This Del Ray Vintage Store Specializes in Midcentury-Modern Furniture and Barware
The George is a new vintage, mid-century household furniture retail outlet in Del Ray. Showcased listed here: a Broyhill Sculptra gentlemen’s chest, a Lane surfboard side desk, and a Gunlocke arm chair. Photograph courtesy of Teri Brake.
Notice, structure-obsessed Washingtonians: There’s a new classic furnishings keep in the area.
The George Classic & Layout, which opened before this summer months in Del Ray, specializes in midcentury-present day products. The 1,000- square-foot shop, situated on Mount Vernon Avenue, carries vintage furnishings, rugs, glassware, and other residence accessories, as nicely as candles and artwork by Alexandria makers like ISO Candles and artist Nina Louise.
The proprietor, Teri Brake, is a longtime lover and collector of vintage and midcentury items. Pre-pandemic, she was dwelling in New York and doing work in company The usa as a chief of staff members. But when Covid strike, she took off on an prolonged street journey that eventually introduced her to Alexandria. She cherished it so significantly, she resolved to stay for superior. She also made the decision to flip her enthusiasm into a full-time gig. She introduced The George in June, naming it following her 7-yr-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Consumers can normally obtain the pup, who’s named just after George Washington, hanging out in the store. “He normally takes his duties as greeter extremely critically,” Brake states.
Brake centered the store all around midcentury furniture since she loves it, but the style’s clear lines and straightforward structures also make it one thing of an aesthetic chameleon. “Vintage midcentury pieces are simply positioned into any style and design since they never conflict with what persons typically have,” she says. She sources all the pieces from throughout the place herself, and normally takes care to curate a range that is high high quality and in excellent issue. Brake delivers layout expert services, also, supporting clientele repurpose and rearrange now-owned things from their household, and sourcing new items for them.
Whilst most of the things in Brake’s store are from the 1960s, she also carries a several from the ’50s and ’70s. Her favourite items at the moment for sale consist of a pair of 1960s Milo Baughman-encouraged tub swivel chairs in authentic orange velvet, a number of items from Herman Miller (the furnishings corporation powering famed items like the Eames chair), and a established of 1960s Danish teak eating area chairs. And Brake constantly carries a collection of classic barware and espresso and tea mugs, which are also favorites of hers.
Although replicas of unique midcentury-modern-day fashion are common in today’s large box stores—think West Elm or Target—Brake says it’s ideal to keep out and hold out until you come across an genuine classic piece you certainly enjoy. It might charge more up entrance, but a effectively-preserved piece of authentic midcentury-present day household furniture will probable be a better financial investment and greater top quality. “Sminimal style and design is the ideal layout,” she states. “Be patient with a house.”
Brake’s favored element of her new occupation is the whole-circle character of vintage searching: “It will never be misplaced on me when another person arrives in and they pick one thing that I have sourced and curated and they want to include that into their have households,” she claims. “I’m genuinely grateful for that. It will not ever get outdated.”
The George Classic & Design 2210 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria Thursday to Friday: 11 AM to 6 PM Saturday: 10 AM. to 5 PM. Sunday: 11 AM to 3 PM.
Home & Features Editor
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s penned for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside the house Magazine, Washington Town Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. At first from North Carolina, she now life in Del Ray.
