This isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of Heather and David Hadley’s house, the Hadleys recently were sweet enough to let us snap photos for a home tour to be featured here on Mimomito. Oh snap, indeed. Check back soon for that home tour – there’s so much more to be seen in this Carmichael gem.
Finally got a big puffy Christmas tree up in our apartment, and our tall friend Thomas helped up string our lights and put our tree topper on for us. Alan and myself like a tree to really lord over us – showering us in holiday spirit. This year I decided to go through the dubious task of making really quick origami butterflies as ornaments. I like a monochromatic and simplistic tree, myself – not droopy with mismatched ornaments.
Our little apartment feels so cozy, finally. I come home all sad and cold from the dismal outdoors to my warm cave. Alan has been perfecting ham-hocks and beans with a side of collard greens. LET’S HUNKER DOWN, Y’ALL. IT’S OFFICIALLY WINTER.
Send us your holiday home decoration photos to post! mcmSacramento@gmail.com
Spotted this sucker on Craigslist for $50.00 and had to swoop. I had been looking for this exact cabinet style – clean white to go in the kitchen, 1950′s, metal banding, formica top – to replace a a crappy, laminate wood credenza we found in an abandoned warehouse. Not tryin’ to live that shabby chic life, guys. So it had to go.
Also scored this Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Chair from a garage sale in Natomas for $70.00. A little more than I would have liked to spend, but this is a must-have for someone who loves to troll the internet as hard as I do. (Next to it is a less-comfortable black task chair from 16th Street Salvation Army for $3.00.)
Military folding desk for $600.00 in S. Land Park.
Weird wacky 40′s chair – something I think you’d see in Bladerunner. I have no idea why I think that. $35.00 in Land Park.
INSANE CHEESY LUCITE LAMP. What!? A flying cheeseball? Of course I want that! $200 friggin’ dollars in Grass Valley.
Who was nice enough to let us in their home: Our wonderful friends, David and Rebecca. I met them when I was selling at the 57th St Antique Mall, and shortly after, they invited Mimomito to take a peek at their super awesome apartment in San Francisco. Since then, they’ve redefined their style and transformed their place into a more sophisticated, playful home.
Also,they’re awesome MCM dealers at “Stuff“. Check out their page on Facebook @Atomic Fantasy Vintage.
Here is what they had to say from their original interview:
What they told us about the home:
David: It’s better on the inside than the outside.
Rebecca: We live in a two bedroom flat in a four unit Victorian building. What this truly means is a long hallway with lots of rooms lining that hallway.
Where is the home located:
David: On the border of Strollerberg and Hipsterville (Noe Valley/Dolores Heights, San Francisco).
When was the home built and when they moved in:
David: Built circa 1907, directly post-earthquake. Moved in January 2007.
Why they chose this home:
David: It had parking. And malleable character.
Rebecca: David was already living here when we decided to move in together. And his place was larger than mine at that time.
Photos by Jake Conroy
It’s been over a year since we last saw your home, what’s new?
D: Nothing is new. Everything we have is old. Room and Board has new furniture. You could try them.
R: She means what’s different. The decorating bug really stung us this year, so pretty much every room is different.
D: I thought it was the hoarding bug.
R: Probably, yes. But to answer your question, our pair of Italian MCM chairs with geometric cushions arrived a few months back. We got them at the Alameda Antique Faire from our friend Dennis who is a dealer there. We also have a reproduction George Nelson marshmallow sofa that we found on Craigslist, and our pretty nifty tiki lights in the kitchen (a gift from our friend Bev!)
Would you say your style has changed since then? If so, how and what new influences inspire you?
R: Looking back on last year’s photo shoot I feel that our collecting has matured.
D: Our collecting has matured into an illness. Like gambling, except there isn’t any winning involved.
R: We used to be into anything kitsch. The kitschier the better. We still love buying things that make us laugh, but our focus has shifted towards functionality and durability. Since I restore furniture, this means more to me than ever.
D: Mimomito inspires us. When we see the beautiful homes of others featured, with their comfortable and artful sense of arrangement, it reminds us how nice it is to be strategic in furnishing and less haphazard. Then we curse them bitterly for having taste and restraint that we lack.
R: Seriously, Jon & Jose’s feature last year inspired the wall of Starburst clocks in our bedroom. Of course, they were more subtle, only clustering a few clocks here and there instead of covering an entire wall as we did. But then, they are normal and not hoarders like us.
