give it that "period look"? Sorry if this topic is covered somewhere else, but I didn't find anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's one cheap, easy-to-find-on-ebay 1942 book with info on both furniture styles and the general "golden era look", with scans - (scroll down in the thread)
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?p=244708&highlight=1942#post244708

they categorize & show examples of these furnitures -

early colonial
colonial 18th cent
federal period
georgian period versions 1 & 2
directoire & empire
historical american
french provincial
regency
modernism / contemporary (1942)

- C H

 

[BonnieJean]

My husband and I, too, are in the process of transforming our home into a more Golden Era home, but doing it on a shoestring and as we can afford things. I would suggest that you read various books on decorating styles in the 30s and 40s and the book that Cousin Hepcat recommended is good. There's a lot of good info on the web too. From my own research I noticed that there were several decorating styles prominent in that time and by learning about each one can help you find the style that really suits you. Carried over from the teens and 20s are Mission style, Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Noveau and of course, Art Deco and the Modernism movement. (There are probably other styles, these are the ones that come to mind.) I personally lean more with the Art Noveau and Mission style, but I do like the cleaner lines with the Art Deco. Soon you'll find an eye for a particular style and you'll notice that a lot of furniture that is sold in stores has a vintage look. For example, friends of ours furnished their home with Mission-style pieces and it looks at home with their other 1930s accessories. Here's a link in case you haven't see this that gives some of the decor in a nutshell:
http://www.angelfire.com/retro/lisawebworld/30shome.html

A final thought, I can't afford all new livingroom furniture right now, but I did find some quality slipcovers that looks very 30s-40s. That's another way to get "the look". I'm kind of an eclectic person, so my way of refurnishing my home reflects my personal style.
Best wishes on your furniture hunt!

 

[ITG]

For new stuff, Thomasville has a Bogart collection that is REALLY nice...
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7266&highlight=thomasville+bogart

 

[John in Covina]

New but need to hit lottery.

http://www.historiclighting.com/RetailScience/showroom

Click on the furniture button on the bottom of the buttons on the left side and drool. Wildroot worked here for a while, very cool furniture in the back portion of the store behind the offices.

 

[Martina]

I know you guys are going to think I'm crazy but how about your local thrift stores and yard/garage sales?

I LOVE the 40s clothing but for household things, I am definitely a 50s gal! I've gotten TONS of stuff from the thrift stores around here and from going to garage sales.

I see older people on the lawn and I definitely stop! I got a neat aqua early 1950s sofa and love seat that this couple had sitting in their basement ALL these years! It's in practically mint condition. AND I got it for $30!

I also got two long couches, you know the kind that are super long and double as beds too, with the slats at the back to hold up the cushions? They came WITH the table that the ends of the couches go under!! I got those for FREE from a yardsale I stopped at (the mother had passed and they were selling the odds and ends from her home) -I asked to see what clothing they had inside and on the way to look at what they had, we passed the couches and table. We had a nice chat and she gave them to me for FREE!! I can't wait until this summer! I'm going to have them recovered and put them into my living room!!! I'm so excited!

Anyway, you really can find this stuff cheaply and in good condition if you just look regularly. Make friends at the local thrift stores and ask them to call you if what you are looking for comes in. I bet you find at least some of what you are looking for there, if not all.

~Martina~

 

[ITG]

Oh there's also http://www.restorationhardware.com/...vAction=jump&navCount=1&categoryId=cat1499016

 

[renor27]

Have to say am doing the same thing

Well guess I have to raise my hand here am doing the same thing but am very lucky I live in a very small cottage. So do not need that much.
What I am doing is not staying with just one decade but covering the period between the wars. Doing a art deco feel
Here is what I have so far:

Late 1920's twim bed ( took it to the painter who powerd coats my motorcycle parts and got a great bronze color on it )

1930's Wedgewood apartment stove ( E-bay $100 had to go pick it up )

Globe Wernickey book case ( was given this and have added a unit to it ) many books in it are vintage from Hemingway, Maughan,T.E. Lawrence to fun books on 1920's and 1930's travel . If you enjoy off the wall subjects for your reading you can find first editions from the golden era cheap.

