Our New York Times Feature!

This is too good not to share. Our humble little store was in the New York Times!

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PERSONAL SHOPPER; Period Costume for Midcentury Furniture
By Marianne Rohrlich
Published: February 10, 2000

IF it's time to reupholster that midcentury sofa or chair, why not pick a fabric pattern with a pedigree of its own? Paul Hazlett, a restorer and upholsterer of modern furniture in Orangeburg, N.Y. (914-398-1315), enjoys combing shops for bolts of vintage fabric. ''If the material has been stored properly,'' he said, ''the fibers will be strong enough to use.'' Mr. Hazlett also uses new wools and other materials true to the spirit of the period. ''It's the colors that are sometimes different,'' he said, ''and there are more synthetics today.''

In fact, some textile manufacturers are reintroducing (and sometimes reinterpreting) patterns that have been out of production for years. Many of the new fabrics have a tweedy, textured surface associated with post-World War II design. George Marcus, a co-author of ''Landmarks of 20th-Century Design: An Illustrated Handbook'' (just reissued by Abbeville Press), thinks what was modern then is still news. ''Nubby tweeds, neutral colors and informality: when good design reigned, texture in textiles was emphasized above all else,'' he said.

1. Alexander Girard designed this red-and-orange-striped wool for Herman Miller in the 1960's. The vintage cloth is $100 a yard in limited quantities at Form and Function, 95 Vandam Street (Hudson Street).

2. Futura, a new textile by Unika Vaev with small geometric patterns, was inspired by designs of the 1950's. Its blend of cotton, polyester and nylon is woven with a boucle yarn; $58 a yard at ICF, (800) 237-1625 or www.ICFsource.com/uv.

3. Bossanova is a 1999 interpretation of a 1950's American bark cloth, a crepelike patterned cotton. Designed by Michelle Mancini for Full Swing, it is one of 24 reproduction patterns offered by the company. It costs $54 a yard to the trade at Donghia, 979 Third Avenue (59th Street).

4. Cato, a nubby wool and nylon blend designed by Florence Knoll in the late 1950's, is still in production; $100 a yard at Knoll, 105 Wooster Street (Spring Street).

5. Melooni, designed by Maija Isola for Marimekko in 1962, was reintroduced last month with six other classic patterns; in cotton, for $72 a yard at DelGreco, 232 East 59th Street, (888) 343-7285.

6. Cranbrook, a woven rayon fabric designed by Eliel Saarinen in 1929, is still in production and costs $65 a yard at ICF. Limited quantities are available for $30 a yard at Sew What's New, a 6,000-square-foot discount fabric emporium at 263 Main Street in Nyack, N.Y. (914-358-3000), where Mr. Hazlett often finds his treasures. (In fact, we still have that fabric along with others designed by Eliel Saarinen in stock! We, however, are now 845-358-3000.)

7. Shinano, a new design by Sherry Donghia, is an irregular weave of cotton chenille, rayon and thin metallic yarns with a handmade look; $94 a yard at Donghia.

8. Next month, four 1947 patterns originally designed for the Museum of Modern Art by Charles and Ray Eames will be reintroduced. The Small Dot pattern (on the chair) and Circles (background) are $63 a yard. Both are from Maharam, (800) 645-3943; to the trade only.

9. Compagna, a field of squares and rectangles originally designed by Angelo Testa in 1951, is now a woven upholstery fabric of polyester and cotton, rather than a printed cotton; $33 a yard at Knoll.

Photos (Photographs by Tony Cenicola for The New York Times; chair from Modernlink at ABC Carpet & Home)

Cool huh?