The year was 2000. The place, Alamo Square in San Francisco. I was whisked away to San Francisco for a new a career opportunity, living in my first place all to myself, a lovely Edwardian era studio apartment overlooking the postcard perfect park below. Although the studio was just over 350 sq. ft., I remember my Alamo Square apartment fondly because it was then and there that I decided to give into my desires and make my first designer purchase. The Tom Dixon Jack lamp was all the rage, emblazoned across the staged rooms in shelter mags such as *Wallpaper and Surface. I had enough money to burn in those youthful (and foolish) heydays to send out about four and half Ben Franklins to have it shipped from New York to become the centerpiece of my small space...
Although I later ended up purchasing more substantial furnishings (sleeping on a futon, no matter how nice, needed to stop after a certain age), I still think of the Tom Dixon designed Jack lamp as my favourite designer purchase, with the ability to still confound and delight guests. Is it a lamp? Is it a seat? What's it made of? No other piece I've owned evokes such curiosity and interest. Ole Jack now sits at the top of our stairway, greeting guests with his warm glow, still bringing smiles (me included). Released in 1996, there's supposedly 12,000 of these polypropylene lamps out there in the world. I hope each and everyone is still beloved as much as mine. I'll never let it go...I promise Tom!
How about you out there? What was your first notable design/decor purchase? Was it a designer sofa you scrimped and saved for? Did you blow your inheritance from you well to do Aunt Matilda? Find something via Craigslist for a steal? Share below who/what was the first furnishing piece that you never regretted spending the money upon.
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It's always so special (and rare) when the planets align and I have enough money saved to get a designer piece! My first was an Eames Storage Unit, which I was able to afford because my Herman Miller rep gave me a GREAT discount! I love it, it's so cute with it's little dimpled plywood panels. I will ALWAYS keep it, and I dream of buying 2 more and making a room divider with all three. One can dream...
My first papason chair from pier1. Goodbye futon. That is when I truly arrived and started to walk down the pathway of luxury I always deserved.
The first thing was an authentic Arco lamp that I bought as a birthday present to myself. I got a good deal because I ordered it from a relatively new lighting store that was trying to compete with a more established place. That lamp costs about 30% more now.
therapy4me,
Papasan chairs are high end? Who knew!
Seriously ... I get it, though. I am a thrift-chic kinda girl, myself, so the most expensive thing in my house is my $500 sofa from Overstock.com. Everything else is DIY or a thrift store/flea market find.
Last summer (freshmen year of college), I filmed a wedding and with most of the profit I bought myself a white Eames rocker. The Eames are by far my favorite designers of furniture and I think the rocker embodies so much of what they are about.
I treasure that thing every day.
My first was the Noguchi floor lamp in this photo. It was a floor sample, so I got a substantial discount, but it was still an incredible amount of money for someone who was still sleeping on a futon on the floor. The lamp is stunning, but it's more of a delicate sculpture than an actual light, and it's a pain in the butt to move. But, I still love it.
Got the Eames molded plastic rocker as a present for graduating from architecture school...one day I'll get the Eames lounge chair. when I become famous.
A cabinet by Maria Yee, followed shortely thereafter with two lamps designed by Jonathan Adler and made by Robert Abbey.
And oh my gosh are they amazing. It's not just the design -- it's how well made they are. The lamps have build in dimmers, the silk shades are lined, the crystal bases (not lucite) are notched for the cord. The cabinet is hand crafted and made completely without nails or screws -- it's designed a little like a puzzle that relies on tension to hold it together.
The problem with buying high-end stuff is much like of going from a black & white to a color monitor. It's nearly impossible to go back to Ikea.
my noguchi floor lamp.
i re-arrived in california, post grad school with over $100,000 in debt, 30 boxes of books, clothing, and a set of wine glasses. my salary was approximately $28,000 for about a 100 hour week but i got free meals at work. rent was almost $800 but was taken pretax, i got to live by myself for the first time in my life, and could walk to work so no car costs.
after two weeks sleeping on the floor, i got my first pay check and bought a futon. two weeks later i got a second check, waited for my day off, took a train and a bus to sf's japan town and bought a noguchi lamp.
it's still in my living room, floating like a jellyfish or a war banner. the shade is yellowed with paper loss at the folds. reviews have always been mixed, but i love it..
Does something practical count? I bought an Elna Lotus Sewing Machine back in the late sixties (I am sort of old) with a tax rebate - it seemed outragously expensive at the time but is still going strong, is tiny and beautiful and it is in the MoMA. I just went to find a photo and found a uTube on it - who knew it would warrent it's own video?
http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=4067
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYXStedWljA
I paid someone to refoam and reupholster a vintage Eames Sofa Compact in Herman Miller textile. Thought the sofa was free, the rejuvenation was about $1200 - less than a third of the same sofa new, but a significant chunk of change.
