Description

SOLD in 2019!

SOLD to DANIEL for $829 within 10 days of being listed on invisedge.com.au (Dec 2019). I’d price this exact same item at $1400 in 2021 (Daniel has already made money on his investment)! After selling this I found out these shelves were designed by Willem Lutjens for De boar Gouda (circa 1960)– see the Screenshots from the Pamona website later added to this listing- 2202 euro is about $3500 AUSTRALIAN! Thank you Caitlin for letting me know!! :+)

This vintage shelving unit SOLD UNDER CONSIGNMENT from a regular iNVISeDGE seller in NORTH LAKES, NORTH BRISBANE. iNVISeDGE operated as the seller’s agent and organised this full sale on her behalf.

Provenance and Background Info

(NOTE- This description was written in 2019. I later found out this piece was designed Willem Lutjens for De boar Gouda- circa 1960- it’s a Dutch piece- thank you Caitlin! :+)

You’ll probably notice that in the (Sold) FURNITURE section of my website, there is currently no category for shelving units or bookshelves (this description was written in 2019). This was a conscious decision. There are so few bookshelves around I’d want in my own home (or I consider special) they don’t warrant a category for themselves (so I lump them in with sideboards and/or storage units). Most bookshelves are bulky and imposing- they’ll crowd your space and make your room look cluttered. If you have the space, this is fine because imposing units can also make your house appear cosy and homely. It wasn’t a hard decision to stock this piece in iNVISeDGE because this one actually creates the very opposite feeling. This piece is not imposing at all but instead is “light”, minimalist and airy and depending on how it’s used, could give the impression your space is bigger than it actually is.

If this one would be perfect for your space, it would be perfect in the spaces of other people, if someone else gets in first- it’s gone. I’ve stocked 2 shelving units in the last 13 years. Something like this with designer-appeal, a beautifully-sculpted look, “wow-factor” AND a minimalist style all rolled into one is not something anyone comes across often (or possibly ever).

I personally don’t like bookshelves- I hate them- I hate clutter and “busyness” in my home- there’s enough busyness in this world already without coming home to it BUT I would have this in my own home in a second. If I had a library this is exactly the type of thing I’d have, or in a big house with a wide hallway or designated entry area it’d be perfect. The thing I like about this VINTAGE piece the most is that it’s not a small piece- it provides ample storage but the proportions are exactly what we all want. It’s very narrow so this piece will take up virtually no floor space but it’s long, so would go along a wall nicely and not look like a small add-on (or after-thought) in your space.

This piece is certainly vintage (about 60 years old) and a lot of it would have been made by the HANDS OF PEOPLE. After 18 years in this business I’ve never come across another like it so I have no idea who designed or produced it. My first inclination was that it was a European piece (Norwegian or Danish perhaps) but after a little deliberation a boutique-maker from Sydney, Melbourne (or possibly Brisbane) is also likely. It was not mass-produced by the likes of Parker, FLER, Noblett, TH Brown & Sons or Danish Deluxe and this is a good thing. It gives this piece the strongest possible investment appeal. The value of something is only what someone is willing to pay for it and if someone knows they can’t get another one anywhere else and the piece would be perfect for their space, then value goes out the window- they will pay anything to get their hands on the item (and then they’ll just spend less on the curtains or rug … which will change over time anyway). This is the type of piece anyone would be reluctant to ever get rid of and is bound to become a much-loved part of your home.

Instead of pricing this piece to reflect that it’s irreplaceable (which it basically is) I’ve priced it to give our customer a very strong investment. If this exact piece was HAND-built in Australia or Europe today (like this piece was over half a century ago) it’d be impossible to create it for this price. (And by purchasing this piece you’re supporting an Australian business- I employ other Australians and support various Australian small businesses- you are helping to provide meaningful work to PEOPLE, not machines). To get something like this piece made today by the likes of Tessa or Joe Rufenacht (both Australian furniture firms that are now defunct) you’d be looking at around $2000. (Particularly in this beautiful Walnut veneer but most likely more.)

This beautiful piece has obvious INVESTMENT APPEAL, it’s DURABLE, well-crafted (just look at it after 60 years of use! … and it has NOT been restored ever AT ALL) and it’s beautiful- look at those curves, it’s not hard to get caught up in the flow of it. But above all, by investing in something like this you’re supporting the future of this world. You’re providing meaningful jobs to Australians and hopefully inspiring new PEOPLE to HAND-CREATE items like this for us again, you’re reducing landfill and you’re becoming the custodian of something that will be loved and cherished by future generations just as you loved it. And it’s also a completely selfish purchase as well (everyone wins!)- items like this do NOT lose their value over time and this piece will very likely increase in value in the future (peruse the FURNITURE section of our website for indisputable evidence of this.)

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