A tour of Kyle Supley's home is an up-close look at all things retro, Deco, and disco. Eye-catching collections and mid-century classics make his New York City apartment equal parts antique showroom and lived-in pad.
Supley wears many hats. He’s an actor and producer, an interior designer and prop stylist specializing in mid-century modern design and art direction, and the creator and host of a new Web series. Titled “Out There,” the series showcases New York’s artists, creatives, movers and makers in 10 minutes or less. (He hopes to sell the first season this year, so be on the lookout for this series.)
Originally from Schenectady, NY, Supley has lived in NYC since 1999, and has been collecting mid-century furniture and artifacts since childhood. He started with clocks at eight years old, and they comprise his largest collection - followed closely by men’s polyester disco shirts, platform shoes and ties, 1950s lighting, and New York World’s Fair memorabilia.
We chatted with Supley about the collections that fill and enliven his home.
Q: Rough estimate, how many clocks do you have in your apartment?
A: A quick count says … a mere 60. One for every minute of the hour! I was inspired at a young age by the opening sequence of “Back to the Future” (still my favorite movie) where we see Doc Brown’s garage/laboratory filled with a variety of different vintage clocks. I told myself as a child that I would one day own each clock in that intro, and have almost succeeded.
The rarest clock from the sequence depicts Harold Lloyd hanging from the tower clock in the silent film “Safety Last.” I randomly found one at a shop in the East Village while delivering a cuckoo clock I had repaired.
I love the idea of marking time, and the design ingenuity and creativity humans used to accomplish it. And I recently found a YouTube clip of the “Yip Yip” Muppets attempting to speak with a grandfather clock. I feel I may have seen it as a toddler and been deeply “struck” (clock joke) by it.
Q: The Deco lamps and lamp shades are wondrous. How do you optimize the lifetime of vintage lamps? Do you often rewire a piece?
A: I’m a stickler for keeping my items as original as possible. Of course, it’s important to be sure electrical items are well-maintained and safe to use, so I always do a thorough check to be sure no wires are worn, bare, or broken. If a repair or replacement is needed, I try to source original materials, or to find the higher quality replicas they make today, such as silk woven cords for pre-1950s lamps.
My father taught me at a young age how to repair small electronics and rewire lamps, so I’m fortunate to be able to do the work myself. I recommend anyone who has a question about the safety of their item to snap a photo and show their local hardware shop or refer to the many groups for collectors on Facebook. You’d be surprised how many specific and specialized groups exist that are happy to offer help.
Q: The smaller objects like jewelry, matchbooks and pocket watches have so much character. What’s your favorite flea market or sidewalk sale in New York City for smaller collectibles ?
A: My favorite flea market recently closed its main location, unfortunately: “The Garage Flea Market” in Chelsea, which was the first market I visited upon moving to NYC to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1999. It has relocated to an outdoor parking lot on 25th Street, just east of 6th Avenue. It’s still a nice market, but the size and number of vendors has decreased, leaving the Hell’s Kitchen flea market on 39th Sttreet between 9th and 10th Avenue my new go-to for the best small treasures.
Q: New York City iconography abounds: totems, little building replicas, and depictions of the city skyline are a lovely way to celebrate the town you love. How do you evaluate when something like this fits into your collection?
A: It sounds corny, but often an object will “speak to me,” and I can just tell that it has to come home with me. I try to use moderation, so I usually I prefer objects that have a classic New York Deco look.
As a child I was obsessed with the Empire State Building, followed by the Chrysler Building. I love the clean lines of Art Deco design, and the optimism of the machine age, so I try to find items that celebrate that.
Q: What are the best places online for collectors of well-maintained vintage furniture?
I’m sort of an eBay hound. I’ve been a member since 1999, and you could get amazing deals in the early “Wild West” years. I love the act of the hunt on eBay, and you can still occasionally score a sweet deal. However, now they try to tell sellers what items are worth, which has inflated many prices out of control to a point where they end up not selling - which is unfortunate for us collectors.
Lost City Arts is a website of incredible pieces, but their prices are not for the faint of heart. Instagram and Facebook have become a good resource to find small shops and quirky groups such as “Vintage Lamps of the 1950s” or “Mid-Century Modern,” both of which I belong to. They are great for users worldwide to share new finds, sell items, ask questions, and seek hard-to-find parts.
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