My two 4-stack tiger oak barrister sets, with copper mechanisms and wavy glass, circa the early 1900s. I'd say the two-stack walnut, but I'd replace it with the right 2- or 3-stacker in another color if I could. Not even a second of buyer's remorse -- unusual in my family.
And my Karlin-esque artwork.
I recently bought a $700 or so office chair at wholesale for about $500. It's huge and not pretty, especially in an efficiency, but it is so, so physically worth it.
I bought a Tizio 35 lamp several years ago - I still have it and it's still on the first bulb!
As far as furniture, I bought a Blu-Dot Hot-Rod Bed right after I broke up w/ my ex. It was a great bed, but I ended up swapping it for something a bit more luxe a few years later...
AV cabinet from SOORIKIAN.
http://www.soorikian.com/modularmedia.php
This is designer (I don't own anything designer and wonder if I ever will) but when I finished my undergraduate degree I declared, after living in dorms for four years, that I was going to buy an antique!!! I went to the best known antique store in my little home town and bought for maybe $50, a maple washstand from the 1930s. I was so very proud of myself for committing to a piece of furniture, lol. I still have it tho, and i still love it
oops, I meant to say this is *not* designer
<I>"...the most expensive thing in my house is my <B>[$300] </B><I>sofa from</I> <B>[Craigslist for $150 plus $150 for a new slipcover and tapered legs]</B><I>."</I>
I was 20 and with one of my first "big" paychecks from my summer job, I bought a yellow fifties formica table and chair set for $250 from an awesome thrift store in Waxahachie, Texas. The owner said it was the property of two spinster sisters who only sat in two of the chairs (sure enough two chairs had a lot more wear). It was my first big furniture purchase and my biggest purchase ever at that point.
11 years later, it is still in my house and it will always be in my house. It is one of my prized possessions and when house hunting, one of my requirements was a breakfast room for it to have a home in! It always gets compliments, although the seats need recovering and I will probably spend way more than the set cost me on that. For now I just cover the rips with cheap seat cushions.
An antique hat/coat tree with revolving hooks. My closet shelves only had enough space for my bags (all of which I use), so I had to find another place to keep my hats.
It was a LOT of money for me - but it's served me well.
oooh how timely!
i just began moving into my first apartment this weekend and am literally starting (practically from scratch). needless to say i'm on a budget. i JUST (this morning) made my first high end purchase. it's a custom gray velvet sofa that i got for a STEAL. it's gorgeous, and i love it. (doesn't hurt that it was about 75% cheaper than i would have paid retail).
bought it on craigslist. it's new (showroom model) and got it delivered at no extra charge.
Well, with the exception of a tv stand I once bought at Target, all of my furniture is thrift, hand-me-down, or homemade - But I did blow an entire annual bonus check and some money my parents gave me as a wedding gift all on one fantastic painting. Four years later and I still don't have a proper bed. Put some really nice art on the wall and no one will notice your ratty couch.
george nelson swag leg desk = 1 full page illustration $$ 2 1/4 page illustrations $. couldn't resist it, as impractical as a 1700 desk seems.
I needed this post. I don't have any designer pieces in my home. I pick things up here and there. The other day I found this lamp, however,
http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/lighting/sleek-candela-luau-lantern-is-really-handy-too-058461
and I have been trying to convince myself that spending almost three hundred bucks on a lamp is not an act of insanity.
My first big designer purchase WILL be an Eero Aarnio bubble chair. I've been in love with them ever since I was a little kid. And I am armed and ready to defeat my boyfriend when he tries to convince me otherwise.
I'm not big on designer furniture/accessories. I'd rather spend less there and more on original art. My first piece cost me $1400. I borrowed it from the artist when my home was on a house tour and I had to fill a vacant space above the mantel. Then I couldn't bear to give it back. But if a LeCorbusier pony chaise found its way into my house I wouldn't complain.
It was a very snowy day and the last item up for auction was a Nakashima headboard. Most of the auction house cleared out as the snow piled up outside. I purchased my headboard for less than half of the estimate. Every time I get into bed, I smile!
The loop media stand and back panel from Crate and Barrel:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=14108&f=22294
I know that does not qualify as designer, but it definitely qualified as high end for my husband and me who up to this point have been Ikea disciples.
But what makes it really special for us is the obstacles we overcame to have it.
I'd been eyeing this media stand for a while last year, but had no reason to buy it given that we only had a tube TV.
One afternoon while I was in Ikea with my Mom and grandmom who were visiting us in the US for the first time and wanted to check out the so famous Ikea, my husband was browsing the nearby Best Buy and ended up buying the
an LCD TV. Then of course we had to have a new entertainment stand for this new TV.
