There are certain hobbies that menswear-y guys seem to be inevitably drawn to. For some, it’s cigars and vintage sport cars. Others choose negronis as a lifestyle. Maybe it’s fly-fishing, scotch, or something else entirely, but one thing’s for sure – there’s always going to be another hobby. Perhaps most unsurprising of all is interior design; after all, if you are already spending too much time thinking about the various design elements on the perfect pair of wingtips, why not also obsess over the design of a good chair?
I’ve become increasingly passionate about interior design over the past few years, which felt like a natural extension of my interest in clothing (as well as my background in architecture and engineering). This interest reached a fever pitch during the COVID “rent discount” era, when I was finally able to afford a place of my own in San Francisco. After a decade of living with roommates I finally had the opportunity to invest in decorating my own space, and I took full advantage of it. Like with my wardrobe, I found that a slow build with a focus on quality pieces worked well for me. Almost everything I ended up with was secondhand or vintage, which allowed me to get much higher quality pieces than I would have been able to if I went to furniture stores.
I thought I would give a quick tour of my apartment as a palate cleanser from all the menswear on this blog. I left this space about a year ago when I moved into something bigger with my girlfriend, but while I was there it was my little oasis in a chaotic COVID world. It’s in an old Victorian building in a neighborhood known for its historic structures, and many of the period details in my unit were well-preserved. The space was definitely under 500 square feet, and although Reddit wanted my head on a pike for calling it a studio it was a very cozy space with basically one rectangular room. There were many challenges beyond the tight space (for example, the lack of wall space due to tons of windows and no dividing walls) but I enjoyed figuring out how to optimize it.
My most prized furniture finds are all from the same maker – Neils Møller. He is far and away my favorite Danish designer, and I have gone so deep into his catalog that I can recognize the exact model number for almost any of his pieces. Over about two years I was able to thrift five of his iconic #77 dinner chairs (I’m always on the lookout for a #57 to complete the collection, but it remains my white whale). I restored all of them and rewove the seats myself, which was a perfect project for being stuck indoors during quarantine (you can check it all out in my pinned Instagram stories). To me, these are the perfect dinner chair because they’re incredibly well-built, made from wonderful materials, and are design-oriented without being too eye-catching.
I’ve also been able to find Møller’s famed trolley and and an 80A stool on Craigslist, both of which also required significant restoration. All of these models are still made in walnut and oak and can be found at Design Within Reach – prices are very high, but warranted given the quality. All of mine are teak and come from the late fifties and early sixties, but the new ones are stunning too. Thrifting will be much cheaper (if you’re good at it) but it may take years to find a set. And if you’re in the Bay Area you’ll be competing with me, too.
Another star piece is my Noguchi Akari 21a pendant. Though these have also been made for decades, the paper shades are not particularly durable so it’s not common to see older ones in good condition. I bought the shade directly from Japan via Ebay, which can be much cheaper (though the prices fluctuate quite a bit). The cord can be purchased separately from any number of places, depending on what you need.
The couch is the same Article Sven that you have probably seen in many living rooms over the past few years. It’s fine and I got a good price on mine, but it’s probably not a company that I would pick again for my next couch. The blanket is from Pendleton, of course, one of the great Oregon brands.
Plants are another theme in my living spaces. They come from all over and are in varying states of health, but I have enjoyed the process of collecting them and doing my best to keep them alive. I have them in a rather eclectic collection of vintage pots, which I think adds quite a bit of charm. Some have gotten quite big and are touching the ceiling now!
While I didn’t have space for any kind of keyboard in this apartment, I made sure to find a corner for my guitar. The Hot Rod Deluxe amp is about 100x louder than what I would ever need and makes sure that the neighbors know who they’re dealing with (in this case, they’re dealing with a guy who plays the same five songs that he learned in college over and over).
Most of my great furniture finds come from Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, or local vintage/thrift shops (like Stuff and McCarney’s in SF). Sometimes, however, a professional dealer has the perfect product available at the right price. I got this amazing teak dresser from MCM SF, who sources furniture directly from Denmark. They do great work – the pieces are great, the prices are fair, and the owners are lovely people. Shown here paired with some random vintage pottery, a vintage globe from Alameda Flea market, one of my tree ring prints (more info also in my Instagram pinned stories), and a homemade candle.
As someone who is lucky (or perhaps cursed) to work from home full time, my little desk corner is a spot that gets a lot of use. I’ve had this desk for over a decade – it’s from a long-defunct American furniture manufacturer and dates to the 1920s or 30s. The chair is a knockoff – albeit a well-made one – of the iconic Eames soft pad management chair. This one is from Laura Davidson and is their upgraded version with full steel body and leather upholstery – I don’t think they make it anymore, unfortunately. The lamp is the no. 75 from Anglepoise; while the quality is average for the price and the brand is probably riding on its reputation to a degree, I do quite like the designs. I also have a mini 75 lamp in “turmeric” that is lovely.
In the time since these photos were taken I’ve upgraded most of my bedroom pieces, but I still have that random nightstand that I found on Craigslist ten years ago. Currently my favorite bed linens are from Cultiver – I have two sets of linen sheets in forest and cedar. The Navajo rug – along with the Persian runner seen above – are vintage, purchased from Gus, the ultimate curator.
Although this space never felt totally “finished” while I was there, I enjoyed the processing of hunting for great pieces of furniture and figuring out how to make them work in this small space. Like with many hobbies, part of the joy of it is the journey along the way. Next week we’ll be back to regularly scheduled menswear programming, but I hope that you enjoyed this quick tour in the meantime. I’m happy to answer any questions about the origin of any pieces not mentioned above. Thanks for reading!
