Having owned a vintage furniture store, my tastes in interiors have moved away from disposable home decor toward pieces that continue to appeal even when they're no longer current. If I were furnishing a living room from scratch and my budget were unlimited -- I suppose this could be called an aspirational exercise -- my picks might run along these lines. I'd start with a couch from the Stephen Kenn Inheritance Collection, constructed from re-purposed World War II military fabric. I'd add a pair of 1960s Brazilian sling leather armchairs in the style of Sergio Rodrigues and then start adding more feminine pieces to the grounded masculine seating. For a coffee table, I might add this 1920s Mexican farm table with its pretty scalloped skirt. Or else I'd find a large farmhouse table with no particular pedigree and cut the legs down so that it sat just above seat level. Against a nearby wall, A French marble and iron bistro table would hold an arched mirror like this one from Anthropologie. Antique French seltzer bottle lamps like the ones I sold in my shop and have always regretted letting go would sit on either side of the mirror. With my basics in place, I'd add colorful boho touches with decorative kilim pillows from Sukan and an ABCdna nomadic cashmere throw. I would want to add a piece that doesn't remotely fit in with the rest stylistically, but that would nevertheless feel at home in the group, like this signed Philip and Kelvin LaVerne cabinet of etched and patinated bronze with pewter overlay for a mere $78,000. Finally, a completely useless yet beautiful French vintage mannequin would stand watch from a quiet corner and remind me that not everything has to have a purpose. Some things should live with us just because we love them.