Am now looking for two things another Globe Wernickey book case ( will watch E-Bay ) and a 1930's desk

David

 

[imoldfashioned]

Oh, that's such a pretty piece Paddy! I love the almost arts and crafts looking motifs in the paintwork.

 

[lillielil]

I know you guys are going to think I'm crazy but how about your local thrift stores and yard/garage sales?

I LOVE the 40s clothing but for household things, I am definitely a 50s gal! I've gotten TONS of stuff from the thrift stores around here and from going to garage sales.

I see older people on the lawn and I definitely stop! I got a neat aqua early 1950s sofa and love seat that this couple had sitting in their basement ALL these years! It's in practically mint condition. AND I got it for $30!

I also got two long couches, you know the kind that are super long and double as beds too, with the slats at the back to hold up the cushions? They came WITH the table that the ends of the couches go under!! I got those for FREE from a yardsale I stopped at (the mother had passed and they were selling the odds and ends from her home) -I asked to see what clothing they had inside and on the way to look at what they had, we passed the couches and table. We had a nice chat and she gave them to me for FREE!! I can't wait until this summer! I'm going to have them recovered and put them into my living room!!! I'm so excited!

Anyway, you really can find this stuff cheaply and in good condition if you just look regularly. Make friends at the local thrift stores and ask them to call you if what you are looking for comes in. I bet you find at least some of what you are looking for there, if not all.

~Martina~

I'm with you. Most of my vintage household goods have come from Goodwill and various flea markets. I still don't have a vintage couch, but at this point I may just re-upholster the one I have now. I don't think I'd be able to find anything like a vintage fold-out loveseat, which is really what I need in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment with frequent overnight guests.

 

[dhermann1]

It's all a question of quality. If you really know what you're looking at and for, you'll soon realize that to get real quality in furniture nowadays costs literally thousands. Most modern "wood" furniture is built appallingly cheaply. It literally falls apart within a few years. If you can find older stuff you can get items for hundreds, or less, that would cost a couple thousand new. I understand the desire for things to look nice together, but that's where the hunting and choosing comes in. Spend some time just looking at nice antique shops, just to start being able to recognize quality, then branch out to thrift shop and second hand stores. It's time consuming, but it really pays off in the long run. There are lots of people here who can help you learn.
Do you have access to Craigslist.com? Like Ebay, you have to know what you're doing, but there are some great bargains to be had there, too.
(Yes, this exactly not what you asked. Sorry!)

 

[lyburnum]

One place that really surprised me recently (and made me wish I live in the US) was actually Urban Outfitters. I'd never have thought of looking for furniture there but they actually have some very nice pieces for very reasonable prices, and they reproduce a lot of 50s fabric. It's definitely more 50s/60s though than 40s

 

[NoirDame]

I definitely advocate buying older pieces. They cost less and are made better. Just because you have to hunt around and not buy new doesn't mean your place won't have a coherent look. It's up to you to group the right pieces together and be a discerning shopper.

Sometimes, it can be finding the right places to shop. I have a wonderful store that sometimes has furniture, but it a great place to go for dishes, linens and glassware.

I currently trying to make arrangments to bring home my mint 30s art deco vanity!

 

[MarieAnne]

I rescued this sofa and chair set from the landfill today.

 

[Anthony K]

Oh, wow! A very nice save! Judging from the pictures, they look to be in really good condition!

 

[Viola]

For me, the thing to get things to look like they match is to be mindful of colour and style.

If you have a colour scheme in place, disparate things look good together.

If you have a style you love, Art Deco, Scandanavian Modern, whatever, the pieces relate comfortably. Most styles also get along with at least one other style, too, so you have some options. Often the hardest thing is figuring out what the search terms for your style is, and avoiding traps - I like "modern", I don't like "contemporary."

If you know what style you like and you can stick to a general colour scheme, you can go to a lot of different stores or thrift shops and come out with a cohesive look. Besides, even if you want it to all look new, you don't want it to all look like one store, and you can at least mix up your Pottery Barn and your Anthropologie.