Monday, September 23, 2013

Shopping for Inspiration

Sometimes you're looking for something specific, and sometimes you just want to be inspired. That was my goal this afternoon. I had some time in between fabric shopping for a client and another appointment, so I hit up an antique mall. Often I'm drawn to items specifically, but sometimes it's just the vignette or combination of textures and colors that gets me.

Here are some pretties that caught my eye today . . .

These lucite, brass-plated and glass shelves would look amazing anywhere.

 I love over-scaled sconces especially with palm fronds. I, of course, would gilt these.

My phone didn't capture the true vivid orange hue of these vintage barrel tub chairs with original fabric, but they were so arresting. The legs were painted to match and the brass casters finished them off.

Awesome mid-century lamp.

Great, graphic carnival lithograph. Who doesn't need a "Freaks" sign in their home??

Nice natural, masculine vignette with wood, leather and metal.

 Ornate needlepoint ottoman on casters.
The colors in the needlepoint were so rich.

 And speaking of colors, the orange, blues and citrus greens in this rug were amazing.

Loved this trio of abstracts in different metallic frames.

Traditional blue and white pottery with more modern art, layered with a gold mirror and marble lamp make for an interesting mix.


And just to show that anything can be art, these are chalice covers that have been framed. Having been raised Catholic, I think these might be really cool to have. So unique and graphic too. I could group them with the chalice I actually bought at an estate sale recently. I couldn't resist - I told my husband I found the holy grail. He was not amused.

Another piece of interesting art, I'll leave you with this oversized photograph of old rope mounted under acrylic. My husband might have a similar photo somewhere. Need to go look.

Did you find anything inspiring? I know I did.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Quick Lamp Makeover

Recently, I grabbed a gilded tole lamp at an estate sale for a great price. While it looked a little Liberace in its original state, I could see the potential.
Simply removing the dangling crystals made a world of difference. Then I needed a new shade as I thought the old one dwarfed the lamp and dated it as well.

I found a smaller-scaled cylindrical paper shade at our Habitat store for $12. Sold! While I thought the size and shape would work (see the older shade in the background), I prefer black shades, especially with the gold of the lamp. So, I grabbed some black acrylic paint and a paintbrush and got to work. While I considered spray painting the shade (I might have if it were a fabric shade), I wasn't sure the paper shade would hold up to that kind of saturation so I decided against it. Has anyone ever spray painted a paper shade before?

The shade still needs a second coat of paint, but I went ahead and placed it on the lamp to see the difference. 
A little Hollywood Regency glam without the Liberace factor (nothing against Liberace, of course). What do you think?