Parisian gallerist Augustin David has an eye for strikingly uncommon vintage décor
Augustin’s Wish List
The material that Parisian gallerist Augustin David brings to our platform never fails to catch our eyes. Thanks to Augustin’s distinctive taste, his gallery, Galerie Stimmung, specializes in charmingly unusual vintage objects with fascinating stories to tell—often rustic and exquisitely handmade in France, Scandinavia, or Japan.
When we asked Augustin to tell us what’s on his wish list this year, he responded with pieces that he envisions combining to create a dreamy living room. It's a place “where your senses are stirred through a dialogue between craft and design,” he explains. “Great masterworks together with finely crafted accents make for a good place to sit when returning from a winter walk.” Scroll on to see the beauties that Augustin has in mind…
Model 1774 Coffee Table by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte (1960s)
“This legendary, mysterious “lunar” coffee table is arguably the best example of the fruitful collaboration between the French designer Max Ingrand and the Italian firm Fontana Arte. A true collector’s item.”
Prisma Sofa by Tove & Edvard Kindt-Larsen for Ludvig Pontoppidan (1960s)
“An exemplar of postwar Denmark, where design rigor meets excellence of execution and warmth of form. An undeniable beauty!”
Edouard Armchairs by Guillerme et Chambron for Votre Maison (1970s)
“Combine everyday comfort and delightful fantasy by diving into the soft and enveloping modulations of these Guillerme et Chambron armchairs!”
Floor Lamp by Isamu Noguchi for Ozeki & Company (1950s)
“Rediscover the sweetness of a paper lantern. This piece represents age-old craftsmanship under the direction of a legitimately legendary designer, Isamu Noguchi.”
Korall Flat Weave Rug by Erik Lundberg for Vävaregården (1960s)
“I appreciate these midcentury Swedish and Finnish rugs because they combine warmth, harmony, and simplicity while embodying a rare artisanal savoire faire.”
French Primitivist Natural Wood Chair (1970s)
“There was a time when French craftsmen understood the virtue of unrefined wood, but sophisticated cabinetmaking became the norm, and we came to forget the wonderful untheoretical “raw” beauty of the peasant-made pieces. It took visionary artists like Alexandre Noll in France, Carl Auböck in Austria, and George Nakashima in America in the 1960s and ’70s to help us see again the wonder of wood in its near natural state.”
La Borne Teapot by Josette Miquel & Hervé Rousseau (1990s)
“There’s nothing better than when your design collection provides you a daily relationship to beauty. This piece from the Miquel-Rousseau duo offers an excellent example. In perfect proportion, every part of this teapot is an astonishment for the senses—no line is unveiled without surprise, without spirit. It vibrates from the animated beak to the lively gesture of the handle, all captured by the fire.”
