apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yikes! Thanks but no thanks: I've allergies to dust, pollen and Victorian.

I love Liberace. Bring it.

I love it. Like, a lot. I'm scaring myself a bit.

A bit less brown would not go amiss, though. More greens and yellows could make it a brighter, more surreal take on Victorian to go with Ghost Chairs and whatnot.

Or I just really love green and yellow

To me it looks like Anthropologie. And I think someone (possibly here? possibly at NYT?) claimed that this would be the new look a year or two ago, but strange it's only now moving beyond Anthropologie in terms of any kind of mass market.

I got the catalog as well and tossed it -- nothing, with the exception of the cover, was the least attractive -- I find velvets, particularly dark ones covering windows, to be rather depressing. The look they are pushing is Gothic, dark. Even if you like the look, to carry it off, you need a very large space.

i love ornate pieces mixed with mid-century mod- the juxtaposition of it is, to me, modern (if not entirely over-exposed of late). the white floor mirror and crystal chandelier would be brilliant amongst my more modern pieces. on the whole, really liking the styling of the catalog.

I found the scrolled-edge tables/shelves/bed to be VERY modern. Most everything else is a bit over-the-top for me. The prices appear to be fantastic at first glance but there are a lot of hidden costs:

$499 shelf
+10% general shipping (all products over $200)
+$125 shipping surcharge
+ NY tax
= approx. $750 which is roughly 50% more than the advertised price!

it's not my taste as a whole but there are some elements i really liked when flipping through. i do think there is an audience for this style and it will be interesting to see whether or not it is a large enough audience to sustain an approach like this.

I just started reading Mary and Russell Wright's "Guide to Easier Living." I am never going back and Victorian is going way, way back. Can you imagine the number of hours spent dusting those busy chandeliers? And how exactly does one keep a velvet, tufted headboard from soaking up the dust? So add to the very large space required, an army of lackeys.

love it! growing up in a 100 yr old Queen Anne Victorian, I have a great appreciation for old stuff! Personally, I have a very eclectic mix of antique and modern pieces and it works oh sooo well. To me it's much more interesting than all one or the other.

Love the catalog! loved the page with the super tall mirror over the more streamlined lav.
the only thing i didn't really like were the lamps.

aaron, good points! i didn't even notice that.

the fabrics look cheap, and all in all you can acheive the exact same look via craigslist, thrift stores, etc.

i think this is why victorian hasn't really taken off with the accessibly priced decor lines much -- you can get the exact same thing at a garage sale for the same prices. Anthropologie caters to those can't be bothered with flea markets and/or are squicked by the idea of owning secondhand furniture.

just got this catalogue too. i the mix of some of this with some modern stuff would be pretty hot. dont love the textiles, but i do like soem furniture, mirrors and rugs. i think i like it better than west elm, actually.

Love it.
I think you definitely need large spaces (or the restraint to not overdo surfaces and corners with too much victorian fruff) to pull this off but mixing these peices with some more modern DWR type styles is a nice alternative to all the "clean" design we've been seeing lately.

I guess this is the 70's-reminiscent backlash against all the 60's minimalism worship thats been happening. I can't wait until people start getting excited again about chintz, balloon curtains, and wall-to-wall carpeting from the 80's.

Horrible. Design for the dead.

Deepa--I read "Guide to Easier Living" a few months ago, and couldn't bear to look at tufted sofas after that. It seemed so enticing to me, an allergy sufferer!

But I had a kind of awakening when shopping for curtains for my dining room. After looking at EVERYTHING, I ended up with lace cafe curtains. Not the most modern choice (but one of the cheapest). They leave plenty of light, which made me realize it wasn't so much that I was all for modern stuff, I just wanted light and cleanliness!!! So I'm eager to see some more non-totally-modern options out there.

I just got the catalog today, as well. Hot hot hot! Though not all to my personal taste, a few touches from this catalog would add a lovely richness to a modern-eclectic living space. Additionally, someone really into the Crate and Barrel look could add some character to their spaces with some nice luxe-look pieces.

I just wish they listed their wallpaper sources.

Sure. And Laura Ashley is the new Ray Eames.

This look feels "old" to me, maybe because I'm old enough to remember shiny, dark wood and that sort of plushy-brocady sofa and lots of crystal lamps at my grandparents' house. It's not Victorian -- it's Revenge of Macy's 1956 Line, with a little McCall's Decorating Book (1972) thrown in.

Wende, you crack me up!

