Tag: vintage

I Almost Love the Library’s Vintage Floor Lamps

I’d been wanting a pair of swing-arm lamps to flank the black and white striped sofa in the library. The room needed more lighting on that end, and something with a little height.

I knew exactly which ones I wanted: Visual Comfort’s Dorchester Swing-Arm Floor Lamps. The whole Dorchester line is perfect down to every little detail! Aged brass, black tapered shades, cutely oversized ball finials, and the classic candlestick. Perfect. The lamps would have been about $1500 for the pair though, and while they are well-made and beautifully designed, that was a lot more than I was looking to spend. (Honestly, the kids knocked over the floor lamp that used to be in the library and I had visions of the same thing happening to far more expensive ones. The kids aren’t usually destructive, but they like to play behind the sofa like it’s a secret fort and accidents happen.)

I looked for less expensive alternatives. The problem is that I get picky about the details. I couldn’t find anything for under $100 that I wanted to buy. The lamps I did like enough to consider were in the $250-400 (each) range, and they would have needed different shades on top of that.

I searched for vintage lamps, too. I found a lot of great single lamps, but a pair was harder. A few months went by before I found what I was looking for on FB Marketplace… or close enough. All of that self-professed pickiness? I suppose I can overlook some pretty major differences if the price is right. $50 for the pair meant I could overlook a lot.

I can rattle off all the things I don’t love about them. The shades show some wear, I’m not crazy about the finials, and the candlesticks are more yellow than I’d like. The swirly bit is not my thing, nor is the octagonal base. That brass is some bright ‘80s brass. And functionally, I wanted a swing-arm.

But they do what I need them to do in the room. The overall effect is nice, adding height to the room and the extra lighting we needed. They already came with black tapered shades, and that black does add a necessary punctuation mark against a backdrop of pastel pink. The brass and candlestick elements are there even if not done exactly to my liking. And they’re unique! (Ha, that sounds like such a put-down. They’re so… unique.)

Would the other lamps look better? Yes. Does the difference bother me enough to swap them out? Nope.

October 26, 2018
Decorating with Peacock Taxidermy

There’s a title that is sure to appeal to all. Who isn’t looking for ways to integrate a peacock into their home decor?

Yesterday was the last Elkhorn Antique Flea Market of the year. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, and by the end of the day I had only bought a shallow blue and white bowl for $1. There were lots of old wood bins and metal organizers. Plenty of antique dressers and some mid-century modern pieces. Splatterware, mismatched china, and colorful glasses. Cool stuff, but nothing I really needed to own.

Then I saw the vintage peacock taxidermy.

The seller wanted $800 at the beginning of the day (which is fair — I have price-checked mounted peacock specimens out of curiosity before). I spotted it at the end of the day as vendors were starting to pack up and I offered the $293 I had on me in cash. Sold! Dare I say this is my best flea market score yet?

Now I need to figure out where to put him. I’ve seen a few examples where it’s almost tucked away, like ‘this old thing?’ but they are equally fabulous on a fireplace mantel. Let’s look, shall we? I have shared this photo before.

IMAGE: • Be Your Own Decorator, Susanna Salk • Design: Annie Brahler • Photography: Bjorn Wallander

Nonchalant in the corner. (I still have many butterflies that need to make their way into some sort of display too, maybe like that dome.)

IMAGE: Architectural Digest, Spain • Design: RP Miller • Photos: Belén Imaz

Amazing on a fireplace with graphic patterned tile.

IMAGE: Domaine • Design: Mat Sanders of Consort Design • Photography: Daniel Collopy

And Brandon says he can’t be worked into my seasonal decor changes! Psshaw.

IMAGE: • Lonny • Photography: Genevieve Garruppo

I think I need to figure out a better perch for mine to give it some height. Fireplace? Tucked away? Not sure yet, but I’m pretty excited.

September 25, 2017
Vintage Finds from Randolph Street Market

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The weather was perfect in Chicago this past weekend, so I took my best gal with me over to the Randolph Street Market. We stopped off at Dunkin’ Donuts first before seeking our flea market treasures — coffee for me, frozen hot chocolate and a donut for her.

Energized and ready, we continued on our way. The Market is held throughout the year indoors, but my favorite time to go is when they have the outdoor portion open too. There’s a booth that’s always there with vintage anatomical models and posters, and every time, I’m tempted to bring a couple home.

Bats! Cats! I wanted both of these too, but I restrained myself.

