My Famous Furniture

Last week, some of my super observant and design-savvy blog friends (Bri, Nelya and ModFruGal) texted or emailed me with some very exciting news - my Mastercraft black and brass credenza was featured in a spread in the new Elle Decor (which I have yet to receive in the mail yet)! Erin from Design Crisis even blogged about this very apartment, so I pinned the photo from her post. Does this look familiar?

Source: design-crisis.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

And here it is in my new basement Tornado Room . . .

Yes, my husband pulled my blog up on our smart TV. Crazy, huh? Of course, the one in Elle Decor doesn't have a huge TV parked on it or a sub-woofer hanging out next to it, but hey, it's functional.

I think my credenza feels a little famous. Hope it doesn't get a big head and start taunting the other furniture. Tomorrow, I'm off to see one my design heroes, Miles Redd, at the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville. Can't wait! I'll be back with details . . .

I'm Going . . .

here tomorrow!

Yeah! I'm so excited, but a little scared. Apparently, the High Point Market is huge and can be overwhelming, but I think I'm up to the challenge. My friend Kristen is an interior designer and has been dying to go for ages. She asked me to tag along because she knows I'm obsessed with all things related to interior design. Also, it might be nice to scope out the furniture and products and educate myself on what's out there as I'm starting to decorate for some folks as well. Yes, it's true. I'm dipping my foot in the pool. The water feels nice. 

These folks will be there to sign their books . . .

You gotta love over the top Martyn. I just hope I can get him to sign a book and hear him say delicious or dahling at least once.

And, we can't forget Mary, Mary - though she may be contrary, you must admit she's got the glamor thing down. Wonder if she's bringing Nathan back with her? Wonder if we'll be staying in the same hotel??

So, has anyone been before? Any High Point tips? Still haven't packed. Not sure what to wear. Want to be comfortable but not look like a frump. I'm returning on Monday so I'll be back on Tuesday with some of the goodies. Wish me luck!

Got It!

Okay, so many of you were rooting for me to get the black lacquer and brass credenza and dying to know if I bought it. Well . . .

I did! Here it is in my messy garage (sorry, the garage is always on the bottom of my list of things to clean). While it is not in pristine condition (it has a tiny chip and some scrapes), overall I think it just needs a good cleaning. Once again, what sold me . . .

These brass handles. And it is indeed Mastercraft. Here's the label on the back . . .

It actually has a slimmer profile than I originally thought which I also really like.

It's sitting in my garage because as I alluded to in my last post, it literally won't fit in my basement room until I move some stuff out. My husband likes it, so I may actually be keeping it. However, I would be willing to sell it for the right price (any 1st Dibs dealers are welcome to contact me for a price). I must tell you, it's probably a miracle it's as in good shape as it is. The shop I bought it from had it stacked under a bunch of frames, mirrors and junk when I returned, and watching them trying to get it out of the shop reminded me of an episode of hoarders . . . things were falling off shelves as they shoved it through a small doorway. Really, I wish I had taken photos but I thought that might be rude.

In other Mid-Century Modern news, I acquired this little beauty from Craigslist . . .

I have been wanting one of these Milo Baughman-style club chairs forever. I wish I had found a pair, but one will work nicely in the corner of my living room. Yes, it's in desperate need of recovering, and my husband has advised me to find a fabric ASAP because he can't look at this orange, yellow and green pattern for very long. 

Here it is from another angle.

I would go with a velvet fabric, but I have chocolate brown velvet slipper chairs in another part of the room. So, I was thinking maybe a linen or linen/cotton blend in a solid color or small-scale print. Anything too busy or too large would detract from the clean lines of the chair. Any thoughts? The other large furniture pieces in the room (sofa and slipper chairs) are very neutral so this might be the perfect opportunity to inject some color/personality.

And in more acquisition news, I hit up Target today to check out their new Missoni line. Did you go? I bought four Missoni items - two things for me and two for my daughter.

I got these Zigzag ballet flats. They're pretty cute and thought they could jazz up a simple winter outfit.

This gold zigzag sweater. The zigzags weren't so in your face and I liked how it was shot through with lurex threads. A little shine never hurts.

This little zigzag sweater mini-skirt for my daughter. 10 to 1, she'll hate it and want it returned.

And these cute rain boots for her. I almost got a pair for myself but decided to pass.

I didn't end up buying any of the Missoni home decor items (shocking, I know), but realized none of the pieces would've jibed with my aesthetic. Bummer. The Target I went to was very picked over by 8:40 a.m. I ran into ModFruGal while wandering around. She always has such great taste and had nabbed some goodies in her cart. When I tried to look online earlier, the Target site put me on a waitlist of sorts to get on the site because of all the traffic. When I did get on a lot of the stuff was already out of stock. Crazy.

I sound like a spendthrift, don't I? I think the wallet is going to be on serious lockdown for a while. Have you made any exciting purchases lately?

Source: Target

Shopping Therapy

While my kids were at camp and in between my other duties over the last week or so, I got to dart in and out of a few shops. Thought I would share some of the cool stuff I found. A lot of these things are NOT bargains - these weren't necessarily thrifting excursions - and I didn't really buy, just looked. Here's some of what I found . . . please excuse the quality, I just snapped these with my iPhone.

