Antiquarian Extraordinaire JF Chen Is Auctioning His Personal Collection of Furniture at Christie’s

Visiting either of The Row's Los Angeles or New York flagships means entering a sanctuary of good design. Beyond the clothing (lauded for its sumptuous minimalism), the store features an assortment of standout furniture design. Shoppers should take note next time they plant themselves on a chair, as it could very well be a museum-worthy collectible like an art nouveau accent chair by Carlo Bugatti or a woven leather chair by Paul McCobb. Many of The Row's furniture pieces (as well as those items in Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's private collection) were sourced from L.A.-based dealer JF Chen.

JF Chen's eponymous Melrose Avenue shop is an antiquarian's paradise, offering museum-quality furniture, lighting, decor, and art. Born in Shanghai, Chen first began importing antique porcelain from his native China before his design curiosity led him to collect 18th-century Italian, Danish, and American modern furniture. Though not a museum of decorative arts, the JF Chen store could certainly qualify as one. The design impresario has lent his expertise to museum exhibitions and now, for Christie's, he curates a selection of standouts from his personal collection.

Of his collecting strategy, Chen explains, "I buy with some criteria in mind: that the piece has historical merit, that it has craftsmanship, and sometimes a provenance. Not least of course if there’s beauty to behold." As design eras and must-have objets d'art fall in and out of fashion, Chen sticks to his own instincts. "Even though there’s an interior trend going on," says Chen. "I’m still buying for the things I love."

It's a philosophy that has earned Chen a reputation within the design world and among Los Angeles interior decorators (and those celebrities whose homes they are looking to furnish). Celebrities considered patrons of JF Chen include Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Reagan, Robert Pattinson, and of course, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Of Chen's relationship with the taste-making twins, he says, "They come to our showrooms whenever they are in town, seeking pieces for The Row, their residences, and now also for Elizabeth and James....they have incredible taste."

At his Christie's auction, expect to see Dan Johnson's marvelous mid-century modern furnishings, Memphis Group-founder Ettore Sottsass's color-blocked light fixtures and highly-collectible chairs from Charles and Ray Eames and Carlo Mollino. Shop the online auction now, or the live sale in New York on February 13th.