Learning to Live With Mistakes
I recently tracked down the most intriguing lead to come across my desk in many a day. A consignment store for new home furnishings “that have been ordered by some of the city’s most famous and talented interior designers for their upscale clients and which, for one reason or another, were ultimately not used by the client,” according to a store flyer.
In other words, the decorators’ mistakes.
It’s an old joke in the interior design business that the designer literally lives with his mistakes--they end up in the designer’s home. Perhaps the wrong fabric was ordered or the client went bankrupt while the piece was being made or hated it and refused to pay. The designer would prefer to live without it--and get some cash out of the deal.
During the 16 years that Carmel Matteson worked in a furniture showroom in the Pacific Design Center, many designers asked to put a piece on the floor on a consignment basis--a piece they had gotten stuck with. Finally, Matteson decided that there was a business in that idea and opened Designers’ Bloopers a couple of months ago.
Everything is one of a kind and most of it custom-made. What you see is what you get, but the savings are big.
A Bergere chair in a salmon and pale green print that retails for $1,200 was $510. Another Bergere chair was only $489.
A stunning dining room group--a table with two leaves that opens to 10 feet, six side chairs and two armchairs--took up most of a back room. It’s the best in Country French, was made in the south of France and was supposed to sell for about $7,000. Designers’ Bloopers’ price is $2,800.
Antique buffs might be tempted by a wonderful Victorian three-panel screen with lace and fretwork for $325. A jade horse, a glorious objet d’art, was $350.
There are a few contemporary pieces. An architectural Lucite chess set signed by the artist was $350 and would probably bring at least $1,000 on Melrose. A mauve lacquered end table was $69. An exquisite custom powder chair covered in a navy and white fabric from Hasi Hester had a channel back, carved legs and a price of $100--about $500 less than you’d expect.
Accessories, such as bird cages, pillows and silk floral arrangements, are a fraction of the intended retail cost. I picked up a pair of pillows for $5 each and another pair with hand-crocheted covers for $15 for the pair. These pillows would have easily sold for $40 each.
A totally impractical but oh-so-beautiful piece is an eggshell bedspread handmade in Greece, with two pillow shams, for $250. At Pratesi, it would probably be $1,000. If it’s still there when you visit, at least look at it.
Home decorators who have a hard time matching their champagne tastes with a depleted budget will love this store with its top-quality items and prices that are better than a parking lot sale at the Pacific Design Center. Put this on your regular stops list.
Designers’ Bloopers, 12600 Washington Blvd., Culver City, (213) 398-9396. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. MasterCard, Visa accepted.
Geri Cook’s Bargains column runs every Thursday in Valley View. Questions about shopping may be sent to her, in care of Valley View, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Letters will not be answered individually, but topics of general interest will be discussed in future columns.