Midcentury Furniture in Unexpected Places

From admin on January 5th, 2011 in San Francisco

Much as garage bands popped up from random places and revolutionized the music world, garage furniture retailers are popping up and changing design. Where one previously had to travel to a design gallery to see such refined Danish and American midcentury furniture, residential garages are serving as a home base for such offerings.

Take Julian Goldklang and Gabe Magana’s Upper Castro garage rental. Stocked with such amazing designer work as Eames, Larsen, and Hvidt, this hobby enterprise started by two best friends has turned into a high-velocity project that offers highly coveted objects.

While the design showroom offers a casual atmosphere, it has proven to be highly competitive to the more “established” antique houses such as Valencia Street’s storefronts. And although acquiring that perfect midcentury piece is completely satisfying—it doesn’t even compare to the thrill of acquiring it for a fraction of the cost. To the thrill of a “find.”

Where professional dealers will sell an extremely rare Chromcraft Sculpta dining set, including a table and four chairs with their vinyl upholstery in excellent condition, for $500 apiece, Goldklang and Magana are selling the entire thing for just $1,000.

Such galleries are merely a “side interest” for many sellers like Goldklang and Magana, but they have certainly found better use for a garage than cars and old paint cans. Way to rock the industry.