Well, I have two sofas like the second one. They are Henredon in dark green velvet. I didn't think of them as Victorian though.

i really appreciate the design and art direction of this catalog. the furniure is not my taste either. but i agree, a few pieces would add some character to a clean modern room. other than anthropology and this, i fear everything else out there that is reasonable priced is really starting to all look the same. i have things from DWR, west elm and Crate & Barrel too. and the only thing that is currently making my house look different is the artwork i have. i welcome more choices in furniture and accessories.

I liked the Silhouette line. I thought everything else was ugly.

I absolutely hate this stuff. I'd sit and sleep on the floor before I'd own furniture like this. The stuff of which nightmares are made!

If you like all this velvety, ornate stuff, I hear Cher is having a sale.

the future is mod!

What Wende said.

Stevies Nicks, Cher, Rosanne...can waterbeds be far behind?

The real problem is that for someone who lives in a smaller home (square footage, ceeling height etc...) these pieces become so dominant and heavy that they inevitabally eat up any and all open space that exists.

I think one of the attractions to "modern" furniture is its respect and understanding of space. Most modern furniture is carefully designed to utilize space to its fullest, to compliment the negative space of the piece and to exist within a space. These overly ornate, very heavy and frankly way-too saturated pieces seem to have little respect for the space in which they exist. These pieces plop down and dominate the space; they declare that they are the focus, the centerpiece and that little can be done to compete; "I am furniture hear me roar punk-ass!" This in juxtaposition with many a modern pieces which seem to exist with a more sophisticated cool about them that says "yeah I'm the shit, I know it, I don't have to scream it" Think Marcello Mastriani vs. Chris Farley. To each his own I suppose.

Anyhow, while some of the pieces such as the chandelier, or perhaps, perhaps the headboards can easily fit into a cleaner more "modern" home they will do so only as nostalgic throwbacks in the realm of kitch or hommage to a bygone era. And this works when the pieces exist as artifact with the patina of age and charm, as a contrast to the cleaner elements in the home (remember kids; complexity in contradiction). Yet when the pieces are contrived and new (please don't get me started on fake patinas/character!) they seem to exist only as imposters; cutsie stylized quirks and show their strings inevitabally.

Perhaps the bet-hedging designers are aiming for a backlash in the DWR "loft-like" VW, iPod lifestyles that as of late have come to symbolize sophistication... Perhaps they're betting on a return to honest-to-god ecclecticism (though one wonders about catalogue-purchased character) as expressed through collectively held gaudy furniture... Or perhaps like everything designers have lost the ability to DESIGN and have regressed into recyclers and repackagers; simply looking backward not for inspiration but for actual product to which a clever slogan, clean catalogue and designer "chic" can be applied.

Either way I'm sure they'll sell a lot of stuff, make plenty of money and come next design season will curse ornate and decrative in favor of an ultra minimalism which they'll peddle to the same folk who at the moment are pleasing Visa with purchases of the moment.

Ok, I'm done.

I have to agree with Wende. I don't think this collection is particularly accurately Victorian in character. The only things that come even the slightest bit close are the parlor chairs and they are more French than Victorian inspired. All of the other furniture is either of the ornament added to basically modernist forms type or based on inaccurate 20th century interpretations of 19th century and really really watered down versions of 18th century styles. There is more 1950s and 1970s in this collection than 1870s.

I for one am happy to see ornament and pattern coming back. The mirrors are probably my favorite items. Everything else I'd rather have real antiques. The black chandeliers look kind of tacky to me and and the lamps are not to my taste at all. I personally love dark rich colors and don't think they are gloomy at all. They didn't quite hit the mark for me, but it held my attention much longer than anything else I've run into lately. My favorite part of the catalog was the wallpaper and the architectural details of the setting more than the products themselves.

either way, i think the collection is a little heavy and dull. i wish they would have considered taking victorian pieces and updating them a bit more than they did. so heavy, so much velvet and so much of that chandelier baroque look. it just starts to look tired when the market is so saturated with it. seems like they would have launched with something fresher than this. but there will probably be a huge audience that enjoys it...i just don't think it's my taste.

grace

I say "bless 'em" for not being one of the DWR me-toos.

Scott

I just reviewed the catalog for my little blog! (click my name to read)...My take is that most of the visual appeal of the catalog is in the set location. this furniture could look pretty tacky in a less ornate setting. A few pieces could be pretty cool mixed in with a more modern room...my advice: hit the garage sales in the burbs where all the ex-Shabby Chic devotees are dumping all those crackle finish vintage pieces cheap. give them a nice coat of glossy black or chocolate brown and you'll be good to go and save about 80% the cost of buying through Brocade.

