Good design is timeless — as Michèle Rob’s vintage boutique proves. From accidental idea to Luxembourg’s leading destination for vintage furniture: Rob Vintage is today a go-to for collectors, architects and an ever-growing clientele of lovers of furniture with a past.
The story of Rob Vintage actually begins in 1957, when Michèle Rob’s father, a trained carpenter, opened Luxembourg’s first designer furniture store. The perfect venture for a skilled craftsman with a passion for design — some of Nic Rob’s creations can still be seen today in Luxembourg’s National Museum of History and Art (MNHA).
After leaving school, Michèle Rob went on to study law. But a career in law wasn’t to be. With a love of design inherited from her father, Michèle took over the business in 1993. It wasn’t until 2012, when looking for something a little more unique to dress the store’s Christmas window, that the idea of selling vintage furniture — somewhat accidentally — came about.
Michèle was taken aback by the response to the old designer pieces from the depths of the stockroom that she used in her Christmas display. Suddenly, she was inundated with enquiries from architects who had instantly recognised the pieces and were keen to buy them. But Michèle knew absolutely nothing about the vintage market. “We were a contemporary furniture shop with concrete suppliers, price lists and catalogues — the vintage market is another ball game altogether!” she laughs. Undeterred, Michèle set about learning the vintage ropes and was soon buying and selling her first vintage pieces.
Vintage Wonderland
Michèle’s next logical step was to open her own showroom, which she did in September 2012 — in her parents’ old apartment above the shop. Stepping inside this apartment, decorated by her father in the 1970s, is like stepping back in time. For film buffs, this time capsule looks like a set straight out of a Stanley Kubrick film, while for design enthusiasts, it’s a veritable museum. Most of the original décor, fittings and fixtures have been retained and provide the perfect backdrop for the vintage treasures on display. “It seems the obvious choice now, but I didn’t see it at first — I had the perfect premises here right under my nose!” says Michèle about her decision to convert her parents’ apartment into a showroom.
Today, her customer base is not just limited to architects and people in the industry. “At one point, vintage was all the rage, and suddenly everybody — young and old — wanted it,” she says. While the older generation associates nostalgic memories with the furniture that she sells, the younger generation is discovering the magic of a bygone era. But it’s not just retro charm that’s driving this interest in vintage: it’s also sustainability and the increasing importance of this for consumers. “In the past, the quality was much higher than what you find on the market today,” says Michèle. “The workmanship, the materials… furniture that was made to last generations.”
Rob Vintage’s customers are as diverse as the furniture on display. Most come in looking for a particular piece — a shelf by Charlotte Perriand or the timeless Eames lounge chair, for example. “I’ve currently got one customer who’s after a specific Perriand shelf — it’s almost impossible to find one these days!” says Michèle. Most vintage items bought are destined for contemporary interiors as statement pieces. “Very few people are real vintage fanatics, furnishing their entire home with vintage pieces,” she says. “Most are looking for that special one-off piece that will give their home a unique touch.”
Myths and Fakes
But there’s also a downside to this vintage boom. Michèle warns against supposed flea market bargains — a myth that many still believe: “It’s virtually impossible to pick up a bargain at a flea market these days, where prices have soared in line with demand. Especially for me as a dealer, it’s no longer worth buying from flea markets.” As the only legally certified expert in designer furniture in Luxembourg, Michèle is also well aware of the danger of fakes. “No fake gets past me!” she says emphatically. Her trained eye can tell instantly if, for example, the frame of a table is original but the top has at some point been replaced. “If I sell the item on, I disclose such information to the buyer, which is, of course, reflected in the price,” she explains.
When asked what she believes constitutes good design, she is quick to answer: “First and foremost, it has to be functional. With a chair, for example, there’s no compromising on comfort. Of course, aesthetics also play a role — there has to be a certain symmetry, an elegance to it.”
Word of Michèle Rob’s passion and expertise has spread far and wide: Rob Vintage is now not only the place to go for design fans from Luxembourg, but also attracts collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world. In an age where sustainability, quality and authenticity are highly valued, vintage seems the way forward now more than ever.
