Mid-Century Modern Finds

A Curated Selection of Mid-Century Furniture, Lighting, Art & Accessories

interior design

Designer Spotlight: John Kapel

Christine Villalta

We've come across these Mid-Century Modern dressers by John Kapel for Glenn of California several times since we started collecting and selling vintage Mid-Century furniture, and every time we are so attracted to this set.

John Kapel for Glenn of California

John Kapel designed this line for Glenn of California in the 1960's. It also includes a taller dresser, an armoire, more night stands, and a headboard. These pieces are walnut with carved handles and black accents. They are modern, minimalist, and elegant. They are beautiful, but are also practical with details such as a magazine holder inside the night stands and a mirrored cabinet door inside the armoire. They were designed over 60 years ago, yet work perfectly in today's interior design.

Early Exposure to Design

John Kapel (born 1922) graduated from the Cranbook Academy of Art in Michigan, where other well known Mid-Century furniture designers also studied, such as Harry Bertoia, Charles and Ray Eames, and Eero Saarinen. Kapel trained briefly in Yugoslavia and worked as a general designer for George Nelson & Associates in New York for a few years before he made his move to California.

Left: John Kapel at his home in Woodside, CA. / Photo: C-Home.com. | Right: Walnut and leather armchair designed by John Kapel in 1958. / Photo: Pinterest

Studio Craft vs. Popular Design

Like his good friend, Sam Maloof, whose designs we also admire, John Kapel is considered to be a studio craftsman. He is a skilled woodworker and metalsmith and has created many of one-of-a-kind pieces in his basement workshop. He also built prototypes to present to large manufacturers and developed a partnership with Glenn of California that lasted more than 20 years.

Chair prototypes in John Kapel's workshop. / Photo: C-Home.com

Chair prototypes in John Kapel's workshop. / Photo: C-Home.com

A Craftsman's Home

It was unusual for Mid-Century designers to focus on both unique studio pieces and also design for large manufacturers, but John Kapel is practical and wanted to be able to afford a nice home. In 1959, he built his dream home with the help of architect, Jerry Weiss, in Woodside, California. His home is a wonderful example of his craftsmanship and attention to detail. Not only is it full of furniture that he built himself, but he also created many of the lamps and sculptures. 

“My fellow craftsmen sure thought I was tainted. They thought of me as a sell-out. I didn’t care. I wanted to have a nice house and designing for a manufacturer allowed me to do that.”
— John Kapel, Woodside Wonderland by Cat Doran, C-Home.com

Left: a work space in Kapel's home / Photo: LATimes.com | Middle: the exterior of John Kapel's home in Woodside / Photo: C-Home.com | Right: a cantilevered fireplace that divides the living room and entrance to the Kapels' home. The sculpture is also by Kapel. / Photo: C-Home.com

One-of-a-Kind Furniture and Art

We did come across a beautiful vintage rocking chair by Sam Maloof several years ago, but have not come across any of John Kapel's studio craft pieces. I am glad he also designed for large manufacturers, so that more design aficionados can enjoy his work.

John Kapel children's furniture on display at the Oakland Museum of California / Photo Credit: Esoteric Survey

John Kapel children's furniture on display at the Oakland Museum of California / Photo Credit: Esoteric Survey

Right: 'Bell Tower Wood Assemblage Sculpture by John Kapel / Photo:1stdibs.com | Middle: 'Mogul' in stacked laminate particle board by John Kapel / Photo: 1stdibs.com | Right: 'Counterpoint' by John Kapel / Photo: Reform Gallery/1stdibs.com

Bibliography: Leslie WIlliamson, "Handcrafted Modern: At Home with Mid-Century Designers", Rizzoli, NY, 2010

Designer Spotlight: Alexander Girard & La Fonda del Sol

Christine Villalta

Carlos recently picked up this book about Mid-Century designer, Alexander Girard, at an estate sale. It is a 15 pound 672 page compilation of everything Alexander Girard created in his lifetime, curated by Todd Oldham and Kiera Coffee and published in 2011. It includes his interior design, furniture design, images of textiles and wallpaper, sketches, folk art, interviews, and more. I would definitely recommend this book to any Mid-Century Modern collector.

'La Fonda' Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames

We have been especially curious about the life and work of Alexander Girard since we acquired these vintage Mid-Century bar stools with ‘La Fonda’ seats (the bases on these stools are Herman Miller secretarial stool bases) that were designed by Charles and Ray Eames in collaboration with Alexander Girard for La Fonda de Sol restaurant that opened in the Time & Life Building in New York City in 1960. 

Set of four vintage Mid-Century stools with 'La Fonda' seats by Charles and Ray Eames and Herman Miller secretarial bases (model EC123-36), offered at Mid-Century Modern Finds.

La Fonda del Sol - Mid-Century Modern Restaurant Design

Alexander Girard designed every aspect of the Latin American themed restaurant from the matchbooks and menus to the space planning, tableware and waitstaff uniforms. Charles and Ray Eames were friends of Alexander Girard and were asked to design the 'La Fonda' chairs. They were similar to the Eames fiberglass shell chair, but Girard requested that they be lower, so that the tables could be seen.

La Fonda del Sol had a meandering layout that Girard used to create separate spaces for the customers to enjoy, a combination of open lively spaces and enclosed seating, staggered niches containing pre-Colombian artifacts and folk art mixed with modern chairs and tables and bold, colorful typeface on the walls. Alexander Girard created an exuberant experience with his design of La Fonda del Sol that contrasted with the conservative modernism of the time.