So one note, and a VERY trendy one at that!

The neo-victorian thing is played already. Right?

It's like starting a new clothing line that will only be all about SKINNY JEANS (which, in a year, we will all be SO over).

It's hard not to get sick of a hot trend.

And the pieces look cheap even in the pics.

I was expecting much more.

I look at it like this: Design Within Reach is the destination for the Case Study home lover, while Brocade is the destination for the McMansion dweller. He/she is wondering, "How do I fill up all of this space when I have no clue about aesthetics - (hence plunking all that money on a McMansion)."

Victorian? This is Addams Family bordello.

I wonder if it's a response to people needing to fill up their mcmansions?

The intial pictures posted on AT intriqued me. However, when I got the actual catalogue, I was a bit un-impressed. I definitely think they're going for a female demo, but somehow it doesnt' quite hit the right note.

Let's see how the 3rd catalogue does (if they're still around by then). It feels a bit like Shabby Chic meet espresso colored wood right now.

I think this is just the offshoot of the trend toward ornamentalism. It can get as popular as it want. Just means more modern stuff for me! 'Course these days, morden doesn't even seem modern enough.

Didn't think I'd like any of it but a few pieces made me crazy. The platform beds...somethin' about those curvy legs. Like racy underwear under a church dress. And there was a bronze side table...if only I had floor space for one more footprint. If only...

I'm not an interior design professional, but it seems to me that there were three main decor trends in the 1970s, all of which had their sub-sets and crossovers, but basically it was spaceship mod, macrame bohemian, and retro Victorianna. Brocade has apparently reinterpreted this third category with something I'd call Rock Star Rococo. I grew up with my mother's mid-century modern and backlashed with Ralph Lauren's Edwardian hunt club aesthetic in the '80s, before re-embracing the classics of my childhood (along with the rest of the world) in the late '90s. I'll never stray again. The economics of garments and furnishings demand constant revision, and it's certainly fun to observe. But for those of us who care about such things, classic modern was more than a trend; it was a set of principles and philosophies about form, function, materials, resource use, and conscious, enlightened living. This stuff is fashion.

WELL PUT RASCAL, WELL PUT.

my reaction was that it mediated between louis quelquechose and serie noir, mixing the vices of both while avoiding the virtues. it looked sort of comic booky to me.

on a positive note, I liked the dark silhouettes of the pieces -- the cheaper the material the better it will look in black -- but not the fabrics. Something with a bit more pop or contrast woulld have worked better.

overall, not tempted and not even interested in catalogue number two let alone number three.

and west elm isn't really that bad....

I'm very eclectic, but this look just does it for me(I type as I admire my own velvet tufted headboard across the room). The rich fabrics deserve the deep color palette, and if that comes off a bit Goth or Liberace - so be it. For my personal space, I like keeping a room somewhat monochromatic like these - bring on the drama.

don't like it. too dark. too much going on. i also chucked the two catalogs that i've received.

After seeing this schlock, I must get myself hence to a vomitorium. I think anyone laying down coin for this stuff is going to be sorely regretting it in a few years. There's a reason 50 year old designs by Eames and Mies and Bertoia still look fresh.


And Shauna, I think the skinny jean thing is already, thankfully, played out. When a trend has jumped from the Williamsburg / Mission / West Hollywood hipster set to...the GAP, its pretty safe to say, that the only jumping a trend is doing is over a shark. I'm just trying to figure out how an emaciated heroin chic style is supposed to fit onto porcine Midwestern bods.

YUCK!! I have sensory sensitivities. Those pictures make my head hurt. Although the flower petals will compliment the amount of dust the furniture will collect.

I love it. Practically drooled over every page. But I was never a huge fan of modern in the first place, I love details, ornament, opulence, rich colors and texture. I always go for rich though, I'm the type who always chooses creme brulee over sorbet...even in the middle of august.

I agree that the prices are great but they do lead me to raise an eyebrow on quality, especially since they don't have any showrooms. It's hard to imagine them maintaining quality with that level of detailed ornament at those price points.

NO WAY. I feel like I am in my mom's 1970 black and white pictures.

Here's what I don't get...love it or hate it, why would you shell out money to buy new "repros," when second hand shops are practically giving this kind of stuff away, because everybody's hunting for the vintage modern stuff now? (Not to mention, I wouldn't be surprised if what you found 2nd hand was better quality than this stuff.)

