Barcelona Chairs By Mies Van der Rohe

OK- I admit it! I am a chair addict. One of my all time, must have chairs is the Barcelona Chair. Designed in 1929 by Mies Van der Rohe for the International Exposition of 1929 which was held in Barcelona, Spain (hence the name).

Designers and architects of the Bauhaus Movement were intent on producing great design for the "common man" - the Barcelona Chair was the exception! It was designed for Spanish Royaly.

In 1953, Mies Van der Rohe ceded his patent rights to Knoll, which renewed interest in the chair. Knoll still holds the patent rights though there are numerous knock-offs on the market.

Thanks to my Craig's list watch dog Terri, I now own a vintage pair of Knoll Barcelona chairs. And, if the deal wasn't sweet enough, they were originally owned by A.G. Odell of ODell and Associates in Charlotte, NC. Odell and Associates and their architects are responsible for many of Charlotte's mid-century modern homes and commercial buildings.

Shopping For Your Mid-Century Modern Home

So where do you find the modern gear for you mid-century modern home? I love going to estate sales and have found some amazing pieces at bargain prices. OK, you may have to overlook a ding or scrape but I think it adds character. Remember... the estate sale ads hit the Charlotte Observer on Thursday! Area 4, 5, and 6 take in the 60's burbs and are your best bet!

One of my mid-century modern pals sends me about five items a day she finds on Craigslist Charlotte. Keywords: retro, Danish Modern, EAMES, vintage Knoll, Saarinen. There are some great MCM dealers in Charlotte selling on Craigslist!

Here are a few I found within a few minutes:

 

Hot Resource For Retro, Mid-Century Modern Renovators

Thanks to BazMcm over at Atomic Indy for this great resource for mid-century modern lighting resource. Check out Rejuvination Lighting, they have a cool and colorful mid-century modern collection. They also have mid-century modern cabinets knobs and pulls along with switchplates.

Mid-Century Modern Patio Furniture

One thing we all love about mid-century modern homes are their seamless connection to nature! Over-sized glass sliders open onto expansive patios - so of course you will want to glam your patio with cool modern gear.

Some of my fave patio furniture pieces are from Russel Woodard's "Sculptura" Line. Find them on eBay or check out www.JetSetModern.com. I found the settee and 4 chairs for sale. Yum!

Harry Bertoia's Diamond Chair are more patio must haves. eBay is a great source for vintage Bertoia but if vintage is not your thing, Charlotte's DWR has these available. They look great inside as well. Very swanky.

Can't blog about Mid-Century Modern patio's without mentioning Salterini's tangerine slice chairs. I missed a set on Craigslist! I am not sure if they are comfortable but I think they are so cool looking!