David Anger's townhouse looks like it came out of a time capsule -- 1967, to be precise. And that's by design.
That's the year that the Edina photo stylist was introduced to, and fell in love with, the midcentury modern aesthetic during a family trip to the Montreal World Expo.
"I was 4, and I rode the monorail through a geodesic dome," he recalled. "My first memory is of that trip. It was awesome."
Growing up, his family's home was traditional in style. "But my parents had two friends who had very modern furniture, and I loved going over to their homes," Anger recalled. When one of them died, Anger inherited and restored his teak sofa bench, which now stands in his living room. "I've tried to be a really good steward of it."
Preserving well-made midcentury pieces is eco-friendly, he said. "A lot of the furniture sold now is temporary and ends up in the landfill. But there's a green quality to vintage."
Anger and his partner, Jim Broberg, have been collecting midcentury modern pieces, particularly Danish modern, for more than 20 years. The furniture's simple lines and low profile fit comfortably in their 1,200-square-foot townhouse. "It works for our house," Anger said. "You need that smaller scale."
Vintage pieces have risen in price in recent years, as the midcentury look has become more popular, Anger said. But one of his and Broberg's favorite finds came from a trash bin: a pair of Arne Jacobsen "swan chairs" that the University of Minnesota discarded about a dozen years ago.
"We found them independently," Broberg recalled.