Yes, I'm for secondhand over repro, but repro has its role if you just can't FIND something. I have repro mahogany bookcases because I didn't want 10 small bookcases of differing styles.

I've got antique case goods and tables up the yingyang, but finding a sofa is really hard. However, I have a plain slipcovered sofa and think it's a better choice with my antique chairs. I think any "full-on look" - a room with all Midcentury or Victorian or Asian pieces - is too much like a stage set.

But as for cleaning - no biggie at all. Tufted headboards, like chesterfield sofas, require a vacuuming once in a while. Chandeliers need a frequent whack with a featherduster. It's explosions of knickknacks which are hard to dust, not ornate furniture.

I feel the same "eh!" thing about West Elm. I bought cushion covers and returned them, and months later can't find a single thing in their catalog to buy with my $100 refund certificate. I think I'm resigned to buying a bunch of food from Williams Sonoma instead.

I think this stuff is pure dreck. I can't see any of this having any lasting value which I think is really important for furniture.

I felt this catalog was so poorly produced==the styling, the design, the paper and the printing all contributed to the DARK and cluttered feeling of the great-grandma style furniture. I was very surprised at the low quality. I couldn't make it all the way through before I chucked it.

I have to admit that I eagerly anticipated this catalog, and when I got it, I was quite disappointed. It seemed like the same old shapes that were supposedly "baroque" because of the fabric. Very Urban Outfitters.

(And the quality also looked terrible, even in the pictures)

Just the name Brocade and the images of the chandeliers clued me in immediately that this would be an ornate collection. I like it more than I thought I would. I think it's a great contrast to Restoration Hardware and all the other companies out there (pottery barn, etc) that cater to the bland. I think that one piece from Brocade could transform your room. I'm soooo sick of blah blah pottery barn catalog blah blah so I'm really glad to see something unique. Bring it on, cause I'm bored!

As far as the catalog went, I enjoyed looking through it. I liked the strange, awkward photography. It certainly was more of a preview than an actual catalog, where you get multiple images of the same item in and out of a room setting.

i was excited to get my catalog too. like fiona, i was disappointed b/c they didnt seem to update the interpretations much and the pieces looked rather poorly made. it actually reminded me of west elm with some scrolly stuff or velvet fabric added to it. the rooms seemed to be too much in one cluster of the room and nothing else in the rest of the room. i think this catalog could have been much better if it had been thought through a little more...

i actually think there is a niche for this. as a single professional female who loves feminine things and wants to have a nicely furnished home but with not a ton of cash, that's a good demongraphic to target. i think the attempt was good but the final execution was lacking.

with most people on this board commenting that this style is a back flashback, how is it different from all the retro pieces that a lot of people seem to like on this site?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fur/208886212.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fur/208737075.html

how are these pieces considered "modern" when they're made from the 50's or 70's and have a distinct period look to them? (unless i'm misinterpreting the use of the word modern and it really is a reference to an actual art movement name.)

hmm guess i'm just tryign to point out that this site's visitors definately have an similar distinctive taste. the brocade is trying to reach another demoographic's taste and style that isn't what visitors here like...but there could still be a place for the brocade's style direction...hmm im thinking my babbling is making no sense. please forgive my misspelling too =P

dwr + brocade =

http://www.dwr.com/images/zoom/zm_8236_4.jpg

h, you ask a very good question, one that often goes un-asked, and about which there is broad confusion. "Modern" is indeed a movement, but one that is not necessarily confined to art. It had strong philisophical unerpinnings. Its seeds were in the late 19th Century and flourished in the mid-20th Century, which is why something "modern" can easily be 50 or 60 years old. What many people really mean when they say "modern" is in fact "contemporary."

h, the furniture you linked to is of the modernist movement.

in art and design circles, the world "modern" generally doesn't refer to stuff that is actually recent, of the moment, etc. it refers to the modernist period and its signature characteristics. you use the word "contemporary" when you mean to describe the cutting-edge and new (generally regardless of movement or aesthetic).

moss + brocade = http://tinyurl.com/gflfk

I think this is the new "shabby chic". In an era of broken homes and a disconnect to our past(s), at least you can have something that, at least, alludes to some sort of history.

I for one can't afford anything in the catalog, and I'm not sad, because it didn't really appeal to me. for prepackaged style I much prefer West Elm.

h,

I totally agree. I think there definitely is a market for feminine pieces, but I just don't think this is well-executed. I also thought, "That's a West Elm armless sofa with brocade fabric." I think there are so many interesting ways to do this kind of stuff (like who is the woman who buys vintage Louis furniture and then reupholsters it in bright fabrics?)

