Personal Space

Chroma Gallery owner Robert Reep. His favorite space is in his Hercules chair.
Chroma Gallery owner Robert Reep. His favorite space is in his Hercules chair.

Robert Reep

Where I live: I live in the Heights neighborhood of west Little Rock.

Occupation: I wear three hats: artist, framer and owner of Chroma Gallery on Kavanaugh Boulevard.

My favorite space: My favorite space is sitting in my Berninghaus "Hercules" barber chair in my gallery.

Why? I found the chair in an antiques shop in Eureka Springs and decided I needed it at the gallery. From my position in the chair, I can sit and watch Heights activity as I enjoy cool breezes through the open door on spring days while surrounded by colorful artwork by local artists. I have tried to make Chroma a comfortable, curious and inviting place. The walls are covered with paintings. It is really my playroom, and I love for others to play in it. The other day, a young woman walked in with her baby, and I invited her to browse and look around. A few minutes later, I saw that she had sat down in my chair. A second glance revealed that she was breastfeeding her baby.

If I could make one change to improve this space, I would: Perhaps make some minor cosmetic and mechanical repairs. I'd like to do more research on the history of Berninghaus chairs. The company no longer exists. They built chairs for barber or dental use. This chair appears to be from the 1920s, based on other chairs of similar design.

HomeStyle on 03/28/2015

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