Fountain Valley Shop's Furniture Feels Like Art

When you have 20 years of personal experience, 90 years of family history, and a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit in your arsenal, sometimes the economic climate just doesn't matter.

Such is the case for Mickey von Hemert. After rising through the ranks of his family's Orange County-based furniture business as a buyer, designer and ultimately, as CEO, he decided to strike out on his own with The Find by von Hemert Design, his contemporary furniture and art studio in Fountain Valley.

"There's such a void in our industry. The way that you do business is probably very close to the way that my grandfather did business," von Hemert said. "It hasn't changed much. I felt that there was a huge void in the market. In a lot of cases, it takes a younger customer base to understand that. So I really didn't necessarily look at it as whether it was a good time or a bad time to move; I looked at it as a huge opportunity out there. This kind of quality, this kind of look, it's not in the marketplace. Really it's about trying to get my name out there and show people what I'm doing."

What von Hemert is doing is combining art and furniture in a way that is long overdue, he said: The furniture is eclectic without being pretentious, and expensive without being overpriced. Among some of the featured lines is Taracea, furniture made entirely from rare trees that were clear-cut during the Mexican Revolution so that the land could be used to grow food for troops. Until recently, the trees had simply been left in a nearby swamp by the government, which was not only a waste of rare wood, but also but for the ecosystem. The artists are all local, and include Eric Jones, whose distorted portraits, von Hemert said, reflect the artist's spiritual lapses.

"It's nice to be able to use my eye to show people what's out there," he said. "I just wanted to bring some furniture that's out there that I also feel is like art. I wanted to bring some things that weren't out on this coast, and show people that furniture can be art. I go all over the world to find these things, but you can get it right here in Fountain Valley instead of having to travel the whole world."

In addition to selling pieces his customers might not find elsewhere, von Hemert's also hoping to sell them those pieces in an environment they've never seen before either. iPads and Apple TV units bring his catalogs to life on flat-screens placed throughout the showroom for the young, tech-savvy crowd, and families can expect a more laid-back and accessible shopping experience.

"It's so often that you walk into a showroom and you immediately feel tense," von Hemert said. "This furniture is for you to live in, in your home. People start to lose track of that. It is to be lived in, and it is to be lived in with your family. If you have the attitude of 'Don't touch that' or 'Be careful,' I think it sends the wrong message. Everyone kind of needs to relax and just get in here and enjoy it."

The Find by von Hemert Design is at 18295 Euclid Ave. The store will hold its grand opening May 18.