I also think this is sort of launched on the dying end of a trend (at least the way it is executed here).

*shrug*

Hmm - currently people are mostly implementing baroque pieces like this by radically redoing the finishes. So you would put linen on those chairs instead of velvet for example, or paint wood pieces with glossy white, red or apple green paint. You could do that to these pieces, but as other commenters pointed out you might as well buy cheaper and probably sturdier original items from craigslist instead.

Anthropologie has definitely done a much better job at updating Victorian, with more streamlined shapes and MUCH better fabrics. But I;ve always been surprised at how expensive their stuff is, you can get similar pieces from Mitchell Gold and lots of other sources custom-upholstered for less.

Still, I'll be curious to see how Brocade Home does; if this catalog doesn't sell, i bet you'll find lots of these pieces reinterpreted in lighter colors and different fabrics in the future. And a few of the more updated pieces (like the black lucite chandelier) might even sell as is.

I have mixed feelings about Brocade. I won't ever buy anything from them because I don't like to buy things I can't test out first and (more importantly) this isn't really my taste. I do think there is a market for it though, especially for those who want this look but don't like to take the time or don't have the time to shop for secondhand pieces. I think a whole place done like this would definitely be a bit much. I also question how much of the appeal comes from the pre-war, dark floor, tall windows, tons-of-moulding look of some of the spaces used for the photography. I would kill for a space like that, but not for the furniture shown.
I think many great points have been made here about what doesn't quite work about Brocade. The main problem seems to be that there are better alternatives:
1. If you want very well made pieces with some Victorian-inspired detailing, there are manufacturers like Mitchell Gold (as eeeck pointed out) who have affordable options with lots of room for upholstery customization. I have a Mitchell Gold sofa and the quality is excellent, I'm willing to bet it exceeds the quality of Brocade's sofas and is something I will have for years and years.
2. If you want authentic Victorian pieces, there are countless antiques out there with higher quality woods and finishes, hand carving, etc. There are lots of great deals to be found at antique markets.
3. If you want Victorian with a quirky edge, you can (as eeeck also said) find vintage pieces and make them unique with fun paint colors and funky fabrics.
4. If you are into a sleek modern or contemporary aesthetic and want just a hint of this style, there are pieces like Starck's polycarbonate Louis Ghost chair or Laviani's Bourige lamp that offer a tongue-in-cheek way to add in this look.

YCH linked a couple of photos showing how nicely this style can be mixed with more modern pieces. It seems like there are many ways to mix in this style and do so with either higher quality, less expensive or more creative options than Brocade offers.

I may be repeating much of what's been said, but for what it's worth, I think they could have made it much more interesting had they shown more of the line mixed with modern pieces. I love some of the chocolate brown upholstery and the white framed mirrors are gorgeous. But I'd have to kill myself to live with a whole house like this, because it looks a bit like a funeral parlor. Give it a modernist twist and it really has some great potential.

Love it. The two pictures here don't do it justice. Here's the catalog: http://www.brocadehome.com/bh/view_catalog.jsp

I agree this might be tough to pull off in your typical NYC glorified dorm room although certainly not impossible. However, this stuff could be really fabulous for anyone in a brownstone or other pre-war. You just need a few pieces and, yes, it can be combined with modern - witness the great links above some other commenters provided. (Mid-century is so old and overdone now anyway, people get over it!)

As for secondhand, it WON'T look like this, unless you pay even more $ at ABC Carpet. And who wants somebody's old skeevy couch?

I say class up your home with this eclectic, updated take on old European luxury.

This may be an unpopular viewpoint but please oh please go easy on the "kooky" finishes for real antiques. In five years are you still going to want that chest of drawers to be apple green? Probably not, but you've now permanently ruined an authentic/historic finish with an honest patina that can't be reproduced.

I know, I know -- being old doesn't necessarily make something GOOD FURNITURE so if you find a crappy piece, I guess feel free (cheap drawer backs, etc) to faux finish/glue grasscloth/cover in hi-gloss automotive paint and enjoy it. I'm just placing a teeny tiny vote for moderation and second thoughts!

I like oppulance too (mixed with vintage pieces and modern), and I'm sucker for all things tufted and a dash of liberace-esque exuberance.


But there has to be something AUTHENTIC about it. This stuff felt cheap. But doesn't COST cheap.

That's where they lose me.

But, by all means, a little bit of 70's victorian tacky can be nice stroke of wit.

