BY KATE REYNOLDS
Love
the Jetsons? Can’t get enough of The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Love
Lucy? Think that the Eames chair is the ne plus ultra of modern design?
You’re going to love Eldorado.
Although some sticklers may not consider them technically “antiques,” mid-century modern furnishings are definitely among the hottest decorating trends, and you’ll find an impressive selection at Christi and Simon Whiteley’s funky-chic West Asheville shop.
It’s just too cool. This isn’t the bobby sox, soda-fountain stuff, but the jazzy, industrial-meets-space-age-meets-fluid-organic-shapes sensibility. The American dream — the New Frontier.
“The general public is just beginning to realize how important the ‘50s were in terms of the design aspect,” says Simon. “It drew on French Modern and German Bauhaus, but it was unique — severe yet soft at the same time.”
The Whiteleys have an unerring eye for the era, so you’ll find elegant, spindle leg sofas, gleaming aluminum dinette sets, Danish modern slipper chairs and enough accessories (lamps, art, rugs) to outfit an entire home or simply punctuate a contemporary interior with that perfect little piece that says “really hip.”
Eldorado also offers a fascinating inventory of architectural salvage and quirky items from various periods (such as 1970s acoustic room dividers, vintage surgical ether equipment and mercury glass bottle stoppers), so even if you’re not a nostalgic baby-boomer or GenX retro-phile, you’ll find something here to pique your interest.
Eldorado Mid-Century Modern is located at 504 Haywood Road in West Asheville, 828-252-2505. Hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 11-5.
