Mixing old and new
For Lucinda and David Schiff's renovation of a 1927 house, interior designer Sasha Emerson refurbished vintage furniture and had new pieces made. Some of her strategies for fixing and mixing the old and the new:
Shopping: Before buying something at a flea market or vintage store, imagine where it will go. Ask two key questions: Does the piece in question integrate with what's already there? And can it fit in several places in the house if the first location does not work out? Some of Emerson's favorite lesser-known haunts: the National Council of Jewish Women thrift shops, http://www.ncjwla.org; Peter Vanstone in Los Angeles, (213) 413-5964; Pico Modern in Los Angeles, (818) 480-8800; Design Utopia in Los Angeles, (323) 466-0048; Silverlake Architectural Salvage in Los Angeles, http://www.silverlakearchitecturalsalvage.net.
Making old things new: Sometimes just making things the same color is enough. Emerson used Silver Boomerang in Los Angeles, (323) 931-0887, to refinish and stain Old World wooden bar stools to match a contemporary bar. That bar was tiled with closeouts from Walk on Tile in Los Angeles, walkontile.com. She has old lamps rewired and new fixtures made at Filament Lighting in Los Angeles, http://www.filamentlightingla.com.