I'd just eyeballed a media stand in Ikea and we got all excited and bought it, only to discover it wouldn't fit in our car. Went right back to return it, because we didn't think it made sense to pay another $75 to ship it when all it cost was a $140.
So now it seemed karmic that we should get the one from Crate and Barrel because it was closer to our home, and we were able to arrange for a pick up without having to wait for it to be shipped to us. My husband had misgivings about getting the back panel, but I was adamant that I had to have the TV mounted, and I prevailed.
Shelled out another $200 to get the mounting hardware from Best Buy.
Now this is where unexpected things happened.
The unit itself assembled just fine, but the screws with the mounting hardware didn't seem right for the back panel.
Ran around a little more looking for the "correct" mounting hardware, and were told that this is the only one.
Now we were stumped because there was no way the mounting bracket would stay on the back panel with the given screws. My husband thought we should return the back panel, and just use the base itself, but no I'd already made up my mind.
Went to crate and barrel and explained the situation, and asked them what we should do to get the TV mounted. They did not have an answer and promised to get back to us within a few days after checking with their design team.
Meanwhile my husband went to the local hardware store - his first time ever, and asked for advice.
We were given different screws to use with our mounting hardware, and voila! Our TV was mounted and looked beautiful.
In order to get this done, we had to step outside of our "Ikea" comfort zone where everything we need is already in the box. My husband who is not at all into DIY stuff had to go through his rite of initiation.
And me, who would normally have not even considered buying the whole thing in the first place because of the price and would have thought this was not meant to be when faced with these roadblocks was so decisive and firm about having this media furniture.
Someday we may end up buying real designer or high end furniture, but this purchase will always be special to us.
Paul Frankl "Combed Wood Series" Buffet (solid blonde mahogany)--for $350 from The Other Shop in SF! Then I saw the same one at some fancy store in LA for $2800.
These are such great stories!
A Philippe Starck Cafe Costes chair.
Bought it while still in college with money I made checking coats at a disco in Providence Rhode Island. (Dear god, that is sooooooooooo gay.)
Still have the chair.
My favorite "spent more than I would have normally" purchase was much later, for a Ralph Lauren side table from Bloomingdale's, which I purchased post-9/11 as part of the city's push to get more retail going. I succumbed, but it made/makes that piece more special to me. I remember holding my breath when they phoned in the credit check!!
I was fresh out of college. I had discovered the Eames and more than anything I wanted an LCW. I hemmed. I hawed. I finally went to a store to try one out. One sit and I was hooked. But it was $550! (more than a month's rent)
I looked at the chair and knew I could never walk away from it.
I closed my eyes and swiped my debit card and have never looked back. Now my little walnut LCW sits next to my Eames lounge & ottoman. (I actually paid LESS for the lounge & ottoman - but thats a story for another time)
My most expensive purchase is a $175 lamp! Everyone thinks I'm crazy for paying that much for a lamp but I purchased it from my favorite store and it was the only thing I could afford! I'm also super picky about lamps and I only have two so far.
my pair of bourgie lamps designed by Feruccio Laviani...love 'em!
oh, i got them in clear :)
My first was kismet x 2. The big Big Sur dining table at a C&B outlet for $150. It had some showroom wear but gave the sturdy/farmwood look of it more character. And less than a week later, I scored 6 new condition white Panton chairs off of Craigslist NY. I had to drive 4 hrs to get them, but it was worth it. We love the look and the mix of rustic and modern.
I guess my first "high end" item I bought was a George Kovacs genie table lamp. Although I most certainly did not pay the high end price tag. I got it online for $36. :)
Not a designer piece, but oh-how-I-love my vintage metal barrister bookcase. I had never purchased any furniture costing more than a hundred bucks, but I was living with my mom rent-free while going to school and had a decent job and a few extra dollars in the bank. While browsing a local antiques store, I came across a Globe Wernicke grey metal 4-level stacking barrister bookcase from the 60s. $420 later, it was mine!
Since then, I've seen them selling for a heck of a lot more, but I won't ever get rid of mine. I love how all my design books are protected behind glass and how unbelievably sturdy the dang thing is. Did I mention that it looks incredible? Love!
My first ever high-end purchase was a pair of aalto wave vases while in London for the first time... it was the last set they had and they simply pop out every time I walk into the room I keep them... *sigh
My next big item was a gift from my great uncle. It was a vintage laurel mushroom lamp and it is in absolute perfect condition. I checked to see how much it was online and I nearly cried... I still keep it on my bedside table
...and never let it be touched by anyone (:
My first big purchase in my early 20's was a Barcelona chair that I got at a deep deep discount from a friend that worked at Knoll. I had a bed and that chair for a few years, talk about minimulism. Since I do not have it anymore I would say my George Nelson Buffet I bought from an auction 16 years ago and has remained my favorite piece.
