The Collection of Tastemaker Suzanne Rheinstein Is Up for Sale
The contents of the New York City apartment belonging to celebrated American designer and tastemaker Suzanne Rheinstein will be going up for sale next week. The items will be available starting January 15 at KRB NYC, the Manhattan home design shop of the late designer's daughter, Kate Rheinstein Brodsky.
Ever the consummate collector, Rheinstein, who passed away in 2023, brought her effortless, edited eye to the unique pieces she sourced from across the globe and brought back home to use in projects. Her considered mix of objects old and new became a leitmotif in her decorating and she ultimately founded Hollyhock, a Los Angeles emporium showcasing her treasure trove of antiques and contemporary furnishings.
Much of the 105 pieces of furniture and objects from the apartment (which was originally published by ELLE DECOR in November 2010) are included in this once-in-a-lifetime shopping event. Twin rough-hewn painted columns and pair of chairs upholstered in a floral chintz are highlights. “She loved a pair," Kate notes. "And, she often mentioned how one could never have enough little chairs and tables.”
Other treasures up for sale include a pair of 18th-century Regency chairs, tiered end tables, carved wooden mirrors, artwork, and rare Gustavian pieces. Each item emanates an exceptional quality that passed the test when it came to furnishing Suzanne's own space. “Suzanne always regarded antiques as vital to a room," shares Michael Boodro, who penned Suzanne’s last book, A Welcoming Elegance, "not as some sort of historical artifacts that had to be treated as a special, precious objects, but rather as pieces that enriched a space, and always served a function.”
Having been brought along on many of her mother's epic shopping trips, Kate recalls, “My mother loved painted furniture, loved Italian shapes. She was always drawn to things that showcased the hand of the artist.”
Suzanne helped teach the design industry not only how to source antiques but also how to really look at objects and discover something special. And of course, as an interior designer herself, she knew innately what designers were looking for and needing regularly for their own projects and showed her audience how to use things with a certain joie de vivre (She famously cut off the spouts of antique hot water urns and sealed them to use as vases).
By selling the collection in-house, so to speak, Kate can bid farewell to her mother’s belongings, tell their stories, and ensure everything goes on to good homes. As she notes, “Antiques and furniture are meant to be shared and loved and live on.”
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