beautiful pieces staged by Redux in a Concord Eichler recently for sale
The Glass Box is starting a new interview series, profiling those in and around the Eichler communities who have an interesting story to tell...
There was a break in the rain, and as the sun evaporated the clouds I stepped up to a vibrantly painted fire-orange Eichler door, laquered to perfection, for my first Glass Box interview with a splash of coffee.
Redux Stage Co. is dynamic duo! Business partners, good friends, and fellow Eichler owners in the fair city of Concord, Camila Baum and Blaine Siler know their Mid Century Modern. Both Camila & Blaine are passionate about vintage design. Each have been avidly collecting MCM for a number of years, and both Camila and Blaine have had their Eichler homes featured in print- most recently in CA Modern magazine- both Camila & Blaine- and in an upcoming full article in Atomic Ranch magazine- Blaine.
Camila & Blaine are fun, animated, optionated (in a good way), knowledgable, and have flawless taste in design. Each have their own style of interior decorating which blends perfectly. They turn a critical eye to everything they do to find the balance- an essential quality in a designer. They also make a lot out of very little, essential for a stager.
I've been impressed by the houses they have completed so far. They've turned shells into fully formed homes, selling the ideal of the MCM lifestyle with great success. And the reuslts are in... Redux's staged homes have flown into escrow at lightening speed.
So- let's meet Camila & Blaine...
The Glass Box: What was your earliest memory of Mid Century Modern?
Camila Baum: Watching classic movies on KQED in SF. We didn't have cable growing up. I think it was Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell not the remake with Lucille Ball (don't get that mixed up) haha- I remember a scene with fab modern furniture, I wanted to live in her fancy New York apartment!
Blaine Siler: My grandma was something of a modernist, although her collection included one of those horrible naked lady oil drip hanging lamps, she also had a witco-esque sofa size art above her sofa and other super cool mid century wall hangings, I wish I had.
GB: Did you have a favorite object as a kid?
Camila: I was a comic book nerd, I collected Marvel trading cards, I was really drawn (get it) to the bold colors in comics.
Blaine: I liked my orange suitcase style record player very much.
GB: When and where did you start collecting vintage?
Camila: When I was 18 I would go to the Alemany Flea Market in San Francisco, my first purchases were vintage pulp novels that I would never read i just liked the cover art, also vintage fashion magazines.
Blaine: I remember being super into this place called "Gladrags" in Saginaw Michigan when I was 14 or 15, it was mostly vintage clothes but the shop owner had such cool vintage style. That may have been where my addiction started.
GB: What's the best thing you've ever scored off of ebay/craigslist?
Camila: My house. Long story short after a failed offer in Rancho del Diablo, I was on Craigslist and found an Eichler for rent in RDLS for $1,950 for the whole house! We thought that was such a great deal on a rental that we decided to stop looking to buy, and see if we would even like living in Concord. A few months into moving in the owners decided to sell and we swooped in!
Blaine: I think last week's purchase of 4 teak 1970's Herman Miller DCM's for $600 was pretty damn good!
GB: If you could you find your mystical-dream piece of furniture sitting on the side of the road with a *free* sign taped to it, what would it be?
Camila: A Drexel Suncoast hutch with the starburst design glass or the front panels.
Blaine: Duh...A Pierre Paulin Tongue lounge.
GB: When did you first discover Eichlers? How long have you owned your current home?
Camila: I honestly don't remember when I discovered them, but there was an old website that was not Eichler Network that I stumbled upon around 2001 or 2002, I was a sophmore at college and that led me to read more about Eichlers and in 2005 we visited Concord for the first time because I found out there were Eichlers here and for cheap, in 2009 we purchased our current home three years out of college, we felt pretty grown up!
Blaine: Chris and Laura's two door's down (GB: another Eichler in Concord). I made an offer but didn't get it. Meanwhile I was accepted on another ranch (not modern) but cancelled the contract at inspections because I couldn't see myself in anything else after I saw the Eichler. I stalked the neighborhood for months waiting for the next one to come on the market.
snapshot of Blaine's Eichler livingroom
GB: What kind of remodeling and/or renovations have you done to your own Eichler?
Camila: None really, just added a storage shed and painted, our house has been renovated, no original details whatsoever, some things we like, others not so much, I don't want to change it any further, so when we can afford to do things right we will make the "Eichler appropriate" changes. It is liveable except for cosmetic issues.
Blaine: Mine was pretty crappy. had a leaking roof and defunct heating system. I spend most my money on those repairs over the 1st 4 years, but have slowly repaired and replaced everything else minus concrete in the atrium, and 4 doors in the back bedrooms/bathroom, -still on my to do list.
GB: Do you prefer staging vacant homes, or working with some of the owner's furniture & accessories?
Camila: I like to so both because they have their own unique challenges and rewards, but its true. Empty homes are great because we can fulfill our grand vision, how would we live in that house?
Blaine: Vacant.
GB: What color to you gravitate to for accents?
Camila: Orange is such a fun color to work with it screams MCM. Lately I've been into the graphic contrast of black/white.
Blaine: Turquoise.
Eichler atrium staged by Redux (Redux also consulted on landscaping)
GB: Who is your favorite designer?
Camila: Gosh there are so many great designers, how do you choose? Are we talking living or dead? Currently Alexander Girard, I love his use of color on textiles.
Blaine: hmmm, my latest obsession is learning about Bill Curry.
Eichler staged in Walnut Creek's Rancho San Miguel neighborhood
GB: What accent pieces can you never have too much of when staging?
Camila: I think books, it's weird to think of books as an accent, but really they make a place warmer- great colors, sizes, and subject matter of source. Also lamps are great, I am obsessed with lamps- for staging I know I have to hold back.
Blaine: Xanax :)
modernist Eichler office
perfect *pop* of color in an otherwise grey/white Eichler home
GB: And, one final question... when it comes to music: downloads or vinyl?
Camila: Vinyl sounds great, additionally the cover art, vintage record art was so amazing! But for convenience, digital downloads. I'm just glad we live in an era that you can listen to both.
Blaine: I'm with Camila. Vinyl sounds great, additionally the cover art, vintage record art was so amazing! But for convenience, digital downloads. I do love a vinyl moment, there are some Lp's I have I would never own digitally or pull up on Spotify simply because I love the nostalgia and sound quality of the record.
Redux Stage Co!
Redux Stage Co.
The Mid Century Modern Home Stagers
510-459-4085
Photographs copyright Suzanne Dunn, The Glass Box
Please do not copy, share, or re-post without permission. Thanks!