I like the concept, and the idea of mixing this style with modern (lucite would look great), though didn't like the limited colors they are using. Also agree that if you like this look, go flea market and antique before you buy at Brocade. I'm sure the furniture quality is sub standard.

thanks for answering my question =)

I am all for liberace-esque accents, or center pieces for that matter.

I do agree with those comments about not wanting a home full of this stuff, but I feel that way about most styles/stores. It seems to go without saying that any single mode of design will seem boring or overwhelming without some variation. That being said, I think that one of the best things about more ornamented pieces is how they provide contrast for the simple lines of more mdoern pieces.

As for the opinion that similar better furniture can be found on craigslist/thrift stores for less, I beg to differ. At least in NY, antique on craigslist is often a pseudonym for "crap in really bad shape". And when I have found nicely made antique furniture at thrift or antique stores there has been always been a hefty price tag to go with it. Probably because that stuff tends to be Antique with a capital A.

I don't want to pay antique store prices, because I am definitely not an antique collector, the age of the pieces mean nothing to me. I am really looking for something well made, with those lines and that level of ornament and detail. Craigslist finds are usually in too poor condition to satisfy the "well-made" requirement, while antique store finds are usually too expensive for me.

So brocade definitely represents a potential resource for me, but I really would like to get a better sense of how well made the furniture is. showrooms would be great.

Kvetch, kvetch.......

hey Suzanne, how are things these days over at the offices of Brocade? Or are you the PR firm? In any case, try to make your shilling a bit less obvious.

Your best bet on reproducing this look with "antiques" is actually to get well outside NYC (or SF, or any urban territory where the antique stores are pedigreed and pricey) and look for 1950s furniture that was done in an historic revival style.

When we lived up near Albany a few years ago, that stuff was all over the place and pretty cheap. It's fall colors time -- head up the Hudson before people start buying it up. Just make sure you go past the point where the exurbanites gentrify, up into the rust belt.

laurel -- i think most people would agree with you.

in my own experience, it's dead easy to find worthless-yet-old victorianesque furniture (mostly manufactured in the 50's and beyond) at garage sales, thrift stores, etc. for rock bottom prices. these pieces aren't really worth any money, and painting them a wacky color isn't going to affect their value or status as antiques (which they're not). now, of course, there's something to be said for refinishing a piece back to its former glory, period authenticity, etc. but when you're talking about a worthless repro victorianesque dining chair you bought for $5 at a garage sale, i don't think you have to be concerned about "ruining" a valuable antique, or even getting tired of an apple green dining chair.

and this is coming from someone who has many times chosen not to put a cutesy ironic finish on said worthless-but-fun thrift store finds.

Oh, I don't know anything about the '50s Victoriana, it sounds vile and perfect for paint abuse. I just crawled out of the woodwork because my mom's a midwestern antique-r and we must've trawled every store in West Michigan and seen some hideous/tragic remuddlings.

oh, yeah, and even in NYC i've had no problem finding secondhand furniture of decent quality.

a few great resources here in the city:

the Salvation Army on Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens. one of the few true thrift stores with true thrift store prices left in the city.

vintage furniture stores not in the village, williamsburg, or cobble hill.

the flea market at P.S. 321 in park slope.

stoop sales in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Bed Stuy. not the ones in Park Slope.

Housing Works Thrift Shop in chelsea.

street scavenging in the east village and chelsea. large item pickup must be saturday morning, because i find my best loot friday nights.

i have also had plenty of luck with Craigslist. you just have to look, and realize that, no, you are not going to find any actual antiques for good prices. but you will find lots of garden variety decent oldish furniture, much of which is being sold at fair prices.

Note Suzanne's comments...sell, Suzanne, sell. I think telling people that buying someone else's "skeevy" used couch is just wrong-minded and classist. Grow up, sister. Re-using is the best way to recycle. Buying new furniture that is made to look like something else is much like panelling your walls in fake wood...fake, fake, fake. I have my MS in interior architecture and have noticed that many people are increasingly receptive to buying antique, second-hand, or even dumpster-diving. Now repeat after Suzanne: get rid of every yicky, skeevy thing you have and go spend $$$ on tacky rip-offs of a previous era...

I just like it because it's different. We recently went shopping for a new couch and found that so many of the pieces in our price range looked exactly the same. Room and Board, West Elm, Crate and Barrel--even a good chunk of the stuff at ABC Carpet--all had similar lines and a modern ethos. I'm not crazy about everything in this catalog, but I'm not crazy about everything in ANY catalog or by ANY designer (even Eames! I know, the horror!). And I think that this really does provide a service for people who aren't into mid-century or just want a different look. I would guess that the accent pieces in this catalog would be hot sellers at first.

