Knight Moves: Vintage

Showing posts with label Vintage. Show all posts

8/19/2013

Second Shout Out

I'm probably late to the game on this, but I just found my way to Second Shout Out and I'm pretty intrigued. Have you heard of it? If not, the site has a broad spectrum of vintage items ranging from furniture to cars. Their inventory is not huge like my favorite-site-in-the-world, 1stDibs, but it's kind of nice that you can click through and see all that they've got in one sitting.

But the most exciting difference between Second Shout Out and 1stDibs is that SSO offers "custom and private shopping tours." I guess this arm of the business is called the Antiques Diva & Co. and it offers guided antique shopping adventures in France, England, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and Germany.

Excursions are planned according to clients' shopping list, style and budget. You can do just one day at the flea market or a full-blown buying fest spanning multiple countries over multiple weeks. The latter is basically my idea of heaven! The Antiques Diva & Co.'s bread and butter is helping US and Australian antique dealers and designers with sourcing, but they don't discriminate if you aren't a professional shopper. All clients get access to trade-only sources and benefit from their guide's negotiating skills, price prowess, and familiarity with the local language and currency. There are tons of other perks too...the most appealing to me being that they handle customs paperwork and shipping. Sounds like fun, right??

So I assume that some of the buyables on the Second Shout Out site are from the European sources that guides take their clients to. Or maybe some are antiques dealers in the US/Australia that have been escorted on Antiques Diva & Co. trips? Both are guesses, but regardless of whose inventory it is, here is a sampling of what you'll find...

Set of 4 Tufted Leather Barrel Back Chairs - Mid Century Dresser

Zulu Basket - Brass Armillary - Ombre Turquoise Ceramic Lamp

1920's Transport Trunk - Mid Century Bar Cart

French Settee with Ikat

Also, there is an Architectural Elements section which has some pretty amazing reclaimed flooring and tile...

Antique Oak French Parquet Versailles

French Reclaimed Hexagonal Terracotta Tiles

Interesting site, isn't it? Have any of you shopped it? I think they have some good stuff (especially the selection of trunks) and that most of the prices are very reasonable.

Has anyone taken one of these escorted shopping tours? It seems like it would be really efficient and a great way to gain new sources and learn about the whole process of getting things shipped back to the US. It's officially on my bucket list!

3/12/2013

1stdibs Living with Style Part II

Continuing on from yesterday's post, here are the final parts of my dream living room that I've been charting on my Living with Style Pinterest board. I've been pinning to play in the Pin-to-Win Living with Style contest that my favorite-website-in-the-whole-world, 1stdibs, is hosting. I always use Pinterest to digitally hoard all of the lustworthy items I run across while sourcing and it's been nice to actually design a space with them (albeit a fictitious one)!

It's definitely an eclectic mix. I like to combine metals, woods, finishes, patterns, and colors...the goal is to keep it looking classic and sophisticated while still looking fresh and unique (I hate generic rooms). The easy part of the exercise was that there was no limiting budget in play...which means I chose purely based on what I like and of course, some things are pretty pricey (including the structure I selected which is a 4,000 square foot Parisian apartment). I can't imagine how liberating it must be to have a real life project where funds are unlimited...hopefully one day I'll get one like that! Until then, I'll just have to daydream via Pinterest. So, join me on a tour of my stunning Paris pad...

Thoughts? What pieces would you pick if you have have anything from 1stdibs? I'd go crazy buying art for sure and would be shopping for antique rugs and lighting, along with furniture by Maison Jansen, Robsjohn-Gibbings, Harvey Probber, Gio Ponti, and Palladio.

3/11/2013

1stdibs' Living with Style Fun

Few things are more fun to me than designing fictional spaces that aren't saddled with pesky budgets or other restraints like room dimensions and existing furniture. So, I've been having a ball with 1stdibs' Pin-to-Win Living with Style contest because the whole thing is about putting together a dream living room!

You can see my Living with Style board on Pinterest which is full of art, furnishings, and objets that I covet on a pretty deep level. Plus I even found an insanely amazing Paris apartment in the 1stdibs Estates area to put all of my cool stuff in. Don't worry, I'll be sure to fly you all over for a big party in my imaginary jet :) Have a look at some of what I picked...

What do you think so far? Of course, there is more. My dream living room would be pretty big and would have a few sitting areas, a bar zone, a library, an area for painting, and tons o' wall space for artwork. I'll post another board with the rest tomorrow so you can see my entire vision.

Pretty fun contest, isn't it? Thanks to 1stdibs' for hosting!

