I wanted no needed a Neil Morris cloud table and searched high and low for a well priced example in good condition after a year or so of searching I found my table. But this morning I came down stairs and thought oh what a bother what a hassle I dont like it that much and after a few emails to a few customers its gone! so am I the only one who falls in and then out of love with a piece that at one time you would have killed for?
Happens ALL THE TIME...
with me with "stuff". The one in my most recent memory is regarding the iPod HiFi I HAD TO HAVE only to grow unhappy with and replaced by the B7W Zeppelin that I HAD TO HAVE. At some point, I will get over my Zeppelin and replace it with "the NEW NOW". I now say to myself when BROWN SANTA comes to the door with that THING I couldn't live without, that, at some point, it too will be replaced.
Speaking of the "new now", I mentioned in another thread the movie "Objectified" and the is really an interesting diatribe on the "new now" by one of the contributors. I think that movie is a MUST SEE for all the folks on this board.
Do you really think that Lunchbox?
I mean, if you do, why not just get your housewares and furnishings at Walmart and Crazy Eddie's Discount Furniture. Why even be here on DA discussing the merits of a piece if high design is unlivable? truly, my inquiring mind wants to know the rationelle behind your snarky oneliners.
That said I do kind of regret my wasily chairs...they're very unforgiving...and I wanted them SO badly.
Snarky, Olive? Really?
My comment was the complete opposite in reality. I would think you one of the few who would agree. Point is, whether a piece functions or not, I don't care to have to worry about me spilling shiraz on it or my kids spilling grape juice on it. Or having to routinely condition the wood. My furniture should be a source of comfort, not hassle. The truth of the matter is that the idea of midcentury modern design is far superior to actual midcentury modern design. And I wouldn't even classify all of MCM as high design.
I could not disagree more.
I don't agree at all. In fact, to my family the modern furniture, art and design that fills our home are the most comfortable, most livable and inspiring things we could have. We also consider ourselves very fortunate to not just have these things, but a fantastic modern home that fits us and our lifestyle perfectly. My feeling is that most of the design I respond to have both artistic value and are also a rational, functional solution to a problem or need. I find it interesting how when we have friends over who are not into modernism, so many of them have told us before their visit is over that they now see just how livable modern design really is.
We are lucky enough to have some pieces that are considered very desirable and would bring a good price if we chose to sell them, still I don't worry any more, or take more care of them than any furniture I've had before. I have always seen fit to treat things I have with common care and respect. Maybe it was just the way I was brought up. You know, we never put our feet up on the coffee table... if you were to lie on the sofa, you made sure you were not wearing shoes, etc. We have a rambunctious 5 year-old boy and before he was born I wondered if I needed to worry about our "stuff". I decided that it was not worth stressing about and I have not. We don't hawk over him, and there is nothing in the house that is "off limits". Thus far, we have not had a single problem, or had anything damaged.
Of late I have wondered about your apparent change of attitude. You go from bidding on Girard chairs, to dumping your collection on eBay. From praising modern designs you likes, to criticizing just about everything. And like Olive, I have am curious as to why you'd continue to participate in the forum if you think that the objects that are designed for living fail so miserably.
Sorry Bentply
I did not mean to further derail your thread.
I don't have an instance exactly like you describe, but something similar. I have bought things that I was very passionate about and tried to force them into my home or collection only to discover that they were not the right size, shape, color or configuration. I did not fall "out of love" with it, but I did have to admit to myself, that while it may be a great design, it's better suited to another space or environment. Sometimes I have sold it, sometimes my affection for it will not abate and I have to tuck it away in hopes that I can use it another day. Sometimes that day comes, sometimes I store things far to long... but that is the curse of any passionate collector I think.
That sort of thing never happens to me.
Guess I'm sort of calm & phlegmatic when it comes to furnishings-- I never become obsessed with particular objects, so much as the overall effect. I'd rather own no-name, bland stuff that works together within the space, than a motley assortment of "iconic" pieces.
I know someone with money to burn, who obsessively collects and "has to HAVE" certain objects, yet her apartment is a rather unpleasant place. Once you focus on the individual things, they're quite amazing and some even belong in museums, but the overall effect is visually exhausting.
My indifference may be the result of never having money to burn... or maybe it's just innate.
oh yeah!
Anyone interested in my vanity compact collection? I was obsessed a few years ago & bought like crazy. Except for a few fabulous mid-century "pieces" (Evans tri-gold large pancake for one) I could care less...All but 3 are in a dresser drawer. Ebay, here I come....and I'm sure I'll take a big hit...
To Olive & Pegboard...
Ironically, my snarky and apparently anti-design remark(s) were quite on topic as I've purchased quite a few things over the years that flattered to deceive. Yet to convey these opinions is frowned upon because they don't hail MCM(or more to the point California modern) as the be all, end all? Nonsense. I still love the whole lot of designers and the genre. My house is filled with the stuff for goodness sakes. But there are many reasons why making a concerted effort to fit it into my lifestyle frustrates me. Some are very simple. I used to absolutely love the fact that most of MCM is lightweight and thus easy to move/transport. But now that I have kids, I'm highly annoyed on occasion to walk into my house in the evening to find my living room resembling a game of Scrabble.
Not a cult
I'm not a member of any cult, nor do I subscribe to any kind of group-think. I'm not opposed to anyone critiquing or criticizing any design. There are some I won't have or can't live with. The LCW comes to mind. I have a great early Evans example in my collection, but I won't use it or put it out in my house. I'm concerned that the back shock-mount would pop off if I sit in it. I don't want that worry. Does it mean that it's a failure as a design? No. Just that when they get old (and these chairs were not designed to be collectibles or necessarily last over 50 years, remember these were INEXPENSIVE seating options originally) the glue will become brittle or the shock-mounts can dry out. I'd use a new one if I had it, or I'll use our vintage LCW that someone drilled out and bolted the back on. I don't even find that objectionable, rather part of the charm and history of the piece.
A lot of people love the LCW, me I'm partial to the LCM. I think it's a more successful design for a number of reasons. Someone else might not care for either design. They might find the scale too small for them to be comfortable, they might prefer upholstered seating. I don't care what their reasons are. But I would not agree that because it does not work for them, that it is a poor design. You can't please everybody all the time. And if most modern design does not work for you, by all means, find something else that does. I think that what people are reacting to is your apparent persistence in trying to piss on our parade.
I collect and live with mostly post-war American and Danish designs and as I said, I find it incredibly well suited for myself and my family. It enriches our lives on an daily basis and serves the intended function. Are there lots of designs that I don't care for or would not want in my home? Sure. But that does not mean that they are failures or worthless. If someone else gets as much enjoyment from those designs as I do from the ones I choose to have. Great. Can we debate the finer points of all these designs without dismissing them all together? I don't see why not.
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