And while second-hand furniture can be a wonderful, wonderful thing, it can require more patience/time/knowledge than some of us have to find high-quality pieces that are worth saving--especially with upholstery. I'm all for expanding the mid-price market to more aesthetic options.

I have two words about secondhand furniture right now: bed bugs.

well i just got the catalog in the mail today and i think it's really innovative, creative and fresh. i don't get victorian, shabby chic or goth--on any level. what an incredible aesthetic option from the drone home brands that are out there at the moment. even anthropologie looks little provicial to me these days. thank god someone has the guts to do something a little different and off the beaten path. i think the decoration balanced with the clean lines is very clean and modern and a welcome departure from the dreadfulness of pottery barn...does anyone even get past page 3 at this point in time???? anyway, congratulations brocade home for having a point of view that steps out and away from the same old, same old....

What a pleasant surprise when i went to my mailbox today. It was the first time i was glad somebody sold my name!!!! I think this catalog is a sensual presentation that honors the past but looks to the future where it all comes together, I applaud the people who put this forward having the guts to show something different in a world of sameness ie. Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Design Within Reach. Thanks for an alternative!!!!!

reminds me of the day when 'Organics' didnt mean humans back stage that cant even boot a computer...

actually it reminds me of Artemisia.

rascal and quinn, thank you for echoing my very first thoughts about Suzanne's marketing spiel...er, I mean, post!

Got a nice, skeevy old couch myself, and chairs that go with it, from the thrift store down the road. Not antiques, but about 65-year old maple. (And no bedbugs, either. ;) ) You can see them by clicking on my name. I have some other skeevy old furniture lying about the place as well.

I do concede to others' points about the difficulty of finding "just the thing" while thrifting or antiquing, though, and choosing a repro in its place. That makes total sense.

For every comment here about "go vintage or thrift shop" there has been a post about removing smoke odors, reviving a dull finish, and/or the high cost of reupholstering a quirky vintage find.

Vintage and thrifting is NO magic bullet, and not without its issues.

As far as Brocade goes, as most ALL catalogues... mine the collection for the piece or pieces that work for you. There are pieces here I'd work into a room. But I wouldn't buy the whole look in one fell (tufted, velvet) swoop. But I think some pretty interesting accent pieces, new to the market. I think yet another welcome addition to the market place. Variety is good.

i agree w/you patrick (the other one)...i think there are alot of interesting pieces here that can work in alot of different ways. thank goodness someone has the vision to do something different...the world really doesn't need another pottery barn or crate and barrel...i am very interested in seeing the evolution of this brand...

This really isn't surprising if you've watched design magazines for the past few years. Baroque looks are big, as is mixing modern with traditional. As with any look, moderation is the best policy and a Victorian style piece can look great with modern pieces. It's all about balance. I welcome this new era of eclecticism. It's been popular in the fashion world for several years now and is finally bleeding into the design world.

Most of the 70's overdecorated pieces I've seen were trying to be Spanish and failing miserably... 1970s and 1980s are the two eras of design I loathe most. Even more than 1850s and 60s, which saying something.

Calling modern style "classic" has me chuckling. If it's 200 years old, then yes, it's probably truly "classic," and you won't ever look dated bevause it will be too old to be dated--it will look period instead. Even 150 years ago....without upholstery and with updated draperies and, erg, carpet, etc.

Fixating on a single style of a single (RECENT!) time period in some sort of misguided attempt at elitist taste determination is laughable, though, as laughable as claiming that midcentury modern is "classic." Believe it or not, there is good taste outside of a DWR catalog--and some VERY bad taste within it.

This catalog? Not my thing. It'd be fun to work with (though I can't look at the Murano-inspired chandeliers without shuddering--it's ugly in Italy, and it's ugly here), but I wouldn't want to live with it any more than I'd want to live in a Pottery Barn catalog (funny, but that's where every I've met who lives in a McMansion shops) or, argh, with Jonathan Adler's new wallpapers--cool somewhere ELSE, where I wouldn't get sick of it. Some of the elements are ridiculous, yes (the lamps look like refugees from Pier 1's cheaper sections), and some are simply confusing (brocade-covered blocks--huh?), but others could make a really fabulous statement--not just in huge rooms (notice that the pieces are NOT large-scale) but in plenty of smaller lofts with high ceilings. Again, not my thing, but they could be really a blast to work with.

