Scout is honored to be featured in CS Interiors.

Meghan McEwen, Editor of the must-read magazine CS Interiors has been a wonderful supporter of Scout since we met the first couple months we were open.  She has become a professional friend, whose gracious and authentic voice is only surpassed by her written voice - which has an elegant and real point of view - every time!  When she told me she wanted to write about "that thing you do with vignettes," two things were confirmed:  first, she knows me and Scout better than I do, and second, she'll capture what I am and what I do with an honesty and insight only capable of an amazing writer who knows what she is writing about.  I am humbled and made giddy by her words.  And, Anthony's eye made me and Scout look better than we've ever have a right to look. 

Meghan, thanks for six wonderful years of you figuring out what I'm doing.  (Does your husband know we've been carrying on all this time? If you want to tell him, I'll stand by you ... really, I will ....)

Click on pages for bigger view!

Scout is prominently featured on page 58 and 60...

                                                  

Anthony told me to trust him - "just sit on the piece in the window and act normal"  - so, I did.  I still trust him.

                                      

Ted Harris' lamps and Michelle Peterson-Albandoz's

wood construction pieces were photographed

vignette-style by photographer Anthony Tahlier.

                                                  

New Breed Furniture Network's incredible table - now in my dining room.  (Owning the joint does come with a few nice perks!)

January Video Blog Edition II

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At Scout, we are as selective about when we send emails to customers as we are about the special merchandise that we bring to the store. We are always thrilled to see our customers in person, but we're also constantly improving our online presence. (Since you're reading this on our blog, we know that you know that!)

Several times a year, we send out emails about special events in the neighborhood, new showings from our group of fantastic artists, or Ted Harris' always-popular lamp shows in the store. We'd love for you to receive them. Just fill out the form below and click "Subscribe."

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Black Laquered Dresser or Console or Credenza, Oh My

This is a smart, clean-lined, well-constructed dresser or small credenza.  Measuring only 54" long x 18" deep x 31" high, the piece is compact but doesn't get lost in the crowd.  Perfect for today's urban home, this piece was "ebonized" or lacquered in simpler terminology. Six drawers, perfect inset handles and good breeding.  This is nicely priced to help you finish off that space you've had problems filling.

54"long  x 18" deep  x 31" high - six drawers

Spectacular White Marble Oval Table

Every so often, we are really proud of a specific find - in this instance, pride is indeed what we're filled with.  We're also very lucky.  This oval marble table with a regency style base is a true treasure.  It is flawless - no stains, no chips, no blemishes whatsoever.  And it has a nice bull-nose edge.  And, the whole table - top and base - is stable and grounded.  The table came from a bank in northwest Indiana, and most recently was in a church rectory.  From a bank, to a church to your home.  What a journey.

86.5" long x 48" deep x 28.75" high

Wonderful Soulful Art by Michelle Peterson-Albandoz

Michelle Peterson-Albandoz's wood panel construction was inspired by Piet Mondrian and his famous prime-colored painting from the 20th century. Albandoz takes discarded wood from broken down porches, homes and fences and creates panels that look beautiful in a home and keep the wood out of landfills!  I love Michelle and I love her work.  I am so proud of her gallery, Las Manos - a must-see stop in Andersonville for the past 17 years!  Right across the street from Scout.

67" x 48"

$1095

Black & Eggplant Maroon Polished Granite Oval Table

This oval granite table is truly a treasure.  Salvaged from a church in northwest Indiana via a bank from the same area, this is a signature piece for your home or office.  Standing tall on an iron base with a chrome plated finish, the line is clean and modern, but it is clear that this table has lived a good life - soulful and gently worn.  A few nicks on the granite have been repaired, so only the real observant will notice any blemish.  Overall, the size and stature is that of a more expensive version.  We're showing this with the White Calcutta Marble "cousin" in the front of our store - see the earlier blog entry!  Come and swoon and enjoy the view as much as we are!

86.5" long x 48" deep x 28.5" high

Amazing Wood Console

This ten foot console measures two 5' pieces of a special burled walnut.  With gently curved sides and a simple unadorned style, this piece is perfect for a living room, family room, den, bedroom, dining room, kitchen...well, you get the picture.  Perfect for any space needing storage and where you might want to set something on top of it - maybe that flat screen TV has finally found a good home.  Finish is perfect, with a nice proportion to match - the 36" height allows it to have the importance it needs.  This piece is the problem solver.

