Chuck Quinn is an architect-turned-interior designer whose calling card is his line of modern wood furniture. Originally, he offered those pieces from his C W Quinn showroom in Boston, traversing the continent to spend vacations on the Central Coast.
“We had always dreamed of relocating here,” said communication officer Scott Hanning, who is married to Quinn. C W Quinn Home made that move this March, with a new showroom in the ever-growing design district off Tank Farm Road. Here, Quinn showcases his furniture line, presents his design services, and also offers cabinetry, cabinet hardware, closet systems and home décor.
“We have everything from plates and flatware to lighting,” said Hanning, who noted that you can buy items with or without accompanying design services, and initial consultations are free.
Quinn still designs his furniture line, which is also offered in trade showrooms in Dallas and Boston. But now pieces are built by artisans in a Grover Beach shop. Each piece uses high-end, hand-selected woods and laborious methods such as dovetails and mortise and tenon joinery. The style is Quinn’s own ornamental take on modern.
“It’s modernism but also has what I would call a mid-century Asian inflection,” Hanning said. “There is a lot of multicolored wood, rounded shapes in the handles and details — not the straight, boxy, rectilinear thing going on all the time.”
Pieces include sideboards, dressers, dining ta bles, shelving units and beds. Although you can buy a piece off the floor, any item is fully customizable.
Cabinetry offered by C W Quinn Home is made by an American manufacturer. Although it uses stock cabinetry, there are many custom options.
“It’s all a matter of price and taste,” Hanning said. “You can have something off the shelf, or something highly customized in finish or shape.”
Quinn’s design services are all-encompassing. Space planning is one of his fortes, which can involve simple furniture arrangement, or a major renovation. He can also help clients select colors, finishes and décor — a big timesaver, according to Hanning.
“You can find it all yourself on the Internet, but it would take a year,” he said. “Chuck has been doing in tegrated interiors for a long time so he knows the suppliers, sources and local installers.”
Many clients begin the process simply by taking a stroll around the C W Quinn Home showroom where they peruse cabinet finishes and hardware, sit on furniture, touch fabrics, and see how Chuck pulls together room designs and vignettes.
“You can look at a picture in a magazine, but see ing it all come together in one physical space is really useful,” said Hanning. “The showroom is like the physical embodiment of Chuck’s taste.”
The C W Quinn Home showroom is located at 187 Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo, 805-544-2554, www.cwquinn home.com .
Reach Rebecca Juretic via email at rajuretic@sbcglobal.net.
