506070: USING THE PAST AS A PLINTH FOR THE FUTURE 

The 506070 boutique in Elizabeth Bay is Sydney’s original mid-century design shop since 1998. It takes its name from the decades of the 1950s, 1906s and 1970s, an era after World War II when society hit the “refresh” button. It incorporates the baby boom era when young families proliferated.

506070 is owned by Mike Dawborn, ably assisted by Craig who has run the shop while Mike was recently stuck overseas.

Mike has been an avid collector of things since he was a young boy in Melbourne.

In the late 1990s, after returning from overseas where he had spent a lot of time at markets and in museums and art galleries, he began buying and selling “retro” items at Bondi and Surry Hills markets and then direct to dealers.

Eventually he opened a shop in Annandale called 506070, opposite the old Lawsons Auctioneers premises.

After a break from his stalls at Lunatiques antique centre and after two years living in southern Germany, he opened the boutique at 33 Elizabeth Bay Road. The emphasis is on interesting, well-restored items of 20th century design at reasonable prices.

New stock arrives regularly, piquing customers’ interests.

In 1984 author, Cara Greenberg, coined the phrase “mid-century modern” (MCM) in the title of her book, “Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s”. In the early eighties, mid-century design, which had been out of fashion for a decade, experienced a renaissance. The surge in interest was reflected by rising prices and mainstream enthusiasm.

Mike says “The modernist aesthetic of Form Follows Function seems to suit our modern way of living. These days we are living more in open plan and light filled spaces and the modern materials glass, marble, steel and colourful timbers such as maple, teak, coachwood and rosewood fit well with that space and light. The simple forms and practical function of classic mid-century modernist design suit our busy schedules. Sentimentality also may play a part since the modernist aesthetic really came into its own in the 1950s-1970s when many of us were growing up.”

The MCM design aesthetic is modern in style and construction, aligned with the Modernism movement of the period. It is characterised by clean, simple lines, honest use of materials, and it generally does not include decorative embellishments. As for the phrase “mid-century modern,” Greenberg “just made that up as the book’s title,” she says. However, her book was an immediate hit, selling more than 100,000 copies, and once “mid-century modern” entered the lexicon, the phrase was quickly adopted by both the design world and the mainstream.

Greg agrees: “good design incorporates great style, superb use of materials and excellent utility.”

The 506070 boutique is 100 square metres of object d’art on two levels containing interesting items including a deliberately delinquent green/blue lamp 1.3 metres tall, a French tiled coffee table by Roger Capron from Vallauris, a sumptuous Italian black leather sofa by Vico Magisetti, shiny Martin Sharp prints on foil paper, a lush leather, four-way Italian, blonde, swivel seat with a mushroom-shaped footstool by Mario Brunu, polychrome resin, flexible vase sculptures by Gaetano Pesce made by Fish Design, and a “La Bombole” chair, designed by Mario Bellini for B+B Italia, among many other delectable delights.

Mike and Craig are very happy with the positive responses from locals who have been enthusiastic and welcoming as business has boomed, despite the pandemic.

506070

Address 33 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay, NSW 2011

Hours Sat 10am to 2pm or by appointment

Contacts Phone 0412 044 822

Email mike@506070.com.au

or order on-line: https://www.twodesignlovers.com/seller/506070/about/

By

Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions