Home, James:

A Palmerston North furniture enthusiast is bringing mid-century modern design to more Kiwi homes.

It’s not all designer handbag knock-offs, secondhand mobile phones, dodgy cars and barely-used gym equipment on TradeMe. If you know the right traders, there’s a wealth of fantastic mid-century modern furniture pieces and design collectables to score, often at eminently reasonable prices. And the king of the mid-century modern Scandinavian design is the trader known by the handle ‘Phd1’ – or Tim James, to his mum.

Based in Palmerston North, James has been collecting mid-century design for years, ever since purchasing a 1960s home and deciding to complement the architecture by furnishing it in the style of the era. It wasn’t long before he had far more pieces than he had room for, and one year ago, he started listing pieces on TradeMe. Since then, he has built up a dedicated following, including clients who commission him to find specific pieces for their homes.

“I’ve got a double dose of the ‘chair gene’, or so my parents often say!” he laughs. As a youngster, James spent many summer holidays being hauled from antique store to garage sale as his parents hunted for bentwood and spindleback chairs for their collections. As an adult, James also has a passion for designer chairs, but his interests extend well beyond, to the art, fashion, textiles, architecture, ceramics and even cars of the mid-20th century. “The ‘50s and ‘60s were great times for young people looking to expand their horizons,” he says. “It’s a nostalgic, even romantic connection I feel with that relaxed and irrepressible freedom, and exuberant optimism for the future.”

James’ particular taste is for mid-century modern Scandinavian-style furniture, commonly referred to as Danish Modern. “It’s the combination of sculptural aesthetic qualities – clean lines and elegant, organic forms – with no-nonsense functionality.” He is charmed by the way the designers aimed to beautify the most mundane of products: “for example Catherine Holm’s range of Lotus enamelware, Jens Quistgaard’s teak and metalware, and stainless steel cutlery and kitchenware by Dansk and Arne Jacobsen.”

His TradeMe listings tend towards New Zealand-made Scandinavian-style furniture by companies like Danske Mobler, Airest, Jon Jansen, J.W. Backhouse, Don Furniture, as well as the Australian Fler and Parker Furniture than the big international names, though he has had recent listings from Eero Aarnio, Knoll and Kartell. His choice is partly practical but largely personal preference. “I tend to steer clear of star names – Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and George Nelson – and concentrate instead on the homegrown proponents of modern art, interior and furniture design who championed the laesthetic trends in 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s New Zealand.”

Although he’s learned never to say never when it comes to selling his private collection, he says he would find it hard to part with his
set of four Ernest Race ‘Antelope’ chairs designed for the Festival of Britain in 1951, an Eames lounge chair and ottoman, his John Crichton tile mosaic chargers, Jon Jansen mosaic tile coffee table, or his limited edition Susan Skerman print for the 1970 Osaka Exhibition. If you think you can change his mind, check out his TradeMe listings, or contact him directly on tim@inspire.net.nz. MW