4/09/2012

OKL Vintage & Market Finds

I will never tire of looking at vintage goodies and antiques on the internet...I've confessed before that I can spend hours trolling 1stDibs, V&M, and Etsy. Well, I can now add One Kings Lane's Vintage & Market Finds to that list. My beloved OKL has introduced this amazing new marketplace that is full of antique and vintage art, books, furniture, textiles, accessories, lighting, floor coverings, and tabletop merchandise that is sourced from top dealers across the country. Here are a few of my picks from the current inventory:

Boboli Garden Amphitheater Print - White Carved Marble Lamps - Hollywood Regency Tufted Barrel Chair

Large Floral Pillows - Vintage Glass Compote - Romeo Rega Italian Coffee Table - Sligh Lowry End Tables

French Porcelain Box - Art Deco Boudoir Chair - Art Deco Chinese Rug

Unlike OKL's rotating 72-hour-long Tastemaker Tag Sales, Vintage & Market Finds is perpetually open and updated with new inventory daily. Like my other fav sites, you can hone in on individual dealers...I quickly pegged Modlife, Inc. as a winner. You can also shop by category which is extremely helpful for me since I'm usually hunting down specific items. My only complaint is that the inventory is not searchable, but hey, I suppose the hunt is part of the fun.

Despite the lack of search-ability, I'm super excited about this new venture and be shopping Vintage & Market Finds often. To inspire you to do the same, here are some yummy photos that OKL sent that showcase the sorts of items you'll find on VMF and the aesthetic that can be created with them...

Now you're probably all amped up to shop Vintage & Market Finds thanks to those cool photos from OKL. Although they don't sell it, I'm obsessing over the paint color in the bookcase in the first shot and I desperately want the vintage glasses with the triangle design in the pic above (also not buyable). It'll be hard to get those out of my head!

3/20/2012

Best of the Web: High Street Market

If you haven't shopped High Street Market yet, you probably should get on that. They sell fantastic new and vintage merch and the thing I like best about it is that you can find unique pieces at very reasonable prices. The assortment isn't huge, but there is tons of variety. You'll find furniture, textiles, lighting, hardware, and everything in between. It's also an excellent source for well-priced lampshades, especially black linen drum and rectangular shapes. Here are some selections from their current lineup...

Brass Champagne Bucket - Dragonfly Throw Pillow - Vintage Pair of Side Chairs

Blue Willow Porcelain Tray - Higgins Faceted Table Lamp - Vintage Owl Door Knocker

Herringbone Sisal Runner - Brass Palm Candlesticks - Greek Key Throw Blanket - Vintage Black Chest of Drawers

I'm dying over this 1960s Paul McCobb Credenza...

And to keep you coming back to their site, High Street Market offers a tempting Daily Deal. For example, Monday's deal was a 50% price slash on these super cool Silver Leaf Agate Bookends, which made them only $49.50!

Too many fun goodies, don't you think? I'm obviously a bit fixated on all things brass at the moment! What are your faves?

If you plan on spending lots 'o money at High Street Market, then I advise you to follow proprietress Kelly Robson on Twitter and Facebook because she posts flash promos like free shipping and you won't want to miss out on those!

2/28/2012

One Kings Lane Design-Blogger Tastemaker Tag Sale - Tonight!

I'm excited to announce that One Kings Lane is hosting a Design-Blogger Tag Sale tonight and I was invited to participate! My goodies, along with those of amazing bloggers like Nicole Gibbons of So Haute, will be peddled off beginning at 6 pm PT / 9pm ET. So set a little reminder alarm now to make sure you'll get first pick! The sale will have a wide array of buyables...everything from rugs and lighting to pillows and artwork will be up for grabs.

To give you a tiny taste of what you'll find, here are two of my items that will be featured in the sale. The first is the black cut glass hurricane holding the peonies (there's actually a pair of those) and the other is the amazing lacquered turned wood table with a Calacatta marble top. My hoarding tendencies are flaring up at the thought of selling either item because I really love them both...

Anyhow, I'm thrilled to be included and can't wait for the sale to get going...hope you'll shop away!

1/10/2012

Schoolhouse Cool

Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. has been on my radar for a while, but a few months had gone by since I'd last seen their catalog or visited their website. Well I recently found my way back to them and I'm loving their updated branding and website. The Schoolhouse product line is all about "vintage modern" and whoever led the rebranding charge totally nailed that aesthetic. Here's the latest catalog cover, and it sums up the new vibe...

