WEST TOWN — A vintage store focused on mid-century modern furniture that also offers a wide array of refurbishment services — including reupholstery and chrome and fiberglass restoration — is now open in West Town.
Atomic Land Vintage is the latest business to join West Town’s growing vintage and secondhand furniture scene, although that wasn’t exactly what its owners had in mind when they moved into the warehouse at 452 N. Claremont Ave. last year.
Business partners John Perez and Raquel Bahena have a background in designing custom interiors for private planes and cars, and they initially opened an “auto spa” in the building following a move from Pilsen.
But this winter, the duo began thinking about ways to pivot to something new while still leaning on their design skills. They turned to vintage furniture almost overnight, and it’s become a passion that has taken off over the past few months.
“We had a hard time getting up and running late last year. And then over the winter, we came across a couple of interesting furniture grabs, like a couple dozen chairs and a couple tables,” Perez said. “We flipped them and then instantly just got hooked on seeking, restoring and selling.”
This spring, Perez and Bahena rebranded as Atomic Land — the name a partial nod to an antique store called Neverland that Perez’s mom once owned in suburban Berwyn — and converted the expansive warehouse into a showroom and workshop.
“We want to create a Space Age-themed mid-century modern warehouse,” Perez said. “Fifties and ’70s is our main thing right now, with a sprinkle of Victorian, Baroque period, and then a sprinkle from Postmodern ’80s and ’90s.”
Atomic Land features multiple rooms full of vintage furniture, including couches, tables, chairs, lamps and dressers.
One piece that’s been sold but is still on display is a refurbished Pollock-style chair by Steel Case that the owners have redone with new fabric as well as leather on the arms sourced from the steering wheel of a Bentley car.
“We’re injecting some of our past into the work,” Perez said. “Some of the materials that we’ve been using that we’re very familiar with, most people or builders or dealers wouldn’t ever even consider using.”
Unlike many other vintage resellers, some of the items on display at Atomic Land aren’t in great shape. That’s because Perez and Bahena are offering custom refurbishing for buyers, ranging from new upholstery to wood finishes and even powder coating and sandblasting work, which they complete at a Pilsen studio.
Also in the works at the West Town location is a sample room where customers can browse between hundreds of fabrics and other refurbishment options.
“I guess that’s what kind of throws people off when they come in, because they see that couch, the springs are kind of popping up a little bit and they’re torn and stuff,” Bahena said. “But we have to tell people, ‘That’s not how we’re going to sell it to you. If you like the black, we can reupholster that same fabric, or whatever colors they want.’”
“We try to get the unpresentable and just highlight the potential,” Perez added.
Bahena and Perez have big plans for Atomic Land in the near future, including adding a coffee shop and plant section while eventually taking advantage of the warehouse’s large side yard.
They’re also hoping to begin manufacturing fiberglass furniture on top of offering restoration services for pieces made in the material to give them a second life. The emphasis on helping people discover old, once-forgotten pieces with a refreshed look is central to Atomic Land’s mission, they said.
“Now I understand why grandparents bought furniture that stayed with them forever,” Bahena said. “Some of these pieces are 50, 60 years old, and they look amazing. They look good. And if I were to buy something like this from, let’s say Wayfair or Bob’s Furniture, maybe it could look the same, but I know it wouldn’t last 50, 60 years.”
Atomic Land Vintage is open noon-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.
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