10' long (comes in two 5' sections) x 22.5" deep x 36" high - an assortment of shelves and pull-outs

$1895

Panel - Legged Steel Desk

                

This is probably one of the nicest desks we've every had in Scout.  Furniture Revival worked magic with the piece, by stripping the metal - all by hand - and, adding black lacquer to the top to make the old dingy resin come back to life.  The result is a showstopper - svelte, sexy and oh-so-simple.  And, you can't get a better combination of adjectives for something as necessary as a good, functioning desk.  Pair it with a special chair and you've got a perfect look to last you another 75 years.  (Imagine a simple black leather blotter to top it all off?  Wow.)

60" long x 30" wide x 29" high

                                                                                                                                         

XL Industrial Storage Cabinets

A pair of industrial cabinets that have to be seen to fully appreciate their stature, beauty and functionality.  Our workroom folks have carefully evened out the gray finish and made sure these cabinets are fully workable.  (They are extremely heavy but their wheels help move them around more easily.)  Finished in a lovely vertical bead board, they have just enough "line" to make them interesting.  But, their overall affect now is one of strength and modernity.  How can that be coming from such simple pieces built over 75 years ago?  Come in and take a look - you'll see.

47" wide x 27" deep x 98" high

 

From Our Friends at Comfort Upholstery - Jens Risom Chair

David Arevalo of Comfort Upholstery has become an indispensable partner of Scout.  Constantly offering better ideas and solutions to bringing vintage upholstery back to life, I rely on their recommendations for fabric, refinishing and the subtle detailing.  They are always dead on, and we're better for having them in our constellation.

They rebuilt this lovely Jens Risom Lounge Chair, with a smart band of ebony-finsihed walnut outlining the back. All new springs, foam, wrapped in muslin and finished off with a Knoll Contact Fabric.  The only thing better than this one chair would be a pair!  Life isn't fair.

30" wide x 33" deep x 30" high

Great little metal cabinet

This charming metal stand stripped and polished turned out so much better than we expected!  We had our hopes, but so often when we do a major stripping job on a piece from way back when, we have to scrap the piece as it just doesn't look good underneath all the years of patina.  But, this neat industrial stand did not disappoint us.

Originally used as a staging stand in a manufacturing plant, this piece has a wonderful combination of high-gloss steel (we even felt obliged to strip the back - it is that special), galvanized metal, fir wood, and a touch of copper.  Now, that's a combination.  Use it in any room in the house, make it the check-in stand for a special restaurant, or just come in and admire a grand piece from a time long gone. 

24" wide x 17" deep x 48" high at the back

$995

 

Lab Cabinets

These were originally hanging above science lab tables in the classroom. Hung on cleats, they were indispensable for storing everything, and the sealed glass doors slide back and forth effortlessly. We have 4 total, and they can be used as originally intended - but instead of the science lab, they can make a kitchen redo a pretty spectacular event. (Look out Ikea!) Or align them side by side on the floor, and put a custom wood top on them - we'd prefer ebony - and, you have a line of bookshelves that even the built-in specialists will envy.  These special pieces will not last long.  Bring your architect or designer, and be prepared to be impressed. 

47" long x 16" deep x 47" high - 2 sliding glass doors

Steelcase Conference Room Chairs Reborn

These royal blue chairs are a great example of how some items from the commercial office market translate almost perfectly to the home.  In fact, I could make a strong case for the fact that they are probably more at home "at home" than in the office.  By Steelcase, these heavy molded plastic seats and backs are accented by heavy gauge iron tubing that is coated with a paint/resin combination - ensuring durability and functionality forever.  The chairs are a nicely squared line, and they are 30" high at the back, making sure they don't break the line of most dining tables.  So, overall - a modern, classic silhouette in a great jewel-tone.  Functional, fun and oh-so-affordable.  We're asking $80 a chair, and we'll make sure to reward the buyer who swoops up all 8.  (Did I mention they stack, too?)

