Photography by Carmen Troesser
Veronica Theodoro
Veronica Theodoro
It wasn’t until this past spring, while I was in the throes of selecting a new sofa and swivel chairs for my living room, that I grasped the immense scope of furniture options available to homeowners. (Before going any further, let me pause here to say: If decision-making is hard for you, do not underestimate the power of an interior designer to help winnow the offerings.) In theory, of course, I’ve always understood that furniture is a world unto itself, an industry charged with satisfying innumerable tastes, lifestyles, and budgets. But when tasked with choosing between designer and vintage, or a mix of the two, and a custom sectional to solve a pesky corner layout in my living room, I realized the potential for good stories was all around me.
Ours begin on page 48. In “Lasting Legacy,” we talk to three local designers about the enduring appeal of the Louis XV chair—that graceful piece that finds a place of purpose and beauty in so many styles of rooms. We also discuss vintage furniture, whose popularity has seen a huge boost in the past year, partly because of its immunity to delays in the supply chain. On page 52, you’ll want to see what happens when an artist and a curator of vintage pieces collaborate. At the center of their project is a pair of 20th-century chairs transformed by painter Maggie Robertson’s artistry and creative director Annie Genovese’s vision. If you love antiques, you won’t want to miss our feature on page 51, with St. Louis–based furniture maker David Stine. We asked Stine to look at four antique and vintage pieces and share his thoughts on how each was made. His insights will compel you to see “brown furniture” with new eyes.
Mixing secondhand and new, designer furniture is the coolest way I know to impart character and make a statement in a space. Hannah Headrick, a collector of vintage treasures, is an expert at it. I first met Headrick years ago, when she owned Confluence Modern on Hampton. I’d often stop in to see what she had in store, and to admire her talent for combining eras and styles into one cohesive look. Her house is just as pleasing. Comfortable and charming, the interiors are a testament to the lasting appeal of well-designed furniture. Headrick, who runs @secondhandhome314 on Instagram, knows the impact of a good sofa and table. “I love furniture,” she tells us in the story beginning on page 58. “It’s something I have an emotional connection to—I’ll see a piece of furniture, a lamp, a chair, something that will actually make my heart pound, or make me gasp.”
