ACTOR TURNS OVER NEW LEAF

From henchman to craftsman

The actor best known as the ruthless, drug-dealing Chris Partlow in HBO’s The Wire has found a farless-ruthless calling in the home decor world.

In fact, as Elle Decor learned, Gbenga Akinnagbe seems downright modest, both in real life as well as in his Instagram biography, about his latest creative endeavour: designing antique furniture.

“People are surprised, and that’s cool with me,” Akinnagbe says, sitting on his newest creation, a purple wax cloth-covered doubleback settee he’s dubbed Nothing Compares 2 U, in memory of the late Prince.

Call it an unlikely second act. But for Akinnagbe, art and life have crossed many paths — from the Brooklyn, N.Y., basement where he purchased his first piece of furniture, to the antique shops of Oklahoma, where he recently did some filming, to the Bronx-based Andrew Freedman complex, where Akinnagbe’s Enitan Vintage collection of reimagined settees, wingbacks and mid-century dining chairs are currently being showcased.

As Akinnagbe sees it, “I like the energy and quality of things built before my time,” according to the Enitan Vintage website.

“They carry a sense of warmth and personality that seem to transcend space and time (like Prince records). I wanted to preserve many of these pieces where I could, using influences from the Continent that also transcend space and time.”

With any new trade, there’s a learning curve, Akinnagbe acknowledges. In his case, it involved learning textile terminology and honing in on his own unique point of view. “Enitan and the pieces I’m designing represent my experimentation into a different sort of creativity.”

ENITAN VINTAGE Transformation meets time-worn in this one-of-a-kind repurposed and upcycled settee and pair of chairs. Both are from the Enitan Vintage furniture collection designed by actor Gbenga Akinnagbe, who says he aims to infuse his pieces with warmth and personality while respecting their heritage.