Do you have a favorite new addition?
D: I like the color organ, which is on one of the speakers in the front room. For you young’ns who don’t know what that is, it’s lights in a box with a corrugated plastic face. The different colors respond to low, middle and high frequencies from the speaker connector. We watched that while listening to ELO albums. It was our entertainment. Also, we had to walk ten miles in the snow back then, to get to school. Without shoes. And there was no such thing as breakfast.
R: I have been collecting Franciscan Starburst for a few years. I received a spoon rest as a gift recently. It made me happy.
D: We got a pair of really cool modern cube end tables with dark glass tops at Scout Living, which is the best place to shop on earth. Also we just (yesterday at Alameda) got a circa 1958 RCA Victor Deluxe television on a stand with wheels. We’re going to have a party so everyone can come over and watch static.
Since your last interview, have you found any new places to shop (in-store or online) that you’d like to share?
R: Our car now has a homing device set to Scout Living. We also end up going back to Sebastopol quite often, so it’s also a favorite.
D: We just went shopping in Chico for the first time, and came back with some groovy lamps. And I got a gumball machine. There is also this site called eBay which has old stuff. The pickings are waning there though. Something about imminent implosion…
R: We should also mention Stuff since it wasn’t around when we were last featured. The turquoise metal cabinet in our bathroom was purchased there.
Is there a specific piece or item that you’re looking for that you still haven’t found? If so, what are you using instead?
R: I would love to find a small Danish credenza that could be used as a cabinet to store David’s stereo equipment. Preferably one that has already been adapted for this purpose since I would hate to drill holes in a beautiful piece of furniture. Oh, and a Hans Wegner Bear chair.
D: I’m looking for a black ceramic hanging lamp, to replace the one I broke with my head. It looked like a beautiful black moon, hovering in the air, anchoring the one slender thread of purposeful decorating in the apartment. When it broke, I just kept looking down at the pieces on the floor with disbelief. Now we have a green and yellowish globe lamp in its place, which resembles a Death Star decorated with hearts. It’s no moon, though.
R: I really do not think David has been the same since he killed our lamp. Luckily, he’s hard headed.
What are things that are always on your radar for your home?
R: Plant stands particularly bullet planters and multicolor Formica stands. It has become a bit of an obsession for me. Now if only I had a green thumb.
D: I would like to find the ONE missing piece (white bishop) for the Austin Enterprises 1962 chess set. I also want a Wham-O Magic Window.
R: Drinking glasses with carriers. Tumblers, mainly. After clustering them on a bookshelf we realized how stylish they were, especially since each caddy is slightly different.
Tell us more about your collections.
D: They exist in a quantifiable state common to inanimate objects. Most (well, all) of the items in our collections are composed of molecules, which in turn consist of atoms of various types, depending on the compound(s) involved. It is possible that they are represented in an infinite number of parallel dimensions in forms that may or may not resemble what we collectively perceive. Should I tell them more, or is that good?
R: That’s probably good.
D: Also, some things are shiny.
R: Okay. We have started collecting soda advertisement memorabilia. It started after stumbling upon a collector’s retirement sale of advertisement clocks in Healdsburg a couple of years back. It has now expanded to include signs, bottles, and cans. Even with rust, each is a work of art. The funny thing is that we don’t even drink soda.
You sell at Stuff in San Francisco – how do you decide what to keep and what to sell?
R: The beauty of becoming MCM dealers is that we can proudly come out as non-committal hoarders. It has become a joke among our friends…
D: I still don’t have any friends.
R: Okay, a joke among my friends is that our apartment is ever changing. I have lost track of how many coffee tables circulated between our living room and Stuff. If we get bored with something we know it will eventually find a new home. But to answer your question, I think the choice declares itself in time.
D: I’m working on a system for keeping everything and still generating sales revenue. It involves tracking all purchases and then hiring thugs to steal back what we’ve sold. This can only work if the cost of theft remains manageable. Does anyone want to buy a super nice pair of table lamps? Email me your info, and I’ll send you a photo.
In Haiku form, please tell me about your love for Mid Century Modern design.
D:
Oh you pointy legs!
What flame you ignite in hearts
Anachronistic
R: Yeah, what he said.
Do you have any future goals for your home or as MCM dealers?
R: My aspiration is to transform our front sitting room into a swank lounge.
