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ATLANTA SHOPS / HOME FURNISHINGS

Mid-Century modern styles a natural fit at City Issue

For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, July 03, 2008

If you tossed out those low-backed sofas, crescent-shaped chairs and stacked end tables you grew up with, you goofed. They’re back, and growing in popularity with buyers who like the colorful, sleek designs for their lofts and contemporary living areas.

“We stock vintage, mid-century modern items from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s,” said City Issue owner Jennifer Sams. “We also carry contemporary art from regional, emerging artists that we change out quarterly.”

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H.M. Cauley / AJC Special

A low-backed black sofa with metal legs and a glass-topped table with a metal base are representative of the mid-century modern styles at City Issue.

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Helen Cauley / AJC Special

A woven cabinet displaying a lamp and accessories stands in front of one of the many works of art created by regional artists.

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City Issue opened in 2001 in Garden Hills, but moved to Inman Park earlier this year. “This location is more central to our clientele,” said Sams, pointing to the many new lofts, condos and apartments in the area. “And I loved the space. It’s been a photo studio, a gym and a recording studio, but I loved the way the bottom and top of the walls curve. It fits with the pieces we’re showing.”

What you’ll find

Sams has a number of sources where she finds the vintage pieces. Some are refurbished before hitting the showroom: One of her recent redos is a 1964 curved, low-backed sofa built on a walnut base that extends beyond the cushions to form built-in end tables ($2,650). A red vinyl love seat also sports a built-in laminate table on one end. Sofas range in price from $800 to $3,500.

Color is everywhere. A pair of barrel chairs with tapered wooden legs comes in a deep orange; a three-piece wood-framed settee sports the original floral cushions; an abstract painting over a black leather sofa is done is vivid greens and yellows.

Also in stock are dining tables, buffets, china cabinets, glass-topped coffee tables, side chairs, hanging lamps, ceramics, daybeds, steel desks, swivel desk chairs and a range of accent pieces, from old globes to platters, glassware and trays.

Best sellers

Any chest, buffet or table with clean lines and a surface big enough to hold a flat-screen TV flies out the door, said Sams.

Trends

Buyers aren’t abandoning their antiques and new pieces, but are blending them with the clean lines of the mid-century style. “More people are mixing styles,” said Sams. “They’re nostalgic and don’t want to get rid of their grandparents’ stuff. But we also have lots of people who say they grew up with this style and now they like it again.”

WHERE TO FIND IT

City Issue

325 Elizabeth St., Atlanta

Info: 678-999-9075 www.cityissue.com

Hours: Noon-5 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday

In the area: The store is at Elizabeth Street and North Highland Avenue, a booming area of Inman Park where new stores, restaurants, condos and apartments make it a lively area for shopping and dining.

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