On the Square

It goes with everything. After several decades and multiple comebacks, midcentury modern furniture has proven to be endlessly irresistible. With major retailers such as CB2, West Elm and IKEA continuing to churn out replicas of 1950s designs, the coined phrase from the 1980s, "midcentury modern" is now a popular buzzword being fired off by buyers in their twenties.  The vintage "modern" style seems to become even more modern as time goes on, both in appearance and theory. Original midcentury modern pieces and copies alike are appreciated for many of the same reasons designers such as Herman Miller, Florence Knoll, Charles and Ray Eames and Ee... Read More

As millennials take their first cautious steps into the realm of homeownership, they face their next big challenge – creating an outdoor living space where they can relax and entertain. Many millennials don’t necessarily want the same plastic Adirondack chair and table set their parents bought in the early 90’s. They want something with a bit more character, something with a bit less ‘mass market’ feel, something a bit, well… ‘hipper’. Enter Rago’s August Unreserved Auctions on August 24-26, a three-day auction series of antique, vintage and modern design and art, including a bumper crop of garden furniture, planters, benches, and architectur... Read More

Director of Rago's Unreserved Department, Michael Ingham explores works by the Memphis Group! The Memphis Group from Rago Arts and Auction Center on Vimeo. Transcript: "Let’s take a quick look today at two lots featured in our upcoming August Rago Unreserved Auctions. "Memphis, founded by Ettore Sottsass, reacted against the international style and gave post-modernism in the 1980’s its most recognizable expression. "Lot 600 is Martine Bedin’s Super Lamp. Bedin, a French architect, is the youngest of the three founding members of Memphis. She was a talented lighting designer, and this lamp is classic example of her work. "Lot 601 is a perfect ... Read More

When Judy Kensley McKie starts planning her next furniture piece, she begins by loosely drawing on a "lousy" piece of paper, knowing that it will surely be thrown away. A meditative state is required, something that she achieves through studious contemplation, sitting and sketching fast. She can sense when the marks are getting her somewhere and eventually, she settles on a direction in the midst of her remedial scraps. McKie's process is not only unconventional, it is as unplanned and humble as her furniture-making career - but why question a good thing when it works? Lot 170, Judy Kensley McKie Studio Furniture Antelope Sofa; Sold for $31,9... Read More

Have you ever spotted an unusual chair and wondered what it would be like to sit on? At first, it appears like a foreign object curiously offering up a new experience; you imagine lowering yourself into its uncharted contours, wiggling to and fro and proclaiming "how comfortable!" or "how odd!" - an unpredictable yet familiar analysis.  It takes a bold designer to resuscitate the brilliance of everyday objects in this way, and the upcoming 20th Century Design auction at Skinner is loaded with looping lounges and pristine pairs.  For this week’s Bidsquare Picks, we’re showing off our chair flair:  Lot 286, Mark Newson for Cappellini Beech Bent... Read More