Homes & Interiors
by Marie Yarbrough
Say goodbye to ars gratia artis, art for art’s sake, when it comes to modern home furnishings. Today, it’s all about comfort, family-friendly function and style, and it’s all available in Nashville, where a growing handful of retailers offers everything from high-end originals to affordable reproductions, to suit every price range and philosophy.
The local market for modern furniture has grown in the last five years, with a particular lunge toward modern tastes in the last two. Characterized by clean, simple designs using industrial materials like glass and metal, modern style emerged after World War II from the slim, sleek lines of the 1930s Art Deco movement and the minimalist aesthetics of International Style in Europe. While Nashville may lag behind larger style centers in its adoption of modern design, the small market for modern and contemporary furniture can have its advantages for retailers and consumers. “It allows us to really work with the manufacturers to get pieces exclusive to Nashville,” says Janet Willoughby, manager of Nouveau Classics, which carries domestic and European pieces at mid-range prices in its 8,000-square-foot showroom. “We can be very selective and knowledgeable.”
While the local market is small, it is also diverse. Young and middle-aged professionals, retirees and empty-nesters alike are turning to sleek designs for urban and suburban homes, from bungalows to lofts. The rise in urban dwelling, particularly loft living, is one factor driving tastes toward the modern look, says Jennifer Kocak, owner of Urban Décor. Throughout Nashville, more than 1,700 new loft units are available or under construction, and the industrial quality of loft space leads many residents toward modern design to complement the style. Increasing demand for modern and contemporary designs is prompting Kocak to expand her year-and-a-half-old shop this month at a new location in East Nashville. “It’s very convenient to be in the backyard of development,” she says. The expanded Urban Décor will focus on a “soft modern trend” that incorporates softer woods and more textures into the simple lines of modern design.
A busy lifestyle is driving homeowners toward modern furniture, says Stan Guffey, who co-owns Highbrow Furniture. “You just live with modern,” he says. “It’s pretty carefree, because it’s minimal.” Highbrow, which sells nationally though highbrowfurniture.com, has been in Nashville since 1985 and specializes in high-end 20th-century iconic classics by American manufacturers like Herman Miller, Kartell, Knoll Space, Louis Poulsen, Modernica, Ralph Rapson and Richard Schultz, among others. “We sell an image of furniture,” Guffey says. His business shares a storefront with Pre to Post Modern, which specializes in vintage originals from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.
|
---------------------------Advertisement---------------------------
|
|
---------------------------Advertisement---------------------------
|
In some cases, original design is not the best choice, says Jan Rasmussen, co-owner of 2 Danes, which specializes in Scandinavian pieces. For example, he prefers an upgraded copy of the iconic Eames chair that has been enhanced with a tilt function and a higher grade of leather—and, at $1,800, it’s half the price of the original.
“We concentrate not on trendy furniture, but on things that have durability in terms of lines, so they won’t be out of date in five years,” says Rasmussen, who also prioritizes flexibility among furniture. The store carries a variety of dining tables with built-in leaves, recliners with adjustable headrests and sofas that easily convert into beds. Designer pieces and reproductions start at below $500, with pieces running as high as $36,000.
For the more budget-conscious, Mad Mod, recently relocated to the Belmont area, offers an array of reproductions. Twenty-something owners Cyndi Collett and Chris Tait opened the store in 2003 so their contemporaries with eyes for modern design could furnish their houses in the modern style without breaking the bank. One popular item is a reproduction of the glass-top coffee table by Japanese designer Noguchi. Furniture in the store ranges from $36 stacking chairs to a double leather Barcelona lounger chair at $1,725.
Designer modern furniture is also coming to the mass market. Target Stores, which brought postmodern architect Michael Graves to the average Joe, is teaming with Aero Studios Ltd. designer Thomas O’Brien to introduce a vintage modern home collection this fall featuring more than 500 pieces, ranging from $50 lamps to a $400 sideboard.
Resources
Highbrow Furniture, 2110 Eighth Ave. S., 620-2007
Mad Mod, 2013 Belmont Blvd., 297-5050
Nouveau Classics, 3201 Belmont Blvd., 383-3164
Pre to Post Modern, 2110 Eighth Ave. S., 292-1958
2 Danes, 73 White Bridge Rd., 352-6085
Urban Décor, 901 Main St., East Nashville, 226-0173