18" across x 18" deep x 30 " high at the back

 

A Stunning Pair of Formal Mirrors

I have the hardest time finding mirrors that I like.  All too often I'll encounter a good one but it is either too small or too oddly sized.  Or it is just too bland.  Or too expensive.  But, my search - at least for this week - is over with this pair - I repeat, pair - of cast resin framed mirrors.  They are black, with a nice classic criss cross pattern punctuating the frame at even intervals.  Black, classic, gold.  What more can we expect?  A nice price, too!

42" across x 51" high.  (Or the other way around, if you prefer)

$750 for the pair

Castelli Stacking Chairs

If I were to ask a cool grouping of architects and designers to name the chairs that represent the most important and valued chair design of the 20th century, I am sure that the Castelli Stacking Chair out of Italy will comfortably reside in the top three.  (At this time, I'm less sure about who the other two would be.)  This chair ALWAYS looks smart and appropriate.  It makes EVERYTHING it is paired with look better.  And, we have a set of 4 in their original chocolate brown upholstery and we're selling them at a reasonable price. It is hard to believe, but these are the first multiples of this fabled chair that we've welcomed into Scout since our opening over 6 years ago.  What does that say about us?  I can't bear to speculate. 

Versatility is Key

Some renowned French architect designed these chairs way back when.  You can find them on those fancy websites devoted to crazy-high pricing.  Well, we're selling our set of four for the amount that most places are looking to get from just one.  Why don't we sell them at prices like the other guys?  One, we bought these chairs "smartly" - as I describe my good shopping days.  And, two, I just don't think they're worth what the cache amounts to.  (Don't get us wrong, sometimes the lineage or parentage is a big part of the pricing decision.  In this case, it didn't feel "smart"!)   Smaller scale - indoors or out, formal or casual,. modern or classic, these chairs can do it all.  Don't you just love the French?

$395

Who Says Traditional Chairs Can't Feel Special?

Call these anything but traditional, the maple seats and backs paired with the gently curving steel base make them just about perfect.  A set of 4, and a price of $350 for all four makes them irresistible.  Don't I need chairs somewhere in all my floor plans?  This group of chairs is the kind of look and feel that Scout has built its "visual point-of-view" on. And, looking at them lets me know that we have a very strong foundation indeed.

Gorgeous Glass Table

In devouring Thomas O'Brien's newest home interiors bible, imagine my surprise when I spotted the very table I had purchased the day before looking pretty spectacular on page 163 of his new must read: "American  Modern".  This classic glass table is the perfect solution for so many homes.  The glass allows it to fit in relatively easy - it doesn't feel like a table.  The glass allows chairs with that certain something to shine brightly, and the design allows it to be assigned different tasks throughout its lifetime.  One corner of this deco inspired glass has a chip in it, but one call with an order for new glass to our trusted glass and mirror source will remedy that.  The base is made of iron, with a chrome coating that has that gently worn patina.  Don't wait too long on this one, as I may just have to take it home to solve one of my numerous arrangement problems. 

6' long x 42" deep x 28" high

$595

Almost Cobalt Blue Metal Rolling Bin

This great accent piece came to us via a Campbell Soup Plant "out east" and it sure does show a lot of use and wear from its industrial days.  Most likely used to wheel plant tools or soup ingredients around a typically huge building. The original blue color remains a proud reminder of its roots. The aluminum frame has no significant tears or problems.  The wheels all work nicely and it is ready to start its second life - a toy bin?  A newspaper carry-all, a place to store all those logs indoors or just use it like we did - as a resting place for two lovely boxwood shrubs?  Or just set it aside to look special. Just what the times call for: a no-frills functional storage piece that actually looks special, too.

37" long x 28" deep x 31" high

$225

Elegant Steel Frame Table with Black Cherry Wood Top

A perfectly proportioned table - ideal for dining or desk, or both!  We only have tags for this beauty, from Canada.  Which makes sense given the quality of the wood top.  Originally the cherry top was classic cherry - hard to figure out what to do with the red patina.  We fixed it by sanding and re-lacquering with a perfect matte finish ebony stain.  What is left is a table with modern lines and old-fashioned functionality.  The frame is a heavier steel gauge - not the thin versions you can find today. Pair it with a set of chairs that are smart but unexpected and you've got yourself a perfect solution to your table/chair quandary. 

6' long x 36" deep x 29.5" high