These gauges and nautical blue pointy things (technical term) were perfectly weathered. What would I use them for? No idea, but aren’t they pretty?

Giant mirror photo opp! Hello.

Vintage globes. One is cool, but a collection of them is always so much better.

I was into these old puppets.

Eleanor brought a toy butterfly with her to the Market, and we left with a collection of real specimens.

We are now the proud owners of a zillion old butterflies and moths! Such a good score. Some are more interesting and in better shape than others, but we’re both pretty excited about either framing them or coming up with some sort of display under a glass cloche. I’ll be sure to share it here when we do.

September 29, 2016
Perennial Antiques, in Wisconsin’s North Woods

We went to Perennial Antiques last Saturday, per this suggestion. (Thank you, Tina!) It’s an antique shop about halfway between Rhinelander and Minocqua, in Northern Wisconsin, and only open Thursday through Saturday, Memorial Day weekend through early October.

The owner, Mary, has a good thing going, and I think she knows it. Expect gorgeous finds, but don’t expect extreme bargains. Brandon and I were both in love with a huge work table (4’x7′, maple top, double-sided, generous sized drawers), but besides it being ridiculously heavy and difficult to transport, it was more than we could spend. It was fairly priced, but it was a price I would expect back home in Chicago. (It’s pictured below, with a blue pot of flowers on top.)
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August 14, 2013
Ombré Nesting Tables (With a How-to Video)

Brought to you by 3M DIY.

I found these vintage wooden nesting tables at the Renegade Craft Fair, here in Chicago, a couple of months ago. I loved the shape of them, and that they nested together, but they looked a little plain in my library.

I decided to paint them in an ever-trendy ombré/gradient effect, figuring that when the trend moves on I can always repaint them again later. As I was preparing to paint, I look more closely at the tables and realized that someone had already painted them at some point, in a faux-bois effect. At least I didn’t have to feel guilty about being the first one to take a paintbrush to them!

I gathered everything I needed to get started: a lead test, sandpaper (150 and 180 grit), a mask, painter’s tape, paint and primer, a drop cloth, paint stirring sticks, and a good 2″ angled paintbrush. Below is a video showing the whole process.

I didn’t know how old that painted surface was, so I used a simple lead test to be sure that the tables were safe to work with. Then I sanded the tops with the rougher sandpaper, wiped them down, and taped off the edges. It would have been ideal to disassemble the tables and just work on the tops, but they were held together with a combination of dowels, glue, and magic. Prying them apart would have been difficult — possibly disastrous — so tape it was. Next I primed them, painted, sanded again with fine sandpaper, and applied a final coat of paint.

The three colors are Benjamin Moore’s Coral Gables and Petal Rose, and the third was a 50/50 combination of the two. I was careful to do a thorough job of sanding, and I made sure to abide by the recommended paint drying times (16 hours between coats because it was oil-based). I think that’s going to make all the difference when it comes to durability.

I love the way the tables play off of the new red pot of the fiddle-leaf fig tree, and the whole area feels a whole lot happier. Bringing that pillow up from the living room certainly helped too! It feels right to add a little more color to the area, since the kids play there a lot. August has already taken to using the nesting tables as stairs for his little animal figures.

This post is a collaboration with 3M DIY.
To learn more about safety and preparation, visit 3MDIY.com.

November 1, 2012
A Vintage Wooden Coffee Table

We’d had our old coffee table for six or seven years. It was part of the Thomas O’Brien line for Target, and I still really liked it. Brandon had actually been the one who was interested in us having a new coffee table, because the old one (as cute as it is) was starting to concern him with its wobbliness. I think it’s still got some life in it yet, but I agreed we should probably look for something new.

See ya, old chum! (Actually, it will probably be useful in the basement, if I ever get around to setting up the playroom area.)

This one below is my ideal coffee table, but I’ve been looking for one for over a year and a half with no luck.

But then I found this one at the Renegade Craft Fair the weekend before last. I prefer a round table in our living room, but I had to give this one a try.

Not bad.

I think there’s too much wood in the room now though. I’m thinking of getting a travertine top cut for the table to replace the wood, but I’m not sure if the legs could support the weight. I could paint the top, but I don’t think it would hold up as well with the kids, and I’m not into the distressed look. My other thought was to get a laminate top made for it because that’s what the old one was, and it held up to a lot of abuse. I’ll get a quote on the stone top first, and go from there.

Update: I played around with it in Photoshop. I’m even more convinced now that the table needs a lighter top.

September 20, 2012