A living room chair from the R.R. Blacker House (1907) designed by Greene and Greene is going up for auction on June 19th at Sotheby's. The estimated price is $700,000 to $900,000. It's a gorgeous piece with joinery all others strive to imitate.
Sale: N08331
Also offered will be a bedroom chair, $300,000 - $400,000, and lastly some bedroom andirons, $40,000 - $60,000.
I used to live in the Blacker House, and there is a family (Andersons?) who bought a lot of furniture shortly after Mrs. Blacker died; they used it for everyday stuff until they realized that they were sitting on a mountain of gold.
One day, out of the blue, they sent us a letter (by overnight Federal Express -- possibly to add some excitement to their message?) offering us first crack at a breakfast room table for $390,000.00 -- of course, offering us a glorious opportunity to bring the piece back to the house before they offered it to some museum. We politely declined. It later sold at Christie's for around $60,000. I can't help but feel touched that they extended us such a wonderful opportunity.
Disclaimer: I no longer live in the Blacker House, but the new owners whom my spiteful former wife sold it to and who have put theirs hearts and fortune into it (it must be at least $3-5 million above what they paid for it) has done a marvelous restoration.
John