D: I’d like to write and produce a musical in which all of the characters are MCM pieces. When the spotlight hits that little dresser, and the sweeping ballad starts, the tears are gonna well up in your eyes.
Thanks so much to Rebecca and David for the constant support from the beginning. We <3 you!
If you’re interested in having your home featured on the blog, shoot me an e-mail at: midmodlove@yahoo.com
$129.00 There was a’ lil dude like this at Scout Living awhile back. TIS ADORABLE. For the small people like me self.
$199.00 I kinda dont get the food and bottles trend that was going on for mid mod homes back in the day… but it looks pretty alright?
$160.00 This chair takes up a whole lotta room but as sure as night is dark, grass is green, cheese is delicious, Malamutes are cute -this sucker looks great demanding all that floor space.
$75.00 in Corning.
With a din din set as well in Oroville for $500.00
$150.00 skinny dude.
Singer of H2O gets his house redone 50′s style.Very cute!
This must be the blonde wood and DEALS day on Craigslist. Lots of 1950′s style blonde wood sets that look in great condition, and lots of great stuff with.. even greater pricetags? Ohhh me. See for yourself.
No price given, but they want you to send ‘em an offer. Rancho Cordova.
And here’s a blonde bedroom set to go with it! $550 in Fair Oaks.
$80 pink chair! I like that button pattern.
Remember this dude? He’s been around for probably 4 months! Price reduced to $47.00.
Incredible kidney bean shaped desk for $250.00 in Oakland.
Accordian style wall mounted lamp! $75.00 in SF.
ALL of this… for $250.00?? In Santa Rosa.
$359.00 in SF, Vista brand. How is this not $539.00 or $953.00? No Clue.
$85.00 in SF. Okay, so I don’t usually like rattan – but this time it’s an exception.
I’m going off the rails of this CRAZY LANE! — table. $320.00.
$75.00 Selig in the city of cats – Los Gatos!
$70.00 in Mill Valley. Can’t really tell the condition from this photo..
Flying teak table for $150.00 in sf.
Or spend your half a G on this hutch in Pacifica. Hey, that’s where I’m from! Anyhow, $500.00.
Who: David and Rebecca are dealers at the San Francisco Antique Mall in space GH45, and they also have a cool blog called Atomic Fantasy. They’re interested in joining/ creating an SF collective, so if you have any desire to do the same (or any leads on opening spaces), give ‘em a holler.
What they told us about the home:
David: It’s better on the inside than the outside.
Rebecca: We live in a two bedroom flat in a four unit Victorian building. What this truly means is a long hallway with lots of rooms lining that hallway.
Where is the home located:
David: On the border of Strollerberg and Hipsterville (Noe Valley/Dolores Heights, San Francisco).
When was the home built and when they moved in:
David: Built circa 1907, directly post-earthquake. Moved in January 2007.
Why they chose this home:
David: It had parking. And malleable character.
Rebecca: David was already living here when we decided to move in together. And his place was larger than mine at that time.
David: Seems like whenever something was made in the 1950s, designers and manufacturers asked themselves “How can we make this look cooler? And let’s make it so it will last forever, while we’re at it…” Whereas the guiding question now seems to be “How can we make this cheaper?” When you touch and hold MCM things, you can feel the intention was for you to enjoy having and using them. It’s like stumbling upon artifacts from an advanced, benevolent and delightfully tasteful race of super-beings.
Rebecca: MCM design represents everything I love. Clean lines. Durability. Affordability. And best of all, it is green.
Favorite designers and biggest influences for your style?
Rebecca: We have not paid much attention to designers as much as the design themselves. If we had to pick one, Lane would be high on the list. Especially their Acclaim series. As America’s answer to Danish furniture, Lane offered modern, high quality design at an affordable price. And it continues to be affordable today.
How do you feel about reproductions?
David: The same way I feel about contemporary cover versions of classic songs.
Rebecca: History always repeats itself. Although I personally strive to buy the real thing, I am not shocked that MCM reproductions have become so popular. You cannot argue that MCM offers great design. The flattery of imitation is inevitable.
Furniture wise, what do you think is something you should invest in?
David: I’d like to invest in the actual Hans Wegner Papa Bear Chair featured on the show Bewitched.
Rebecca: Something that touches you. I have never regretted buying a piece of furniture that I loved at first sight.
