Houzz Tour: Addicted to Iconic Furniture in Houston
Most people buy furniture to fit their homes. This collector of midcentury modern pieces takes a different approach
Annie Thornton
February 16, 2014
Houzz Editorial Staff
At first glance this Houston studio appears to have every “cool home on a design blog” box checked: small space, midcentury furniture (the good kind) and looking like somehow everything fell into place in an effortless, perfectly cluttered way. But if you look a little closer, you’ll see that it’s more than that. For the the past five years, graphic designer Chris Nguyen has called these 450 square feet his home while on a curatorial adventure acquiring midcentury furniture.
“I moved there in 2009 as a sort of experiment in small-space living,” says Nguyen. Inspired by how people were making the most of their space, he learned early on that making his home look good and function well didn’t mean just multiuse furniture and space-saving devices. “Living in a small space forces you to be quite thoughtful of everything that you purchase, not just because of the smaller dimensions in which you have to put things, but because everything is visible,” he says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Chris Nguyen
Location: Montrose neighborhood of Houston
Size: 450 square feet
“I moved there in 2009 as a sort of experiment in small-space living,” says Nguyen. Inspired by how people were making the most of their space, he learned early on that making his home look good and function well didn’t mean just multiuse furniture and space-saving devices. “Living in a small space forces you to be quite thoughtful of everything that you purchase, not just because of the smaller dimensions in which you have to put things, but because everything is visible,” he says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Chris Nguyen
Location: Montrose neighborhood of Houston
Size: 450 square feet
Nguyen is a self-proclaimed midcentury modern addict, and has no intention of getting on the wagon. “In part I think it’s the kid in me just wanting to collect them all,” he says, “but the other part is wanting to help preserve these important midcentury American designs.”
Nguyen says he has enough furniture “to fill my current home, a large storage space, parts of my office, and a smattering of pieces are on loan. The attempt at ‘acquire one thing, sell one thing’ stopped quite a while ago.”
Nguyen says he has enough furniture “to fill my current home, a large storage space, parts of my office, and a smattering of pieces are on loan. The attempt at ‘acquire one thing, sell one thing’ stopped quite a while ago.”
Let’s rewind a few years, to 2008. Nguyen was working at a design firm, surrounded by names like Eames and Knoll, products he was only distantly familiar with. It’s often only when you see these pieces up close — touch them, sit in them, study their details — that you can understand what all the fuss is about. That’s when the addiction kicks in.
At first Nguyen bought new versions of these iconic pieces — the Eames ETR table in the previous image was his first — but slowly he replaced them with vintage pieces or originals. “There’s something about a piece with patina that makes it feel so unique, even if the design has been produced a million times,” he says. “I have a Venice Beach red-label Eames rocker that has these lovely worn narrow rockers, big rubber shock mounts and great fiberglass texture, and, despite being virtually identical in form to the many newer-production plastic rockers I’ve owned, those details make me swoon like the newer ones never could.”
At first Nguyen bought new versions of these iconic pieces — the Eames ETR table in the previous image was his first — but slowly he replaced them with vintage pieces or originals. “There’s something about a piece with patina that makes it feel so unique, even if the design has been produced a million times,” he says. “I have a Venice Beach red-label Eames rocker that has these lovely worn narrow rockers, big rubber shock mounts and great fiberglass texture, and, despite being virtually identical in form to the many newer-production plastic rockers I’ve owned, those details make me swoon like the newer ones never could.”
A friend owns an antique shop that specializes in 20th-century design just down the road from Nguyen’s house, so he can get his fix as often as he wants. It’s “my version of the corner store,” he says.
Nguyen began by buying furniture pieces to fit his home, but decided that the furniture was what really inspired his vision. “The original design intent was to form a fully functional entertaining and living space with real-sized furniture in a less-than-real-sized apartment — for Houston,” Nguyen says. “Over time I stopped buying pieces to fit a design and just started collecting pieces that I loved.”
Fun fact: The hanging room divider in the center of the studio doubles as a projector screen. “The absolute best discovery was that I could watch from both sides — in bed or on the sofa,” Nguyen says. The projector can be easily stowed when not in use, and the living room quickly returns to being a social living area.
Fun fact: The hanging room divider in the center of the studio doubles as a projector screen. “The absolute best discovery was that I could watch from both sides — in bed or on the sofa,” Nguyen says. The projector can be easily stowed when not in use, and the living room quickly returns to being a social living area.
Like all homes with growing collections, space was the first thing to give. “When I acquired a new piece, something else typically went out,” says Nguyen. “Initially, the pieces that went out would be sold to keep myself in line, but so many were great finds that I eventually just got a storage space. Building up an inventory worked out well, because it allowed me to switch out pieces depending on mood and new layout ideas. I’m probably on my fifth redesign in four years now.”
