Remodelista

A reader sent in a tip about Lost and Found, a stylish store in the Chaoyang district of Beijing owned by ex-pat American Paul Gelinas and local Xiao Mao. Housed in a former dumpling shop, the store's offerings include vintage finds, furniture, and clothing. While many Chinese embrace the modern furnishings at Ikea, Gelinas and Mao look for value in everyday pieces from the past. To that end, the pair have taken some classic Chinese chair designs (think mid-century bureaucracy) and had them locally reproduced as limited editions.

Above: Danwei Chair, $65. "This is the quintessential China street chair: simple, practical, durable, friendly, old-fashioned, familiar, and just plain right. For sheer omnipresence, this humble chair deserves respect. We construct ours with solid elm; hand-waxed repeatedly."

Above: "This is our 'Old Guy' chair. It’s inspired by the mass-produced danwei-issue armchairs of the 1960s now scattered all over the streets of Beijing. Lost & Found makes these one-by-one in Beijing, entirely by hand. Frame constructed of handrubbed oak; upholstered in a fine leather"; $435.

Above: Lost & Found also makes distinctive leather notebook covers (photo via Kobucha).