Comparative Shopping - Saarinen Table

54" Eero Saarinen Pedestal Table

Measurements: H 28.25" Diameter 54"
Materials: Cast aluminum with rilsan finish; MDF with bevel-edged laminate.
Condition: Slightly Used

DWR price $2148.
Empiric price $1775.

Before & After - 6 Drawer Dresser

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

We have a great deal of respect for the designers that have come before us and their work. From time to time we will point to some people that inspire us in the area of furniture design under the heading "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants".

There are countless hundreds of thousands of chair designs out there. Some designers try to make their mark with a revolutionary design. Three legs, cardboard, whatever. Some take what is obviously great already and try to make it just a little bit better. Edward Wormley is a designer with a healthy appreciation of classic design as you can see below.


“Modernism means freedom—freedom to mix, to choose, to change, to embrace the new but to hold fast to what is good.” -Edward J Wormley

In 1926 he went to study briefly at the Art Institute of Chicago. Funds ran out and he went to work as an interior designer for Marshall Fields & Company department store. During the Depression, Wormley was introduced to the president of Dunbar Furniture Company of Berne, Indiana, who hired him to upgrade their product line.

His eye for quality and the exacting craftsmanship at Dunbar made for furniture that was elegant, understated and exceptionally well-made. Wormley was never really at the forefront of Modern design. Instead, he took the best elements from classical, historical design and translated them into Modern vernacular. The result was furniture that was sophisticated, yet mainstream and very successful.

Before & After - White and Natural Credenza

Comparative Shopping - Deep Low Arm Sofa

Empiric's Audrey Sofa
measurements: 38" x 32" high
materials: kiln dried hardwood frame and apron stained, sinuous spring system
100% customizable
lead time: 14 days
Priced starting at $1639.

William Sonoma's Harrison Sofa
measurements: 39" x 36" high
materials: kiln dried hardwood frame and apron stained, sinuous spring system
lead time: 45 days
Priced starting at $3050.


Pottery Barns Seabury Sofa
measurements: 41" x 35" high
materials: kiln dried hardwood frame and apron stained, sinuous spring system
lead time: 70 days
Priced starting at $1799.

Empiric

Empiric; derived from the word Empirical meaning "capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment".

We evolved out of a print making studio on Beverly Blvd opened in 1996 and 12 years later are celebrating the anniversary of our second location in the Culver City Arts District. Our specialty is combining modern twentieth century interiors with highly functional institutional furnishings resulting in creative and practical spaces for our clients which are both useful and elegant.

In addition to our carefully restored vintage objects we also design and manufacture pieces sold exclusively through our stores.

www.empiricstudio.com