So so sorry ^^^minimalism
1. Antique art deco console table, antique shop, 2004 (420 €, a sum for me at the time).
2. Bourgie lamp, birthday present for myself, 2005.
Harry Allen's "My Brother's Frame"
My first designer furniture purchase was a birthday present to myself (with spousal approval) of a pair of Alvar Aalto birch stools 24 years ago. We still have one and our 22 year old son has the other (it was used as his bedside table for years when he was a child.) The stools were my gateway drug, relatively cheap, but they started me down to road to the hard stuff - a Poul Kjaerholm coffee table and chair, Arne Jacobsen dining table, a Kofod-Larsen credenza, etc. Fortunately, I have a sympathetic spouse who shares my interests in furniture.
A Parallel chair from Jules Seltzer, purchases in 1999. Used my mom's resale number and got it for 50% off which was still a boatload of money.
Totally worth it and still looks brand new today. You can't beat quality furniture and timeless design.
My first was an Arco lamp. I bought it three years ago when my now-husband and I moved in together into our incredible apartment - and I just keep liking the lamp, the apartment, and the husband more and more every day!
I buy things I love rather than things with designer names, but I don't mind putting down the cash if I love it. My first purchase was a gorgeous painting by a Laguna Beach, CA artist. I had that before I had any living room furniture. I still love it.
My first substantial furniture purchase was a very large Drexell Heritage armoire for my tv, back before flat panels. It was a dark green, distressed, solid wood, and weighed a million pounds. I've moved with it 3 times. During the last move, I had it refinished in a lightly distressed matte black. I adore it even more. I even had it cut into three pieces and reassembled by a furniture repair genius when the movers couldn't get it up the stairs in my last house. Drexell isn't hip in the least, but I'll have this item forever.
a signed and numbered "debutante" giclee print by mark ryden.
Our Travis Louie original painting- took 6 months AND a tax return to pay for it. But we're the only ones who have it. And the art problem has since gotten worse.
All of our furniture is vintage, alley scavenged, or IKEA (though we just splurged on an electrolux ICON dishwasher an appliance, but ARTFULLY designed)- I guess the art on the walls means more than what we sit on everyday.
It wasn't happened yet. I'm still living in what could be an Ikea showroom. But someday.....the Saarinen Womb Chair. That will be my first.
*Le sigh*
Just last week I bought a 19th century French commode (complete with original hardware and marble top) from someone on Craigslist. The seller was leaving the country in a couple of days and sold it to me for less than $200! It is a gorgeous piece of furniture I treasure already. Never underestimate Craigslist.
I was about to get out for another day of school, and some people were dumping some office furniture. My girlfriend and I asked if they´re needed the orange chair, and if we can keep it ... we still have it. Is the wheeled version of this one www.architonic.com/4101543. Years later we bought another Robin Day chair, a Habitat chrome version in oak with withe leather seat for €50, like this one www.architonic.com/4100858.
We appreciate bargains.
Someday, I will have a womb chair with an arco lamp next to it...
For now, I have a pair of danish modern armchairs (no mark) in walnut with electric blue leather seats. That is my only foray into non-disposable furniture...
my first (and only) is a white eames shell rocker. i love it and use it daily.
up next, a saarinen tulip table. that might have to wait a few years, though.
My first big-name, big-dollar acquisition was an Eames Lounge chair and ottoman. I won it from highbrowfurniture.com's "Love at first sit" sweepstakes two years ago.
I've been "forced" to upgrade my collection since.
Red leather Saarinen womb chair and ottoman special ordered from Knoll. I got a 10% discount and free shipping but it still cost over 3k. I convinced myself that it was an investment, particularly something my 2 1/2 year old could inherit. She has since left her (2) penmarks on it and I was angry for about a minute before I thought all the more reason for her to keep it. It's as much her chair as mine anyway because it's big enough for both of us to snuggle in and read together.
I know I'm late to the party, but I can so relate to some of these great stories.
Technically my first is an inherited possible Saarinen Olive velvet Tulipesque lounge chair on a chrome base. My parents bought it at a boutique in Manhattan circa 1970. Didn't appreciate it until I later learned about design.
The first piece I personally purchased was a Noguchi Coffee Table (Black base). My wife "allowed" me to buy it as a 5 year anniversary gift. Go figure :-) It was my first furniture lust object and I had to have it in my home. I loved it's beautiful almost organic curves and the love affair is still strong 8 years later despite a few flings. I need to go take a cold shower now.