Recycled vintage U.S./European pieces reinterpreted with beautiful materials, extraordinary craftsmanship
SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — One of the hottest interior design trends in 2014 will be "furniture with a story," according to Bernabe Somoza, owner of Mission Avenue Studio, which salvages vintage pieces of neglected or unloved furniture, revitalizing them with a modern twist.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140212/PH63332-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140212/PH63332-b )
"Whether you've just moved into a studio apartment, purchased a new house or want to bring new life to a 'tired' room, a colorful piece of furniture with a unique story will capture the attention of everyone who steps into your home," says Somoza, whose Sarasota company is already capitalizing on that trend.
In the past year, Somoza has sold more than 700 pieces of "recycled and reinterpreted" furniture, and Mission Avenue Studio has become one of the top vendors on One King's Lane, a high-volume online retailer.
Somoza's intriguing approach to the home furnishings market combines well-crafted U.S. and European wood furniture from the 1930s to the 1970s with colorful, modern fabrics and fine finishes. In 2014, consumers will be looking for accent pieces with bright colors, like teal and silver, according to Somoza. "The monotone beiges and browns of the 1990s are gone with the wind," he adds.
To keep Mission Avenue Studio at the leading edge of the home furnishings market, Somoza uses top current designer fabrics lines including Jonathan Adler for Kravet and Martyn Lawrence Bullard for Schumacher to give the pieces new life. "This is a great design combination that brings together the best of the past and the present," says Somoza.
In the past year, Somoza says his most popular vintage pieces have been French furniture of the 1920s and '30s, and pieces from the earlier Victorian-era. But that trend may change in 2014, he adds.
"We're seeing strong demand for cabinets, chests and sideboards made by well-known American companies from the 1930s and '40s," he says. "The craftsmanship is extraordinary and the wood is so beautiful that in many cases we simply clean and refinish the piece," he says.
With the slogan, "Vintage Reborn," Somoza's Mission Avenue Studio salvages beautiful pieces of neglected or unwanted furniture at its 10,000-square-foot facility, the largest of its kind in Florida. The studio's team includes upholsterers, artists and carpenters who prepare pieces for sale locally to Gulf Coast residents and nationally via the Mission Avenue website and through online sites, including Hunters Alley as well as One Kings Lane.
Both the creative vision and the entrepreneurial energy for Mission Avenue Studio are provided by Somoza, the oldest child of former Nicaraguan president Luis Somoza. After moving to the U.S. in the 1980s, Somoza became CEO of Andromeda Inc., a holding company for a variety of business ventures. He also founded Somoza Fine Art in Houston, which specialized in 19th-century art, before moving to Sarasota in 2011.
For more information about Mission Avenue Studio, visit http://www.missionavestudio.com.