Like many Marin baby boomers I bought my first piece of furniture at Scandinavian Designs. A modern chrome and leather lounge chair. I've still got it.
I didn't realize that the first Scandinavian Designs store opened in San Rafael in 1963. At that time, the store featured Scandinavian gifts and Danish designed furniture. Now they purchase from other countries around the world, but the premise remains the same, finely crafted, functional, and modern furniture with clean simple lines at affordable prices.
During the holidays, houses and rooms which work just fine for our families all year long are, all of a sudden, not acceptable for visiting friends and relatives. We panic thinking about ways we can afford a mini-makeover and where and how we will accommodate our visitors.
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Scandinavian Designs is a good place to look. Dave Jaszewski, manager of San Rafael, has been with the company eleven years and on Fourth Street since June 2009. The store specializes in contemporary sofas, sectionals, coffee tables, recliner chairs, decorative art and accessories, lamps, rugs, artwork, pillows, and office components. They also have some fun bars, and their entertainment centers have been re-designed to hold large screen televisions. If you want a whole house makeover, Scandinavian Designs can furnish 2,000 square feet in the $7,000 to $8,000 range.
Many of us think of Scandinavian Designs for leather, but the truth is that many items are available in upholstery or microfiber. Some pieces have to be special ordered, while others can leave the store the same day they are purchased. There are always great discounts and specials — and sales. One starts the day after Thanksgiving. Check the Website.
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Musical chairs
Holiday meals become problematic because the dining room table is never big enough. We often set up a second table for children, always add chairs, and wouldn't it be nice to have more couches and extra loungers for everybody to enjoy a conversation or watch football. Some of these items are rentable but, for not a whole lot more money, you can purchase them so you don't have to do it all over again next year.
Dining room sets start here in the $600 range. One of the tables I saw has enough leaves to sit twenty guests. There are options in round, rectangular, oval and square. Dark and light woods include teak, walnut, wenge, cherry. Glass tops in black, smoke,and clear sit atop bases in a variety of unique shapes and materials. An interesting new look for a rectangular or square table is two chairs on one side with a two person bench on the other.
Bedroom perks
Not to get personal, but the second problem most people have during the holidays is in the bedroom. Guests arrive and then they stay. Scandinavian Designs sells entire bedroom sets, which include bed, dresser, night stand, high chest for as little as $899 and of course sells the pieces individually as well.
Sleeper sofas are a great option in a den, office, or living room to accommodate the occasional guest. The store carries a whole range of styles, fabrications, and sizes from twin to queen. "These designs are not your mother's sleeper sofa," Jaszewski joked. "There is new technology, an air mattress topper, which makes these much more comfortable than they used to be. They also got rid of the hard metal bar which used to be in the middle of your back. It is now down by your knee area."
If you need more beds in a child's bedroom, Scandinavian Designs has an extremely functional wood bunk bed with a lower drawer doing double duty as a trundle so a third child can stay the night.
Asleep at the store
The Ekornes Stressless Consul Recliner makes a great Christmas present. According to the sales associates, these are usually purchased for men by women. Made in Norway, they work with many different types of interior design. Starting at $1,195, they are available in fabric and leather and endorsed by the American Chiropractors Association. Jaszewski says they are so comfortable many customers come in to try them out and fall asleep in the store.
Celebrity clients
Some sales associates are designers. One associate has been in the San Rafael store for 27 years. Everyone on the floor is well versed in furniture, upholstery, design, and color coordination.
Leslie Miranda said that people in Marin who have Eichler homes are major customers.
"Our furniture lends itself to the size and style of those homes. Many of our clients drive over from San Francisco," Miranda said. "Mid-century modern is very popular right now.
"We did Santana's house in Las Vegas, his roadie drove everything from here to there. Sean Penn created a man cave with leather walls. He came in himself and furnished the room with our items," Miranda said. "Exercise expert, Joanie Greggins just worked with us recently on her second home. Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead decorated his beach house with our furnishings. We also designed much of George Lucas' office and reception area."
Timeless style
If you like modern clean lines, the store can be one stop shopping. Or, as interior designers do, you can put an interesting shaped modern red sectional sofa in a more traditional setting.
Sales associate Mary Jo Pritchard said, "We have a lot of repeat customers. The elder community is downsizing. Many started here with a small house and teak dining set, for example. It has stayed with them over the years. This speaks to the longevity of our products. And the style, which is timeless. They often keep that first table, and come back for more pieces to coordinate with it when they are moving from a larger to a smaller home. Shopping here can be full circle."
