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By Lindsay Lennon

Before they moved down the hall from each other in North Campus’s Low Rise 7 as first-year architecture students, self-proclaimed “design nerds” Jeremy Bilotti ’17, BArch ’18, and David Rosenwasser ’17, BArch ’18, had already connected on Facebook, debating the merits of craft-focused YouTube channels and 3D-modeling software.

Now, as the co-CEOs of Rarify—an online dealer of high-end, collectible furniture and fixtures—Bilotti and Rosenwasser are cultivating a community of fellow aficionados as they share their passion for design.

In their 40,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom space in central Pennsylvania, Bilotti and Rosenwasser house an inventory of thousands of pieces.

Two college students walk through a design studio space — Bilotti (left) and Rosenwasser in Milstein Hall as undergrads.

While many of the designers represented in Rarify’s collection—such as Florence Knoll and Andrés Reisinger—may not be familiar names to average consumers, they’re well known in the furniture design and architecture communities.

While Bilotti and Rosenwasser act as authorized dealers for contemporary global furniture brands, Rarify also offers collectable vintage pieces acquired through private sales, including the work of design icons like Frank Gehry, Le Corbusier, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Items range from rare, pricey pieces—such as a 1971 lounge chair by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer ($25,000)—to more accessible ones, like modular storage units ($170) or portable rechargeable table lamps ($150).

Since many high-end manufacturers maintain constantly circulating showrooms across the U.S., Rarify utilizes its ample storage space to absorb pieces that have been retired from display, and sells them online.

“When we were starting up, we made a big list of all the manufacturers we admired and loved, and searched far and wide to see if we could reach them,” says Bilotti. “It’s been a long process of gaining trust, expressing our appreciation for the products, and working with the manufacturers to curate a selection.”

For both co-CEOs, a passion for design goes back to childhood. Bilotti, who grew up in New Jersey, came to architecture as a way to blend his lifelong affinity for art and drawing with a technical career.

A furniture showroom with various chairs on display in an array of colors — The Rarify showroom, open to visitors by appointment.

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Meanwhile, Pennsylvania native Rosenwasser—whom Forbes has called “the wunderkind of vintage furniture restoration”—traces his fascination to a single piece: a lounge chair by famed designers Charles and Ray Eames that his mother gifted his father when he was a tween.

He became “obsessed” with learning about important furniture designers of the 20th century—and realized that many of them were also architects.

Even before matriculating on the Hill, Rosenwasser had opened his own vintage furniture business, storing his collection in a friend’s vacant office space. One day, a man who wanted to start a furniture store offered to buy his entire stock.

For both co-CEOs, a passion for design goes back to childhood.

“This gentleman wire-transferred $120,000 to 18-year-old me,” reflects Rosenwasser. “It was totally crazy, because I’d been working at a local ice cream shop.”

That August, the two first-years met. “Ever since then,” says Bilotti, “we’ve found every excuse we could to work together.”

Much of that work unfolded in the lab of Professor Jenny Sabin, where their collaborations included research on digital fabrication and manufacturing technology, which the pair published in multiple academic papers.

A series of grey hexagons created by a 3D printer — Part of *Traces of Making*, their joint thesis on the Hill.

After graduation, Bilotti and Rosenwasser each went on to earn a master’s degree (from MIT and Harvard, respectively).

Now, they’re working to expand Rarify’s focus by creating free video content on Instagram, including interviews with influential designers.

Sometimes, they turn the camera on themselves to discuss vintage furniture and the lives of its manufacturers. In a recent video, Bilotti and Rosenwasser compare two versions of a classic Eames chair designed for NYC’s Time-Life Building in the early ’60s, offering detailed explanations of their differences.

“From Instagram to the architecture and building world,” says Bilotti, “there are folks out there who are interested in the same kind of nerdy stuff that we are.”

Top: Rosenwasser (left) and Bilotti in Rarify’s warehouse in central Pennsylvania. All photos provided.

Published July 6, 2023

Comments

Anne Moffat, Class of 1969
11 Jul, 2023

Storeroom looks like one at Cranbrook museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI. But your stock is for sale. Bravo!
How can I find out prices/condition?
Anne Simon Moffat ‘69
Chicago, IL

Reply
- Jeremy Bilotti, Class of 2018
  10 Aug, 2023
  
  Hi Anne! Thanks for the kind words. You can find our inventory at Rarify.co, and ebay.com/str/rarify. Take care!
  
  Reply

Hankering for a High-End Chair? Two Recent Grads Have the Goods

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