It's amusing to me that the same people who drool over Eames this and Adler that (probably because it has Eames' and Adler's names on it...) sniff at things they don't like as gross and pretentious. Riiiiight. That's why you buy an overpriced, "classic" chair that absolutely everyone in the know will recognize....

Must keep caste! Must keep caste!

not modern? are you kidding...victorian..with cool hip touches...that's modern now...it's popping up in all the latest movies.
get with it. i think the new catalog rocks.

Victorian, done well, can work. The first 'boudoir' photo is nice and rich looking, but the brown velvet sofa doesn't work for me, it's a little dated looking frankly.
Like other people have said, you ned a big bright space, or else the design will seem to cluttered and dark; a nice balance is acieved by using rich fabrics in a light interior. I can't stand this all-white, sterile, modern-loft look anymore...give me a velvet covered ottoman and a tiffany lamp!

I like this catalog, but then again, my place (even way before this neo-whatever resurgence) has always resembled some sort of Doris Day movie bachelorette pad. (If I had all the money in the world, I would pay to have Frank Sinatra's penthouse from Come Blow Your Horn [check it out!] replicated and wouldn't change nary a thing.)

This brand (like her other brainchild, West Elm) has its issues, but I'm looking forward to seeing how they evolve if they do well. Although there are a few touches in here I'd love to buy (the long mirror that others have mentioned also), I am waiting for a second or third season from this catalog before I dive in. I bought something from the very first West Elm catalog and still have it, but I still felt it took them a few seasons before they worked out the kinks of their look and finally also settled onto some colors I liked. That's also why the limited color choices here don't bother me ... West Elm did the same thing - even had the same colorways as Brocade - before finally starting to offer a wide range.

If you sorta like them, give them some time to find the look ... I for one would buy the ornate bed (not the one shown above) in a heartbeat were it offered in white, so I'm waiting because I have a feeling it will be. In product development you can't launch too many products at once (especially as a start-up) until you know what works, etc. and its an ever-evolving process.

Incidentally, that's one of the many reasons why I hate stuff like Pottery Barn ... because every season seems to look the same to me...

I know I'm swimming against the current here, but I like it, except I would not do the brown. I love to decorate in an eclectic way, combining modern, art deco, retro, baroque, "Liberace", "George Jetson" and yes, even bordello!

I have an old waterfall style bedroom set and have a burgundy velvet comforter, with beaded pillows, and I reupholstered a boudoir chair in black velvet with gold trim and painted the wood on it gold. In the warmer weather I use an ivory silk bedspread with a gold-tasseled flounce around the edge. For me, decorating is not just functional, but fun. As I actually like to clean (my personal therapy?), I don't mind the extra work in keeping it up.

I also like the Frank Sinatra bachelor pad in "Come Blow Your Horn" that a previous poster mentioned. With that in mind, I have a black sectional low back sofa, but I coupled it with an ornate glass and mirror coffee table.

My apartment is tiny, about 400 sq. ft., and most everything I own I've purchased secondhand, not only for the savings, but also because the older items are better made. I am quite happy with my place. I don't care about "investment pieces", or who the designer is, but rather, I just enjoy what I have, and when I tire of it I have no problem in selling it if I find something I like better to replace it. Many of the items I've owned over the years I've refinished, embellished, reupholstered to suit my taste. It may not be catalogue worthy stuff, or even house tour worthy, but for me it's fun, comfortable and most importantly, it's home.

i agree with charlene, if you live in nyc you gotta consider bed bugs

I live in a suburb of Boston, but agree that you have to be careful about purchasing secondhand to avoid "cooties". I rarely buy upholstered items, and if I do acquire an upholstered piece, it's only with the intent of reupholstering, so the piece gets immediately and totally stripped down to the wood frame, so I have never had any bad luck with my purchases.

It's French style - if you read any French shelter magazines, there's always something, along with the very modern, that looks like these rooms. The French live comfortably with all of it, so can we.

I posted pics of my new bed from Brocade Home on the AT Cure thread. Follow the link. (Small glitch in the order process, but the bed still arrived a few days after clearing that up. No extra pieces. Exactly what's needed to assemble it. And super quick and easy assembly at that.)

Bring it on is right. Love the nod to French Country via shab and paint. The prices *are* killer...I was pleasantly surprised when my 2nd catalog (spring ed) had the addition of white/lighter wood and fabric tones. Bring on more Brocade!