Friday, May 15, 2009

An Awesome Vintage Shelving Unit (for lack of a better term)

Good god, has it really been almost 10 days since I've posted? I don't have much of an excuse except for the fact that I've been mildly obsessed with buying a new bike - which I did a few days ago (although today I decided that I might need to return it, so it might be a little while before you see me again if I have to resume the search!). However, I did find the time yesterday to pick up this absolutely fantastic vintage shelving unit. I have no idea what it is. It reminds me of Paul McCobb's wrought iron and maple Planner Group pieces, but the construction of the metal stands is all wrong for that. It also vaguely reminds me of the Dutch Tomado shelving units, but I've never seen those with wood shelves (they're always colored metal). The way the legs meet the floor also reminds me of the legs of a Harry Bertoia bench, only upside down. So...really, who knows. It is elegantly simple in its construction - the three metal towers are held together by the X-braces in the back, and the shelves just slide right in. The half-shelf allows for the placement of taller items, and overall it's just a fantastically versatile piece.

It was purchased in San Francisco some 20-odd years ago by the gentleman from whom I bought it (who, it should be noted, had one of the most impeccably decorated homes I've seen in a LONG time - a nice view condo in the Pearl, decked out with Gilbert Rohde dining chairs around a marble Saarinen tulip table, a beautiful Danish rosewood wall unit, a Mies Van der Rohe daybed, and a fantastic mixed media collage by an artist whose name I'm forgetting at the moment (last name Chase), among other goodies). He didn't know much about it either, only that he was sad to see it go - he was only selling it because almost all the wall space in the condo was being used by the aforementioned ginormous rosewood wall unit! As sad as he was to part with it, I'm glad to have it, and look forward to finding it a new home!

3 comments:

Melissa Barton said...

Love it!
Very versatile and low profile.

Wez said...

It's gorgeous! I wish you weren't so far away...

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