Where are your favorite places to shop for home décor?
David: Antique Fairs (Alameda, Sacramento), because they’re so big the chances of finding something that will make you feel like the universe is on your side is pretty high.
Rebecca: Plus you leave feeling like you got a little exercise during your search.
What are some of your best finds? From where?
Rebecca: Hands down the best find was a mint condition Franciscan Starburst creamer for $5 at Alemany Flea Market in San Francisco. I recall trying my best to keep a poker face during the transaction since I was nervous the dealer would raise his price if he noticed my excitement. I am also thrilled with a starburst mirror we purchased at Alameda Antique Faire for $20. Now hanging in our living room above a built in shelving unit, it puts a smile on my face daily.
David: I don’t really have any friends.
Rebecca: Finds, not friends.
David: I bought The Lovely Day for one dollar at Alameda. Now that’s a find.
Greatest achievement in your home? Biggest challenge?
Rebecca: I believe our greatest achievement was our front room. Over the last six months we have transformed the room from an unused dining room to a cozy sitting room with lots of character. My most favorite addition has been the Blaupunkt Arkansas console radio/bar. It adds a feeling of seriousness to an otherwise kitsch room. Our biggest challenge is that we are renters. Since moving in, I have been dying to replace two country-esque chandeliers in our apartment. I would also love to undo the 80s renovations to our once 50s bathroom. Neither of these projects will ever happen since we do not own our unit. Another challenge is that our ceilings are at least 15 feet high making painting a bit difficult without access to a very tall ladder. That, luckily, can be fixed.
David: The biggest challenge for me is trying to coordinate colors or match items in a room. It’s such a big challenge that I don’t even try. So “eclectic” would be a kind way to describe our place right now. More honest would be “makeshift storage facility for color-blind hoarder.” Embracing this is probably also our biggest achievement.
Rebecca: But this “color-blind hoarder” knows that we have two really ugly chandeliers so I imagine my biggest challenge is accepting what cannot be changed.
Future goals/ projects?
Rebecca: With the opening of our stall at the San Francisco Antique & Design Mall in December my projects lately have been dealer focused. Our hope, however, is to join a collective to expand on what we have already started.
David: We just want to enjoy and share all the MCM goodness that is in the world.
Do you have any home inspiration recommendations for our readers?
Rebecca: Don’t be afraid to refurbish. With enough patience and elbow grease you would be amazed with how easy it can be to transform an abused piece of furniture into the star item of the room. There are a lot of DIY websites and blogs out there willing to lend a hand.
David: Vintage magazines are highly inspirational. Time machines are also great for checking out actual MCM home arrangements.
Rebecca: Or just visit Midway in Sacramento if your time machine is on the blink.
Advice and last words?
Rebecca: Have fun with your MCM search. The people I have met along the way have made the quest so much more rewarding.
David: All you need is love. Is that taken?
Thanks a million to Rebecca and David for allowing us into their home with such notice. They were also nice enough to show me all the hot MCM spots of SF! You guys are awesome.
Teak Room divider for 25.00 in Carmichael
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Mahogany table for 50.00 in Sacramento. That wood looks gorgeous.
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Desk lamp for 5.00 in Rocklin
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Metal desk with wood top in San Leandro. There’s so many bootiful oppurtunites with the materials used in this desk for cohesive shelving.
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Patio table and chairs in Sacramento for 100.00
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Hangin mid mod inspired (?) light fixture for 50 OBO in Sacramento.
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White desk lamp for 4.00 in Sacramento
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30.00 for these four chairs.
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Six chairs for 20.00. Seller will deliver within 30 miles for extra 20.00.
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Tanker for 45.00 in Palo Alto
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Couches in Sacramento. Price isnt listed but seller states he has a lot more Mid mod pieces for sale.
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I ama quote the original post for this one cuz I ama lil’ confused…
“Originally I was hoping to get $60. for this desk, and I had a buyer show up, ring the bell (which no one heard – it’s an old bell), and left because she thought no one was home. :( That’s my sad story…So now it’s been sitting outside, and it really needs to find a good home. Please make any reasonable offer!!
Desk is approx. 5′ wide x 3′ deep”
20.00 in Elk Grove.
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I ama throwing this in here because it is booiful. 1200.00 in Sanfrancisco.
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You can take both these couches home for 50.00. Def need some love but look like they will clean up nicely.
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