“The most important statement, more durable than the totality of the planning, the props, or the color was the assertion that the prime concern of environmental design was how people feel in a space. This is Girard’s message and main contribution. At a time when modern architecture was rapidly becoming a larger, more standardized aspect of the corporate establishment, the success of La Fonda whetted our appetites for more romantic, diversified spaces.”
— Jack Lennor Larsen, textile designer | from the Alexander Girard book

Top left: La Fonda del Sol / Photo: Time | Top right: La Fonda del Sol with Girard's bold typeface on the wall / Photo: Pinterest | Bottom left: Ceramic dishware designed by Alexander Girard for La Fonda del Sol / Photo: New Mexico Museum of Modern Art | Bottom right: Waiter wearing a poncho designed by Alexander Girard / Photo: Pinterest

Folk Art, the Sun Motif & Mid-Century Modern Design

Alexander Girard had a love of folk art that he was able to explore and celebrate in his design of La Fonda del Sol. He created over 80 sun motifs used throughout the restaurant on menus, matchbooks, carts, waitstaff jackets and more. Throughout his life, Girard and his wife, Susan Needham, amassed a large collection of folk art that they displayed in their homes in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They also donated over 100,000 pieces to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe where Girard designed a new wing of the museum to house the collection. 

La Fonda del Sol matchbooks designed by Alexander Girard. Left photo: @objctshop via Fab.com | Right photo: Design_is_fine.org

“I believe we should preserve this evidence of the past, not as a pattern for sentimental imitation, but as nourishment for the creative spirit of the present.”
— Alexander Girard | girardstudio.com

Left: Vintage Poster of Girard's Folk Art Collection at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico / Photo: eBay | Right: Alexander Girard and Susan Needham in the living room in Santa Fe / Photo: Vitra

Mid-Century Modern Graphic Design, Textile Design & Furniture Design

In addition to Alexander Girard's interior design/branding projects such as La Fonda del Sol, L'Etoile, and Braniff International Airways, he was also well known for his Mid-Century Modern graphic design, textile design, and furniture design, much of which has been reissued and can be purchased today at Herman Miller, Vitra, and Maharam. You can find vintage items by Alexander Girard at 1stdibs.com.

Left: Girard Color Wheel Ottoman / Photo: Herman Miller | Middle: Arabesque by Alexander Girard, 1954 / Photo: Maharam | Right: Black and White Girard Environmental Enrichment Panel / Herman Miller

Vintage Mid-Century sofa and chair designed by Alexander Girard for Herman Miller offered by Retro Inferno Modern Furnishings through 1stdibs.com. Originally designed for Braniff International Airways in 1965 and only available to the public through Herman Miller from 1967-1968. Photo: Retro Inferno Modern Furnishings | 1stdibs.com

Alexander Girard in his home studio in 1948 in Gross Pointe Michigan. Photo: Charles Eames | Vitra Design Museum | Alexander Girard Estate

The Life & Work of Alexander Girard

For a brief overview of the life and work of Alexander Girard, you can read this article in Hyperallergic about the 2016 Alexander Girard exhibit at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. For even more information and countless images, you can purchase the Alexander Girard book directly from Ammo Books.

Designer Spotlight: Gaetano Sciolari

Christine Villalta

One of our most recent Mid-Century Modern finds is this unique floor lamp by Gaetano Sciolari for Stilnovo, Milan. We have come across a few lamps by Gaetano Sciolari over the years, and they always impress us with their unique forms and use of detail. There are many lamps being made today with the Mid-Century look, but Gaetano Sciolari's designs have an inimitable quality. I would love to collect them all.

A Sudden Career Change

Angelo Gaetano Sciolari (1927-1994) graduated with a degree in architecture and then went on to train as a filmmaker. He had a sudden career change in 1949, when his father passed away, and he took over Sciolari Lighting at the age of 22. His family owned Sciolari Lighting since 1892, only 13 years after Thomas Edison patented the first light bulb. 

Sciolari Lighting

Sciolari was not only an amazing lighting designer, but also a wonderful entrepreneur. Under Gaetano Sciolari, the Sciolari Lighting business expanded tremendously and became the first Italian lighting manufacturer to sell in the United States through Lightolier. Sciolari lamps were also manufactured by Stilnovo in Milan, Boulanger in Belgium, and Stilkrone in Germany.

Italian Lighting Manufacturer's Association

In addition to building up the Sciolari Lighting business and contributing so many wonderful lighting designs, Gaetano Sciolari was also the founder and president of the Italian Lighting Manufacturer's Association.

Design Contrasts

I love the contrasts in Gaetano Sciolari's designs. They can be simplistic and futuristic, but also intricate and glamorous. He mixed materials such as brass and chrome and also juxtaposed different finishes such as a polished finish alongside a satin finish. His use of glass and crystals is cool and sparkly, but also gives off a warm glow when the lamps are turned on. He executed all of this in harmonious configurations of geometric forms that are like glowing sculptures.

Sciolari's Mid-Century Modern Lamp Designs

Some of the names of Sciolari's lamps are ‘Club’, ‘Futura’, ‘Cubic', 'Ovali' and ‘Sculpture’. Below are two chandeliers we have sold by Gaetano Sciolari, an 'Ovali' chandelier on the left and a 'Club' chandelier on the right. These are definitely more 'classic' than many of his designs. A few 'Cubic' chandeliers are pictured above on the right and left. I'm not sure what the middle chandelier is called, but I would guess 'Futura'. Which do you prefer?

Sciolari Lamps in Interior Design Today

Gaetano Sciolari's lamps are unique statement pieces in any room. Here are some examples of his vintage Mid-Century lamps being used in interior design today.