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(Photo: Courtesy of Cabin Modern) |
How To
Buy a Mid-Century Sofa
Three tips from Jeremy Hollingworth of Cabin Modern (220 Court St.), a new Cobble Hill shop specializing in mid-century furniture.
1. Check under the hood.
“Look for an original label under the frame. Dux, John Stuart,
and Selig are all amazing brands that were discontinued
after their mid-century heydays.”
2. Assess the cushions.
“The most durable mid-century sofas have a solid bench cushion. Loose cushions warp over time under the weight of sitters. I call it ‘potato-chipping’ when the foam sags in the middle
and kicks up at the edges.”
3. Go solid.
“A reupholstery will set you back at least $1,000. The only variable is fabric, so pick a solid color: Patterns are trickier to make line up, so you’ll end up paying for
up to 20 percent more fabric.”
IRL
Vancouver-based e-clothier Indochino just made its U.S. brick-and-mortar debut (435 Broome St.).
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(Photo: Murphy Lippincott) |
In 2007, former U of Victoria classmates Heikal Gani and Kyle Vucko joined the early wave of online bespoke tailors, prompting shoppers to enter their measurements and choose from myriad lapel widths and collar felts, yielding custom suits from $449. Their storefront offers the same relative bargains (even lower prices than competing digital suit-makers like Acustom Apparel) and selection (over 100 suit styles), only now you can physically thumb through them—from three-foot swatches of herringbone indigo and microstriped flannel, draped on steel racks, to silver-tone tie bars arranged in butcher-block drawers.
First Look
On September 24, Chamber (515 W. 23rd St.), a design shop curated by rotating designers, debuts under the hand of Dutch firm Studio Job.
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(Photo: Courtesy of Chamber) |
2x2: Lunch Totes
Respect your leftovers.
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(Photo: Courtesy of the vendors) |
Hard:
Work: Aladdin tiffin lunch set, left, $29 at module-r.com.
School: DwellStudio for Thermos food jar, right, $20 at Pizzazzz,
281 Court St., Cobble Hill.
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(Photo: Courtesy of the vendors) |
Soft:
Work: Alec insulated lunch bag, left, $20 at poppin.com.
School: Vroom lunch sack, right, $18 at oreoriginals.com.
Ask a Shop Clerk
Tony DeAngelis, formerly of neighboring Persons of Interest, opened Blue & Black barbershop-apothecary (488 Court St.) this month in Carroll Gardens with longtime haircut client (and retail veteran) Keith Krystofolsky.
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(Photo: Rendering by Jason Lee) |
What sets you apart from Persons of Interest and the other new old-timey barber shops that are so popular these days?
Tony: We’re not afraid of spa services. We do facials right in the barber chair, and we dust all of our clients with Balla body powder after a cut. We’re even looking to build out the basement for manicures and pedicures. Guys can get comfortable without being surrounded by nail polish.
Keith: And we welcome everybody, from normcore to hardcore. We do the long-on-top-short-on-the-sides cut, but also the grandpa trim. The one thing you probably won’t see is a handlebar mustache.
The Future
Post-Ikea shoppers, meet Hem: a flat-pack furniture line (no assembly tools required) from the founders of Fab and One Nordic launching September 30.
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(Photo: Courtesy of Hem) |
Alle table by Staffan Holm, from $799.
“This lacquered oak dining table locks into place with four metal hinges,” says creative director Petrus Palmér. Holm referenced a Japanese joining technique.
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(Photo: Courtesy of Hem) |
Razzle Dazzle cushions by Sylvain Willenz, $85.
“Willenz’s crisscrossing pattern on these woolly pillows is inspired by a pattern that was often etched onto submarines during WWII to jumble radar signals.”
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(Photo: Courtesy of Hem) |
Levels lamp by From Us With Love, from $200.
“To save on shipping, they designed the three pieces of the lamp to nest together like Russian dolls. Pull the cord, and the lamp falls into position.”
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(Photo: Courtesy of Hem) |
Hai lounge chair by Luca Nichetto, $1,199.
“Nichetto splits his time between Stockholm and Venice, and you can really see both cities in the design. The Hai ships half-size and literally pops out of the box.”
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(Photo: Courtesy of Hem) |
Key table by GamFratesi, $199.
“The name comes from the way the table is assembled: The legs stand on their own, and by twisting the solid ash tabletop onto the legs, the table is secured.”