BE MY VALENTINE: WILLIAM HAINES SOFA -- Sleek. Smart. Modern. Words that sum up the style of the true Hollywood decorator and furniture designer William Haines, who in 1922, made his name as a handsome young actor who would go on to appear in more than 20 feature films starring with such legends as Joan Crawford and Marion Davies. In 1930, while working at MGM, Haines opened an antique shop -- and it wasn't long before his fellow costars began asking him to update and refresh their own home interiors. Five years later, he opened his first decorating shop on Sunset Boulevard (now the site of the famed Le Dome restaurant in West Hollywood) and by 1939 he began designing his own furniture -- when 1949 rolled around Haines was headquartered in Beverly Hills and the style had turned from neoclassical to modernism -- and Haines was now in full bloom as a designer with his own distinct point of view. The Valentine Sofa introduced in 1950 (shown above) with its low profile (a Haines trademark), leather-wrapped arms and biscuit-tufted upholstery is one of those quintessential mid-century California pieces that is part of a collection of faithfully-reproduced Haines-designed furniture which includes tables, sofas, chairs and lighting -- all done under the expertise of Peter Schifando and J. Jonathan Joseph. At Studio of Style, we can't think of a better sofa on which to woo your sweetheart on Valentine's Day -- or any day for that matter!
http://www.williamhaines.com