The Collection
Over the years Nguyen has focused his arsenal, weaving a story with the pieces he purchases. “The current collection seen in my home also consists of quite a few classic Herman Miller pieces, which might seem a bit typical and narrow, but this is where the evolution of my collecting has led me,” he says. “The designs just seem to want to go together. I’ve owned Poul Kjaerholm — pre-HM — Hans Wegner, Milo Baughman, but I always ended up selling or storing those pieces to make room for an Eames or Nelson purchase.”
Over the years Nguyen has focused his arsenal, weaving a story with the pieces he purchases. “The current collection seen in my home also consists of quite a few classic Herman Miller pieces, which might seem a bit typical and narrow, but this is where the evolution of my collecting has led me,” he says. “The designs just seem to want to go together. I’ve owned Poul Kjaerholm — pre-HM — Hans Wegner, Milo Baughman, but I always ended up selling or storing those pieces to make room for an Eames or Nelson purchase.”
The favorite. “My favorite piece is a George Nelson for Herman Miller Action Office 1 rolltop desk from the 1960s,” Nguyen says. “It’s finished in the less commonly found light blue, and the tambour top is a beautiful walnut that looks seamless and solid when closed.”
The piece fascinates Nguyen because it’s both beautiful and clever, he says. “From the front, it looks simple, but once you start exploring, you find all the details that make it so worthwhile — things like the hidden molded wood file bin along the back side that runs flush with the desktop, or the deep, tapered drawers that look like they’re only 1 inch tall from the front,” he describes. “I purchased it from a home in Tennessee and am still trying to acquire the 15-foot matching CSS-like wall unit that originally was specified with the desk.”
The piece fascinates Nguyen because it’s both beautiful and clever, he says. “From the front, it looks simple, but once you start exploring, you find all the details that make it so worthwhile — things like the hidden molded wood file bin along the back side that runs flush with the desktop, or the deep, tapered drawers that look like they’re only 1 inch tall from the front,” he describes. “I purchased it from a home in Tennessee and am still trying to acquire the 15-foot matching CSS-like wall unit that originally was specified with the desk.”
The score. “While in Atlanta visiting a friend,” he says, “I stumbled across a Craigslist listing for some ‘Ames modern chairs,’ complete with blurry photos. The asking price was good enough to entice me to drive half an hour outside of the city to check out the set of six.”
Nguyen says seeing Eames on Craigslist is pretty common, so he didn’t get his hopes up. “I was fully prepared to find some newer versions or reproductions, but instead I found the grail of Eames DCWs [Dining Chair Wood],” he recalls. “I flipped one of the chairs over to find the 5-2-5 screw pattern only found on Evans productions, essentially pre-Herman Miller, complete partial labels and single oval shock mounts attached to the backrests. For the complete set, I paid less than what one new production costs today.”
Nguyen says seeing Eames on Craigslist is pretty common, so he didn’t get his hopes up. “I was fully prepared to find some newer versions or reproductions, but instead I found the grail of Eames DCWs [Dining Chair Wood],” he recalls. “I flipped one of the chairs over to find the 5-2-5 screw pattern only found on Evans productions, essentially pre-Herman Miller, complete partial labels and single oval shock mounts attached to the backrests. For the complete set, I paid less than what one new production costs today.”
The dream. “Pipe dream: a Bodil Kjaer for E. Pedersen & Søn rosewood desk,” he says. “Practical dream: a sofa for my new space. I’m in search of something along the lines of a long and low Harvey Probber, an Edward Wormley for Dunbar or a Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin in rosewood or burl wood. Whichever one I end up going with will likely define the next stage in how and what I collect.” (Next month Nguyen will move into a house he’s been remodeling.)
It’s been six years of collecting, and Nguyen (shown here) has no intention of stopping. “I see an end to this only if designers stop innovating — then again, I’ve barely gotten through the best of the 20th century. I’ve never thought of what I do as finite,” he says.
Nguyen’s ultimate goal? “I like playing a small role in the preservation of important pieces that inspired so many designs that we see today,” he says. “That notion is key to how I collect. Cost aside, I would love to collect rare Nakashima or Vladamir Kagan, but I’m more fascinated in collecting the pieces that were the seeds of change as far as modern furniture is concerned.”
More: Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
Nguyen’s ultimate goal? “I like playing a small role in the preservation of important pieces that inspired so many designs that we see today,” he says. “That notion is key to how I collect. Cost aside, I would love to collect rare Nakashima or Vladamir Kagan, but I’m more fascinated in collecting the pieces that were the seeds of change as far as modern furniture is concerned.”
More: Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
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You have a lot of furniture, but you make it look and fit so well! Very few people can decorate so much and still make it look so minimal and comfortable, spacious and not stuffy. Well done!
One Question: How were those pictures hung on the window frame??? I LOVE that idea and could definitely use it in my home!!! I need to know. :)
Is it hording if it's all beautiful furniture and home wares? hehe