House 849: An Eclectic Dreamhouse
Photography & Article by Joe Salvino
© September, 2007 All Rights Reserved
For the fashionable design circles here in the Desert , eclectic has to be the one "look" most sought after. It's no wonder with the informal lifestyles of self-assured homeowners here in the Desert with a desire to fill their homes with a collage of things they love.
Do you like fine European antiques or early American furniture combined with contemporary art? How about abstract paintings paired with dark wood English chairs and case pieces? Or maybe Asian objets 'd art combined with Art Deco furnishings and Modernist black and white photography mixed with a steer hide rug?
If so, then you'll want to visit House 849 in Palm Springs. Simply put, House 849 is an Eclectic Dreamhouse!
Entering House 849 is a wonderful and fun experience starting at the front doors (the doors were reclaimed from wardrobes, circa 1929, at Hollywood`s Argyle Hotel - now Sunset Tower). Inside, a world market of varied periods and styles unfolds. New, old, and everything in-between. Hallways lined with curio cabinets; walls of fine paintings (including a 15-canvas installation of sumie) and side rooms of variious themes and periods. Further in your journey through House 849, you will discover many more niches and vignettes rich with armchairs, fur throws, statuary, and beribboned throw pillows.
Just when you think you've got this place figured out, you turn a corner and discover items even more exotic and aesthetically breathtaking. House 849`s globetrotting inventory offers more eye candy than most can comprehend in one visit — Be sure to allow plenty of time for your visit!
Designed to appeal to a wide variety of decorating styles, each area is thoughtfully presented to inspire YOUR creativity.
"We take an eclectic approach to design, creating an environment that's as inviting and alive as your own home," says co-owner Nick Carnegis, a former interior designer who relocated here three years ago from Houston with his partner, co-owner Bob Kuperman. "People tend to have homes elsewhere in the country, with a hideaway here," Carnegis says. "Stocking contemporary and traditional elements, House 849 furnishes both."
The store’s vast selection reflects the diversity of tastes and home styles throughout our area, attracting professional decorators as well as homeowners. . . 7 days a week! (They are open Monday through Saturday, 10am-5pm, and Sundays, 11am-5pm)
The ballroom-sized main room leads to a long hallway of curio cabinets and smaller themed salons of art, antiques, and accessories — continuously restocked and restyled; as with brisk sales, the store reinvents itself almost weekly.
Although this store is not an art gallery per se, House 849 has a fine inventory of sculptures, etchings, intimate watercolors, and large canvases. They have had special gems such as a pair of limited-edition lithographs by the prominent midcentury German surrealist Paul Wunderlich (represented extensively at The Hart Gallery on El Paseo in Palm Desert) and works on canvas and paper by L.A. urban decay artist Gabriel Rivera, the headliner at the store’s grand opening in January 2006.
AND, did I mention their interior design book selection?
Here are just SOME of the fascinating items you will find at House 849.