Besides re-articulating their brand, Schoolhouse has also broadened their horizons and added new things to their product mix. The company has been known as a resource for high quality period lighting for about a decade and it's great to see that they now offer furniture, textiles, and an array of other accents for the home and office. Teaming up with artisans and local craftspeople, Schoolhouse designs, produces, and sources everything you might need to bring a bit of hip/nostalgic/authentic personality to your abode.

Here are some examples of the period light fixtures and shades that Schoolhouse has become known for. Many of the shades are made with antique cast iron molds...

And here are some examples of their new crop, including the manly-chic Equestrian Loveseat...

Here are some picks from the furniture collection. I am obsessed with the Morgan Bed...it's just beautiful, isn't it? The Carlson Chair Slipcover, shown bottom right, features fabric designed at the Egg Press studio in Portland, which is then hand-silkscreened in San Francisco. Schoolhouse enlisted designer Adam Arnold to tailor each slipcover to ensure a neat fit.

More textiles by Egg Press...

This clock is pretty awesome and it's built in Portland, not China!

Like this Ion lamp, most (if not all) of the Schoolhouse lamps are finished off with a twisted cloth cord and a vintage-style wall plug...

The Mulberry Tripod lamp has a fab mid-century look...

Their bedding is really cozy looking and I'm especially drawn to the blankets. Two of my favorites, the Camp Blanket and the Llama Check Throw, are shown in this photo,

Another good one - the Llama Stripe Throw...

True to form, even the Schoolhouse headquarters building has loads of style and character...

What are your thoughts on Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.? Do you like their style? See anything you'd like to buy?

Besides loving their merchandise, I think it's a really cool company. I appreciate that they've created their own unique aesthetic that has a strong sense of history but also a modern influence. Plus, Schoolhouse designs and manufactures their goods in the US, mostly at their fabulous factory in Portland. Owner Brian Faherty has tested and succeeded with a micro manufacturing model and I applaud him for his efforts. We need more business people like this in America, and really, we need more consumers that are willing to spend a bit more to get higher quality. I won't get on that soapbox right now, but if you have some time, check out the Schoolhouse Journal to learn more about the business and its history. It's very inspiring!

1/05/2012

Online Vintage Shopping at VandM

I've confessed before that I am a total 1stDibs junkie. I can spend hours plowing through the never-ending inventory of art and antiques. The main downside to this activity is that a good majority of the items sold on 1stDibs don't fit into most budgets that I work with (and certainly not my own). Well I'm happy to report that there is a somewhat similar site called Vintage + Modern, or VandM, that offers a compelling array of antique, vintage, and contemporary furnishings at a lower average price point.

Through a network of global dealers, VandM offers a huge inventory of furniture and lighting, accessories and accents, artwork, jewelry, and textiles. They also have Design Atelier and inTheMoment sales events that only run for a limited time and feature some kind of special product offering. For instance, a sale featuring Lori Dennis' bespoke collection of furnishings is going on now and there is also a sale offering prints from Stanley Kubrick's photography oeuvre.

VandM is a big world to discover and I've really only spent time looking through the decor inventory so far. There is some really fabulous merch and it's a great resource. Here are some of my favorite finds from their coffers...

Vintage abstract painting - Walking Away On The Streets of New York Limited Edition Photograph By Director Stanley Kubrick from 1946 for Look Magazine - Venetian Chandelier - Black and White Vintage Sofa - French Stripe Bench - Vintage French Marble and Brass Table

Vietnamese Ceramic Dragon Urns - Literary Classics in Blue - Opaline Glass Lamp - Regency round side table - Chinese chippendale style armchair - Malachite Composite Bookends - Lori Dennis Kaye Side Table - Wingback Chair - Gabbeh Loribaft Turkish Carpet - Blue and Silver Leaf Faux Bamboo Cabinet

I also am lusting over this killer French chandelier made of ormolu and crystal from fav dealer House of Honey...

So, have you explored Vintage + Modern yet? Their inventory includes a wide variety of styles, pedigrees, and price points so browsing is time consuming, but luckily their search function works pretty well if you're on a specific mission.

5/10/2011

Esty Shop Spotlight: Fabulousmess

I troll Etsy pretty often...I'm usually looking for pillows, but sometimes I'll dabble in art and furniture. Despite the fact that Etsy shopping requires sorting through some pretty terrible stuff, I manage to find a few diamonds in the rough with each visit.

My last foray led me to a snazzy shop called Fabulousmess. They have all kinds of cool vintage wares including lighting, casegoods, upholstery, and accessories. Some things have been updated, and some are in their original condition. Their prices are a little on the high side but they have a nice mix and do a good job of merchandising, so that's worth something. Here's a sampling of their selection...

This faux bamboo armoire could cheer up even the dreariest of rooms...