Displaying items by tag: mid century modern

1. Donald Wexler’s mid-century residence is one of Palm Springs' crown jewels.

he midcentury design giant Donald Wexler redefined modern living with his sleek and chic steel homes in Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley. Now, the seminal architect’s own desert abode is on the market for a relatively modest $1.75 million. Wexler built the post and beam home for his family in 1955 and helmed its expansion five years later. Spanning 2,424 square feet, the three-bedroom treasure was carefully restored in 2008 by the home’s current owners, who consulted with Wexler throughout the process. Boasting a “pinwheel” floor plan and expansive glass walls, the residence’s interior spaces flow effortlessly into the many outdoor terraces and beautifully landscaped grounds by William Kopelk and Marcello Villano...

The Salon Art + Design, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY
November 12-16, 2015
The Salon Art + Design hosts the world's finest galleries in historical, modern and contemporary art and design. Visitors will find works from the great cabinet makers of 18th century France to English Arts + Crafts, Art Deco, Mid Century Modern to today's newest up-and-coming designers. The success of The Salon lies in the quality of the exhibiting galleries, the extremely international flavor of the material, and this eclecticism that is highly sought by today’s collectors and influencers. The Salon is a vetted fair and the only international fair of this caliber to...

1. Gropius House
68 Baker Bridge Road, Lincoln, MA 01773
For more information visit www.historicnewengland.org

Walter Gropius, the founder of the highly influential Bauhaus School, designed this striking home in 1938 after moving from Germany to Massachusetts to teach at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Combining traditional elements of New England architecture, including wood, brick, and fieldstone, with innovative materials such as glass block, acoustical plaster, and chrome banisters, the Gropius House was one of the most shockingly modern and progressive homes ever created in the United States. Modest in scale, the Gropius House adhered to the Bauhaus’ design philosophy, which emphasized simplicity as well as efficiency. The house, which is owned by Historic New England, still contains the Gropius family’s possessions, including a significant collection of furniture designed by Marcel Breuer and...

Honorary mafioso, Sing Sing inmate, friend to the stars -- mid century modern design master James Mont’s loud and lavish life could put a Hollywood drama to shame. His charismatic nature and opulent yet elegant style made him a favorite among celebrities, while his rebellious streak and penchant for excess earned him a reputation as the mob’s go-to guy. But it was Mont’s unwavering attention to detail, his unapologetic taste for luxury, and his masterful ability to incorporate classic elements into modern pieces that have cemented his legacy as a true pioneer of modern design. 

Born in Istanbul, Mont’s Greek-Turkish family emigrated to the United States in 1922. After settling in Brooklyn, Mont opened a small electrical shop, where he sold hardware as well as lamps of his own design. After his work caught the eye of a local mobster, who acquired a few of his pieces, Mont’s career began to take off. He opened a waterfront lamp shop in Atlantic City and continued to rub shoulders with mafiosos...

To continue reading this article about mid century modern design master James Mont, visit InCollect.com.

The 28th iteration of the Los Angeles Modernism Show & Sale will kick off on Friday, April 24, 2015, presenting guests with a top-notch selection of furniture, fine art, and decorative objects representing all design movements of the 20th century, including early Art Deco pieces, American studio furniture, and mid century modern design. The show is produced by Dolphin Promotions, the company behind the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale -- another highly-anticipated event for collectors of mid century modern furniture, art, and design.

This year’s Los Angeles Modernism Show & Sale will feature over forty national and international exhibitors, including Archive (Laguna Beach, CA), specialists in 20th century design; Bridges Over Time (Newburgh, NY), dealers of 19th to 21st century antiques, design, fine art, and garden items...

To continue reading this article about mid century modern furniture and design at the Los Angeles Modernism Show & Sale, visit InCollect.com.

When discussing Edward Wormley, a master of mid century modern design, the words timeless, elegant, and refined often come into play. Rooted in tradition, his decidedly modern designs boast an understated aesthetic, seamless integration of classic elements, and singular twists, which give each piece a unique identity. According to Fred Shaw of Assemblage Ltd. in Chicago, Illinois, “His pieces have a certain je ne sais quoi that I’ve come to call ‘Country Club Modern.’ By that I mean it was built for affluent mid-century people who had rejected traditional furniture designs as boring but were not yet ready for the spare modernity of Eames et al.  It was unimpeachable good taste.”

Born outside of Chicago in 1907, Wormley spent a couple of years studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before a lack of funds forced him to abandon his collegiate career. In 1928, he took a job in the interior design studio at the Marshall Field & Company department store.

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In his seminal book, Modern Americana: Studio Furniture from High Craft to High Glam (Rizzoli), Todd Merrill, a New York-based dealer of mid-to-late 20th century design and studio furniture, describes Karl Springer as having a “flair for glamour without ostentation.” Using exotic materials, bold proportions, and striking colors, Springer took classic forms and made them his own. His aesthetic was a perfect match for the glittering Disco Decade, and in the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, Springer was one of the most well-regarded and in-demand mid century modern designers in the world.

Born in Berlin in 1931, Springer studied bookbinding and worked as a window dresser at a prominent clothier before leaving for New York in the late 1950s. At the age of twenty-six, Springer began styling windows at Lord & Taylor. In an effort to advance his career, he started applying his bookbinding skills to making jewel boxes, desk accessories, and telephone tables, which he expertly wrapped in animal skin. Soon, his work was garnering attention from the upper echelon, including a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman and the Duchess of Windsor, who introduced Springer to an array of high-end clients.

Visit InCollect.com to read more about the mid century modern design master, Karl Springer.