hi we're ryan and nicole hobbs
Two People, One Obsession: Great Design
What began as a family project became a devotion to timeless design.
About Hobbs Modern
We’re Ryan and Nicole Hobbs — the husband-and-wife team behind Hobbs Modern.
What started as a weekend hobby with a baby strapped to one of our backs became a lifelong pursuit of restoration, history, and craft.
Where It All Began
Two people, a shared eye for beauty, and a garage full of possibility.
Built on Love, Shaped by Craft
From long nights in the workshop to pieces that now live in homes around the world.
The Story
Hobbs Modern began as a love story — ours, and one with the era itself.
We started with curiosity and a shared passion for beautiful things, spending weekends tracking down forgotten pieces and bringing them back to life. What began with upcycled Craigslist finds slowly turned into an obsession with Mid-Century design — the lines, the craftsmanship, the vision of the designers who shaped it all. Somewhere between sanding, staining, and late nights dreaming about what could be, Hobbs Modern was born.
Today, Hobbs Modern is one of the premier Mid-Century Modern furniture dealers and restorers in the world.
From the golden age of Danish and American design to the sculptural poetry of Brazilian and French modernism, every piece we curate carries history in its grain. We restore them with reverence — balancing preservation and perfection — until they look as though they’ve just left the workshop of their maker.
We only buy what we love, and we only sell what we’d live with ourselves. That means every piece that passes through our hands is restored with respect for its past and prepared for decades more of good living.
We ship worldwide and deliver locally — whether your next piece is headed to La Jolla, New York, or Copenhagen.
OUR FOUNDER
Ryan Hobbs
Ryan is the craftsman and restorer. Self-taught and insatiably curious, he learned his trade through years of patient experimentation and under the mentorship of Ming, a master restorer from China who began his work at age 14. What began as consultation became apprenticeship — and together they now preserve the lost art of restoration, one piece at a time.
Ryan’s passion lives especially in chairs — mechanisms, proportions, the feel of a perfect recline. His current obsession: Eames Lounge Chairs.
our founder
Nicole Hobbs
Nicole is the storyteller and curator. She finds joy in uncovering pieces with soul and history — those rare works that deserve a second life. A natural conversationalist, she bridges the gap between the maker, the material, and the modern collector.
Nicole leads the trade program, works with designers and collectors across the world, and ensures that every transaction feels personal, informed, and full of care.
Visit Us
Our workshop is tucked away in North Pacific Beach, San Diego — open by appointment only.
To schedule a visit or start a conversation about a piece you’re looking for, text or call Nicole at (619) 300-3551.
