E Jay Vintage Modern

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Sometimes I pick up a piece that has been very badly painted. I adore those kinds of pieces because the transformation is extra satisfying. Also, the worst paint jobs usually mean the painter didn't do great prep work (typically just slathering chalk or wall paint over the original finish) which makes them relatively easy to strip. So imagine my surprise when I started in on this piece and encountered an absolute wall of professionally-applied white oil paint. Multiple rounds of scraping and stripping later, I had a walnut Dixie dresser absolutely riddled with stubborn white paint deep in the grain. (Scroll to the end for the horror shots.)

After exhausting my various tricks to get the paint out, I decided to pivot and embrace a lighter finish. A "tan wash" on the walnut pairs so beautifully with this deep bronzey gray lacquer, and accents of creamy greige on the sides bring some extra scandi-boho to the clean-line party. Airy and modern, pretty without being overtly feminine. Finished in a modern flat sheen.

38"W x 18"D x 44.5"H

Free curbside delivery within San Diego county. Delivery within SoCal and beyond is available.

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What do we owe to flat-pack furniture design? Before IKEA, Danish teak flat-pack furniture revolutionized the spread of mid century Scandinavian design around the globe. Easy to transport, easy to ship across oceans. Teak veneers, good design. One can argue that flat pack furniture from Denmark paved the way for flat pack furniture from IKEA, and well, we all know what a juggernaut of accessible modern design IKEA has been.

This excellent record player bench is a great example of vintage Danish flat pack. Like a lot of other vintage furniture, it was used and abused, had water marks and plant rings, had been set out in the rain for a bit, and might have been left for dead had a keen eye not spotted it and directed it to me.

A fun and colorful design was created to share the stage, as it were, with a record player or even a simple cushion. Half function, all form. Adjustable and removable dividers hold records, files, or even shoes 🙈.

38.5"W x 17.75"D x 23"H

$399, pickup in Tierrasanta 92124 or delivery is available for a fee throughout Southern CA

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As someone who lived through the horror of the original mullet craze in the 80s, it's been particularly painful to watch the mullet make a (hopefully short-lived) return on top of peoples' heads. "Business in the front, party in the back" is a concept much better suited to furniture than hair, in my opinion.

And so I present what I have been calling the "mullet bar" because this hot little number is all gorgeous walnut business up front - with a super functional drawer and sweet gull-wing access to a spacious compartment for storing your tastiest victuals - and alllll party in the back with a surprise graphic design. Includes a push lock to keep your beverages safe from kids or overly eager guests, inset trays to hold glasses and mixware, and formica-topped serving areas. Latches can keep the wings vertical for those times you need to access the storage compartment without fully opening.

36"W x 18"D x 31"H

Free delivery throughout San Diego county

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I don't do many bookshelves; the ROI on time and square footage of materials just isn't there for the most part. But sometimes I stumble across a piece that's outside of my dresser-and-credenza bread & butter and I grab it because I can see its potential to be someone's favorite piece of furniture.

This bookshelf / drawer combo was actually 2 separate pieces that had been cobbled together. The drawer unit fit perfectly on top of the bookshelf and the previous owner used it as an entryway key drop / shoe shelf. I replaced the oversized k***s with some sleek black modern pulls and added legs to improve the proportions. Grasscloth wallpaper and the most heavenly shade of sage green completed the modernization.

Would be equally great as a bookshelf, key/mail drop, or console.

36"W x 12.25"D x 36"H

** sold **

Mid century modern may not be everyone's cup of tea design-wise, but it's hard to deny that it was the golden age of mass production furniture. Quaily construction, beautiful veneers, custom-
designed hardware, and in-house designers who made their names creating some of the era's most iconic furniture lines. I love that each line tends to have its own character and feel: case in point, the Drexel Modern line. Deeper and redder than other Drexel lines, the walnut here feels sexier and richer. Matched with the chromed hardware with faux rattan detail, the John Van Koert-designed Modern pieces feel a little weightier, a little more masculine than other classic Drexel lines of this Era.

Restored faithfully using a toned lacquer finish, this piece is ready for its closeup.

56"W x 18"D x 31"H
$1100

Free curbside delivery within San Diego county, delivery available throughout Southern CA and beyond.

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Ah, Broyhill Saga. Just look at those sculpted legs! I love Saga and its mid-deep handsome original finish, which is richer and more brown / less orange than its MCM walnut peers. This coffee table has some serious presence and has practical storage with a drawer and open shelving. Perfect in front of a larger sectional or as the centerpiece of a conversation grouping.

This piece needed nothing more than a slight touch up. It's in 8.5/10 vintage condition with no veneer chips, just some pressure marks on the top (see photos).

54"W x 20"D x 16"H

$595, includes curbside delivery within San Diego. Delivery available throughout Southern CA for a fee.

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Sometimes it feels so nice to step out of my mcm box and exercise my creative muscles in new ways. This solid maple desk needed a fresh look and the shape and size screamed "make me pretty!"

I have spent years thinking about using spray toners (transparent pigmented lacquers used to adjust or add color during refinishing and repairwork) with stencils to create semi-transparent artwork on a furniture surface and I have been sitting on the beautiful stencil from for nearly as long, just waiting for the perfect project piece. I am extremely pleased with the result, and the huge upside to using lacquer is that the pigmented finish melts into the coat below it seamlessly with no bleeding and no ridging (unlike stenciling with paint).

A soft white body with slight undertones of gray, yellow, and green and two reproduction milk glass k***s complete the transformation. To me, this is the perfect size and impact for a foyer, hallway, or "landing zone" for keys, mail, etc.

33"W x 20"D x 30"H, kneehole opening is 18"W

$285

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I refinished this piece over 6 years ago for my youngest son's nursery. It was the biggest project I had taken on to date: covered in peeling green latex paint (swipe to the very end for a "before"), it definitely helped refine my process for stripping paint out of the grain of the wood!!

It's bittersweet to say goodbye to it, but after our move to San Diego we rearranged furniture and he inherited his older brother's dresser (big bro is getting a custom EJVM piece in the coming days!). So it is time to wish this sweet 9 drawer mcm dresser well and send it on to its next home!

White lacquer body, mid-toned walnut drawers, and lighter elm stretchers give this piece an accessible modern vibe. It's in excellent shape but with a few small dings commensurate with a life well lived (swipe through for photos). Available with a matching heavy mid century mirror (pictured).

63"W x 18"D x 31"H

$575 including free curbside delivery throughout San Diego county. Delivery available to Riverside, OC, and LA for a fee.

EJVM is back ... in San Diego!
I'm so excited to be back in America's Finest City. I'm getting the shop set up and can't wait to turn out more restorations and redesigns for my Southern CA customers!
Stay tuned ...