I really liked the dusty orange color of these velvet chairs and thought their shape was very unique and Art Deco. Or maybe they're just stuck in the 80's. I'm not sure, but they caught my eye nonetheless.

Please excuse my toes infringing on the this photo.

In the same consignment store (Consign 2 Design), I saw this stunning Chinese Art Deco rug. I loved the vivid colors in this one. Definitely would make a statement. It was large, 9x12 I think, and $2,500.

Next up, the Shoppes of Belle Meade, a local antique mall with very high end pieces . . .

My jaw dropped when I saw this acrylic Greek Key console table. How wonderful is this?

At this price, I don't think I'll be acquiring this lovely piece. But, a girl can dream.

A very pretty screen with some great, saturated tones.

Not your ordinary ballerina art. This one was striking and moody. Loved the colors. Sorry the photo doesn't do it justice. And it was very large.

Then, next door is a consignment store called The Stockroom that had some interesting pieces.

I thought these brass bookends were very Kelly Wearstler. Wish they were more in my price range. They would add glamor to any room.

Loved these chairs. They seemed primitive and refined at the same time, the shape of the back reminiscent of ram's horns.  The wood grain is beautiful.

 Great pattern on this vintage bargello needlepoint pillow. 

Next up, Remix Furniture Consignment where I found this . . .

Okay, call me crazy, but I love this custom daybed with the bold chinoiserie fabric. 

The pillows come off to reveal the daybed.

This could be the star of the show in a small space that needed to play double duty as living space/bedroom.

Spotted this cool dining table at the Habitat for Humanity HomeStore. It was marked "marble" although it looked a lot like travertine, but I'm not real up on my natural stone, so who knows. I really liked the shape, a very slender oval.

And lastly, I stopped in Southeastern Salvage and sound some great lighting . . .

I think all of these were under $100 each. Great deals!

So, did I get anything? Actually, I did. Just over the past couple of days I've hit up a couple of estate sales and snagged a couple of things for myself and to some to sell. 

Love this solid brass ice bucket. It's in really good shape, just needs some polishing. I actually got this at the flea market last Friday.

Love these onyx (?) horse bookends I found yesterday at a sale.

Great silver-plated lotus leaf candy dish, candle holder (whatever you want it to be) by Reed & Barton.

I will definitely be selling this brass cobra as my son is still afraid of snakes. But I just couldn't pass him up. Very cool.

Grabbed this vintage needlepoint horse pillow for my daughter who will resume her riding lessons soon.

Who doesn't need an acrylic caddy. Obviously great for utensils, napkins, etc. during a party but also thought I might use on my daughter's desk (or mine) to hold office supplies (tacks, pencils, paper clips, etc.)

Just can't pass up a portrait of a lady. Love the colors and her expression.

Speaking of selling, sadly my antique booth will be closing up in the next couple of days, but the good news is that I will be selling a lot of my smaller items online (either from my blog or Etsy or maybe both - haven't decided yet). And, stay tuned as there will be a Pop-Up Shop/Mini Flea/Tag Sale in the near future with lots of great stuff from some local bloggers including Modfrugal, Bri and me!

Hope you enjoyed my shopping round-up. Happy Weekend . . . I'm off to get my hair cut. Yeah!

Looking for an Outlet?

While some people might look for creative outlets, I prefer the retail variety. I see the word "outlet," and I automatically think "discount." So imagine my excitement when a postcard arrived in my mail with this photo . . .

and the words, Grand Opening and outlet. The Amy Howard Outlet, to be exact. Are you familiar with Amy Howard? 

She makes very nice furniture and is from my hometown of Memphis. 

Her classic, beautiful pieces speak for themselves.

 

So pretty.

I'm not sure I'll be able to afford these beauties even at "outlet" prices, but I can at least look and drool if nothing else. 

Until now, these pieces have only been available through designers and design showrooms. 

Now, I can just drop by and check them out any Wednesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Grand Opening is this Friday, April 22 at 10 a.m., 2203 Bandywood, Nashville. I know I'll be stopping by.

Source: Amy Howard Collection

All That Glitters

Gold is back in a big way. Whether it's brass light fixtures or gilt-covered furniture or accessories, designers seem to be going for the gold lately.

And a little bit of glitz can go a long way. Just a hint of gold here and there can add life to a room.

Mid-century modern or traditional. Gold knows no bounds.

I think a lot of the gold fervor can be attributed to this lady:

Love her or hate her, Kelly Wearstler has certainly upped the shiny quotient of interiors. While some are confounded by her groovy 70's aesthetic, you could certainly never accuse her of being boring.

I've been getting into the gold rush too as evidenced by some of my more recent flea market and antique mall finds.

As well as some pieces I've had for a while:

And my latest acquisition . . .

this $10 light fixture from eBay. I bought it to replace the builder's special in the hallway behind it. I was going for something similar to the first photo above.

So, do you believe in the golden rule?

Sources:  Christina Murphy, Jan Showers via D Magazine, Christina Murphy,  Ernest De La Torre via Thirteen and South, Molly Luetkemeyer, House Beautiful and KWID