Surfboard-backed sectional chair in Rhodes Clover by Pegasus
George Doukoff Volkschair in South Beach Palm Leaf by Mokum
Danish Deluxe dining chairs in Rhodes Meteorite by Pegasus
Anoek Wielakker of Meubel Melbourne is a vintage collector turned furniture upholsterer with a passion for vibrant textured fabrics and a soft spot for Dutch and Danish mid-century design.
Bold oranges, violets and magentas, wools and boucle complement the rich timber furniture of her Instagram grid, but the fabric she always returns to is our 70s inspired Rhodes by Pegasus.
How did your career in furniture restoration begin and what inspired you to specialise in mid-century design?
I’ve always been an avid vintage collector; nothing makes me happier than getting up early on a Sunday to browse a second-hand market. The thrill of the chase for something uniquely beautiful and hard-to-come-by is rather addictive.
After a career in fashion, where my love for textiles emerged, I stumbled into an apprenticeship with an upholsterer for a while and continued to work in furniture.
When I quit my last job I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go. I figured I’d tide myself over by selling a few pieces but it took off unexpectedly. The business that resulted turned out to be the perfect fit for my lifestyle, work experience and love for anything mid-century.
Why do you think mid-century design has such enduring popularity?
I think design and culture go hand-in-hand and part of the appeal of mid-century modern lies with the zeitgeist of the decades in which it was produced. In the boom after WW2 there was optimism abound about the future, economic prosperity and a new middle-class arose. It was a time for exploration, innovation, and growth.
Designs reflected this in both ideology and manufacturing; better ways were sought to cater to the middle-class through mass production. This resulted in a new design ethos with focus on both function and form, modernising and simplifying interiors, as well as life for those living in it.
I think part of the popular revival of mid-century modern lies with that; its simplifying function as well as form ethos fits present-day living as much as it did back then, whilst it also connects us to the nostalgia of ‘better times’ gone. And, of course, the now increasing awareness of the need for sustainability also drives the interest in circular design looping back to that nostalgia.
Do you have any favourite pieces or design heroes you are always searching for and look forward to restoring?
I love a good armchair - a really good mid-century chair is like a functional sculpture. I have more chairs in my home than I could possibly ever need to seat people and have a soft spot for Dutch or Danish designs. There are however plenty of Australian post-war manufacturers that produced furniture rivalling European designs, like Fler Furniture.
Chairs are also fun to restore as most clients dare to go bolder on fabric choice on an accent chair than, say, a sofa.
Fler Narvik two seater in Omni Papyrus by James Dunlop FibreGuard
Do you feel there are certain types of fabrics that really speak to and elevate the mid-century aesthetic?
Anything textured works beautifully on mid-century furniture, from boucle to coarser wools.
I love working with bolder colours such as oranges, magentas, and vibrant greens but a more muted palette of soft earthy tones also works beautifully with the rich timber of mid-century modern.
I also cannot use enough of the Rhodes, it’s impossible to steer clients away from it in fact.
Can you tell us about a favourite project that you have worked on recently?
I love it when happy clients return and ask me to reupholster other pieces in their home. Some clients really get the bug once they realise they can pretty much customise any soft furnishings to their taste.
There are homes in Melbourne where I’ve done the lot, from the sourcing to the upholstering, and from the dining chairs down to the sofa. It brings me great joy knowing that I’ve added some colour and comfort to these clients’ homes.
