Art Deco Chandelier

Dare To Be Different

Driving by Amato’s Auto Body in San Diego, it’s unclear exactly what the place is.

The cream Art Deco building, which features green, yellow and black accents, offers no prominent signage beyond owner Paul Amato’s last name in a neat black script. The facility looks like a vintage movie theater or restaurant and passersby often mistake it for one of the two.

Most shop owners positioned next to a freeway that sees 300,000 vehicles a day would think it’s crazy not to advertise their shop’s services, but Amato thinks differently. Relying on quality work, customer referrals and an Art Deco–themed facility unlike any other, his 15,000—square-foot shop manages to pull in 125 cars a month and $6.5 million in annual revenue, with zero insurance relationships.

“I wanted to stand alone, to be different,” Amato says of his vision for the shop. “We don’t need a fishbowl and plaques on the wall. We want people to come in the building and say, ‘This is really cool.’”

Amato, 53, started doing collision work in the mid-1980s, after a stint in vehicle restoration.

Back then he owned a more traditional-looking shop in an industrial area just down the street from his current location. He saw the new building, a former warehouse on a one-acre plot, on his way to work one day and quickly recognized its potential. He bought it for $1 million, picked up another nearby plot for the same price and moved in 1997.

By that time, Amato’s had honed in on European vehicle repairs, which it still specializes in today. The shop is certified in Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Aston Martin and Volkswagen. Small vinyl letters on the front door advertise those certifications, which are the only indication of what goes on inside the business.

Amato had to fully retrofit the new building, which he says only had enough electricity to power three light bulbs, for collision repair. The back of the shop received paint booths, work bays and traditional repair equipment, but Amato decided to have fun with the front office.

Inspired by his love of 1930s automobiles and art, he opted for an Art Deco theme, both inside and out. The exterior design was already perfect and only required paint (Amato also planted some palm trees), but inside, he wanted to use as much authentic Art Deco decor as possible. He scoured eBay for original items from the era, creating a classy design that he says serves as a reflection of his affluent clientele.

Art Deco Chandelier With An Umbrella | DigsDigs

Do you like things in art deco style? I do. This chandelier was presented by Philippe Starck for Baccarat Collection. This beauty is called Marie Coquine. The chandelier combines an umbrella and several typical lamps with classical crystal. This combination is unreal! The chandelier is made of crystal, plastic and an umbrella. Such a lamp is not simple, it will match just art deco interiors or maybe surrealistic ones. I think it’s not only a chandelier, it’s almost an art object. This chandelier symbolizes that you are defended from rain by an umbrella. This chandelier gives some feeling of warmness thanks to the umbrella with a wooden hand.

American art deco, architecture and regionalism

Art nouveau and art déco lighting

The musical comedy films of Grigorii Aleksandrov, laughing matters

Old-House Journal

Art Deco