Maria Willmon, owner of Modify, a haven for all things moderne (with an extra E to make it extra fancy), has started to keep regular store hours—at least on Saturdays.
Now that customers can get inside, it's a real treat to shop the results of Willmon's great eye for furniture and home accessories from the late-'60s and early-'70s. She credits her inventory to her access to some fruitful suppliers who she says have full warehouses that she sifts through. She's also not afraid to add her own little touches into the mix, like pillows, created from vintage fabrics and patterns, that she stuffs and sews herself.
Her effort makes for a fantastic furniture store in the heart of the Arts District, just east of Main Street on Charleston Boulevard. Some of you may have happened by on a First Friday.
The new regular hours are a result of Willmon's hard work and creative impulses. It seems as though the proprietress has been spending many hours at her store lately, doing things like reupholstering and making those pillows.Lucky us!
Look closely to find some fabulous clear Plexiglas and plastic chairs and tables (a la Barbarella). Chrome, glass and straight lines also play a huge role in this modular period, and Modify has a lot of that too.
Willmon also has an unsurpassed collection of lamps, fabric and fabric art to accent the furniture. Remember those stretched-fabric wall hangings of sailboats, flowers and owls? They're here.
Then there's the macramé. Modify carries Las Vegas' better selection of those intricately braided plant holders and shelves that scream '70s in a way only matched by daisy chains and Miller High Life.
Though most of Modify's selections are younger than mid-century modern, Willmon also carries a strong selection of great finds from the late-'50s and early-'60s.
If you have something specific in mind but can't see it, don't panic; chances are Willmon can find it for you. She's got an unsurpassed collection of furniture and design books that customers are welcome to go through to help with the hunt.
The prices might be a little higher than regular used-furniture shops, but the quality is consistent, the store is clean and the selection is everything but typical. Furniture shopping doesn't get much better than that.
Anne Kellogg is a native Las Vegan with a thing for purchasing stuff. E-mail her at
[email protected]