If you are unfamiliar with Etsy.com, let me acquaint you. Etsy is an ebay-like on line selling service, but that is where the similarities end. Etsy is an online market place to buy and sell craft. Real handmade individually produced stuff. The prices are set -- not auctions like ebay. The range of what you can buy is dazzling: clothing, jewelry, soap and yes furniture. There are some remarkable furniture finds on Etsy.
There are some things you should know about Etsy. You are buying from real people -- not large corporations. Not that corporations are not comprised of real people, but this is more direct. When you make an Etsy purchase, you are putting money directly in the pocket of the person who produced what you buy. A word about quality on Etsy -- quality is readily evident based on the feed back system. Shady vendors just don't last. I find for the most part you are buying items from craftsmen and craftswomen who care about their products. The quality often far exceeds their price on Etsy.
The Leentu Lounge Chair by Lunar Lounge Design is one such bargain. Lunar Lounge produces some pretty fantastic retro modern furniture. The Leentu is a great example of their design. The chair is made of birch plywood with a smooth high gloss finish. The sling style seat is made of woven webbing. The one pictured above has vinyl webbing. The chair has a light airy look. I also like that it can be dissembled for transport or storage -- important in smaller space living. And at $495, it's a steal. Available at: Lunar Lounge Design.
The concept of Argington's modern children's furniture is "based on the world in which we live, and the world we will leave our children and families". Therefore the materials Argington uses are as safe for your child minimizing environmental impact and providing healthy products through sustainable design and manufacturing. That sounds like a lot of technical talk to describe Uffizi, a really useful and upbeat bunk bed I know your kid will love. Designers Jenny Argie and Andrew Thornton are dedicated to creating a new age of childrens furniture with an architectural concept, 99% wood product, and virtually no MDF. The Uffizi bunk bed exceeds all CPSC and ASTM safety standards and is painted with non-toxic finishes. Minimum Space requirement: 90L x 47W x 77H Available from 2Modern for $1850
The Amalfi leather recliner features simplicity and a departure from ornate. Transitional styling brings out touches of both modernism and traditional décor. The reclining mechanism is well concealed on this chair. Its overall appearance looks like an occasional chair rather than that of a recliner. I think this is due to the shape of the chair which is a bit boxier than a traditional leather recliner design. Pictured in a subtle orange, the Amalfi is also available in yellow, oyster, and green. Available at: Macys. Price: $999. Dimensions: 38"w x 38"d x 36"h.
There is a far stretch between your typical bookcase and a really great looking modern shelving unit. Tonin Casa has a robust line of modern furniture some of which we reviewed in a three part series featuring their coffee tables, tv stands, and dining tables this past week. I am equally enamored with the shelving concepts Tonin Casa has to offer, and once again they keep it light and open with a lot of glass and fancy frame work. The four shelving units shown are available in several finishes to fit your modern décor.
Philippe Starck is a well known furniture designer. I thought it would be interesting to go back in time to the early 1980s and look at some of his work. The Miss Wirt chairs were designed around 1982 to serve as dining chairs or even occasional chairs. Featuring construction in tubular steel frames, Miss Wirt has canvas back slipcovers and upholstered seats. The design is quite striking with the contrast of the large rectangular back coupled with the small round seat cushion. For me, the canvas back represents a motif common in many pieces of furniture today. Often, I see stretched canvas appear as slipcovers, seat backs in chairs, and laundry hampers. A set of six Philippe Starck Miss Wirt chairs in very good condition would cost from $1,200-$2,000 from a midcentury furniture dealer.
