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In Her Home: Vintage Chrome Chippendale Chairs

I haven't posted about some of my recent home purchases, because just as soon as I buy them they have to go in storage for the future House of Dreams. The tiny cottage we have temporary shelter in doesn't have room for anything and I've given up even wanting to decorate it. Now that we know we are going to be in this city indefinitely we have being looking for a permanent base. Oh dream house, where are you? We have been searching for so long!

  

Back to purchases, I found two vintage chrome chippendale chairs at the thrift store and hauled them home in my car. I remembered seeing them in a magazine, so I started looking and there is a similar if not the same chair in the office of Nate Berkus. 

After further googling, I saw a discussion on Apartment Therapy about them. One reader commented that they could be Milo Baughman, and wouldn't that be awesome? But more likely non designer 1970's era chairs, and it looks like mine got recovered sometime in the 1980's. I know you love that fabric right?;) Obviously they won't stay that way, I'm thinking either a creamy leather or even a fluffy sheepskin fabric. Any other ideas? 

Latest Thrifting Finds: Black Velvet, Sequins and Sheer

Somehow I always wind up shopping by themes. This week it is going to be dark velvet, more shine and sheerness. The problem is that my closet is screaming for mercy. I've been tossing around a couple of ideas of what to do, because I'm not happy with any of the sites available right now to host a store, and I don't know how to build my own. 

I have another idea that has been brewing for a while, but trying to figure out how to make it work. I'll keep you posted as soon as my brain works faster;)

 

1. 1980's black silk tunic top with silver sequin design. 2. Vintage Christian Dior sheer bodysuit with velvet one shoulder design.

1. Vintage Oleg Cassini top. The paillettes look like feathers on a wing drifting down your back. 2. Vintage Chaus velvet jacket. This is "outlined" with a matte black trim that makes the black pop.

1. Vintage velvet open jacket with puffed sleeves. It reminds me of the the Mise en Scene By Ruffian jacket at Anthropologie.

 

As you can see I need to take photography classes. To my credit solid black is really hard to photograph! This is a 1970's velvet dress with the standard gathered elastic bust. One of the straps needs to be sewn back on but I loved the romantic silhouette.

Detail Shot(If you can call it that!):

 

Recent Vintage Finds

 

A couple of weeks ago I was supposed to meet up with a vendor to look at her stash of 30's and 40's dresses. After driving through horrible weather and accidents on the highway, we got to the flea market hours later than I had hoped. To my dismay, a Japanese dealer and already come through and bought most of what the vendor had brought. 

I dug through what she had left and I saw a piece of dusty rose peeking out and grabbed it. It was a 30's/40's blouse with a peplum bottom and full sleeves that gather tightly at the wrist. It looks like the color used to be more vivid, but is now faded to a perfect nude-y pink. The fabric is almost like grosgrain ribbon, and there are black butterflies with yellow dots embroidered on one shoulder.

 

Detail shots of sleeve and embroidery.

 

I also picked up this 40's blue & white rose print dress. It has these great enamel buttons on the collar.

 

Vintage black glass bead necklace. 

 

I found another 1960's sequin sweater tee at the thrift store. My closet was starting to get run over by silver, so I was very happy to find a warm shade of gold.

Thrifting: Vintage Sequin Sweater Tee

 

This vintage sequin tee was one of the first things I found while thrifting this weekend. Not that should be a surprise, as I'm like a shine seeking missile when it comes to shopping. I'm planning on wearing it casually with jeans, as it has a great slouchy shape.

It has an off white wool background, covered in silver sequins and pearls. It also has bursts of paillettes, which reminds me of the Marc Jacobs sweater featured on Michelle Williams in the October Vogue.

First image taken by Moodboard. Second image scanned by Moodboard from October Vogue Magazine 2009

Vintage Shopping Weekend 8/17

Mr. M went with me to a vintage/antique flea market this weekend and  he was such a trooper. We had to take a nap after four hours of shopping in 90 degree heat.

We also made time to stop at our favorite Korean restaurant with some friends, do marathon laps around a thrift store, and play with the cutest 2yr old in the world. 

Here are some of the items I picked up:

(I bought the vintage silk & lace scarf above to throw over another table)

Vintage slip & tunic. Unfortunately the tunic is shredding at the sleeves, but I'm hoping to salvage it by removing them. 

Vintage silk scarves, made in Japan, to tie jauntily at the neck

 

I've obsessed with black velvet. This little vintage cape is encrusted with rhinestones & pearls.

  

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this vintage pink slip, but I couldn't leave it behind. I'm also obsessed with scrolly designs and this has plenty. The swing coat is a 1950's velvet number with rhinestone buckles.

I have a little more to share with you tomorrow, and also a new contest!

  

Thrifted: Creamy China

I finally managed to steal a camera long enough to take shots of some vintage finds. I wish I was able to take before pictures but I couldn't wait any longer and wanted to tackle the grime. 

The tall vase is marked USA on the bottom, but I'm not sure of anything else, any ideas? I'm guessing from the shape that it might be from the 70's? It was covered with black tar like substance and dirt, but you know the minute I saw the creamy nude shade peeking out my heart went thump thump thump. It cleaned up perfectly and I love how tall it is, perfect for branches and long stemmed flowers.

{The cotton stems are leftover from my wedding decorations}

The cups were even in worse condition, they were stained a dirty brownish yellow color with even more grime piled up inside {shudder}. But I adored their rounded bottoms(ahem...I didn't know you could make china sound provocative) and they were only marked $.20 a piece. They have markings on the bottom, made in Japan. 

I don't recommend this since it can make the china weak, but I let them soak in hot soapy water with baking soda thrown in for a couple of hours. I then took an old textured washcloth to them and like a thrift miracle the muck started to slide off. 

Vintage Tuesday: Lions, leather, and bags

 

A vintage leather jacket the color of butterscotch pudding...

 

glittering disco diva bag with an extra long strap...

and a brass lion belt buckle that just needs the perfect leather strap. This style looks so familiar to me, but I can't place it.  It is marked made in France but nothing else on the back.

Loving Right Now: Vanilla Swirl

 

I've had marble lamps on my mind lately and spotted this creamy vintage lamp while thrifting on vacation.  

It isn't marble but milkglass and the swirly topper completely sold me.

 

I guess purchasing the lamp has me seeing ivory swirls everywhere now.  While looking over the Anthropologie site last night I came across the  Ivory Spiral Scarf and the Echolocation skirt above. That skirt went promptly onto my wish list.

Tuesday Thrifting: Vintage Bill Blass Dress

   

I took an unexpected trip to see my sister yesterday and didn't get a chance to post.  I did have her take a shot of me in a newly thrifted dress. Unfortunately the lighting was not the greatest so it didn't pick up the details very well.

1980's Bill Blass dress in a forest green wool.  I'm probably going to ditch the shoulder pads(there has been a massacre lately) and the red suede belt it came with needs to be cleaned. What is my favorite feature of course? The oversized pockets.

I think it will look fresh paired with low ankle boots(can you tell I like Christian Louboutin?):

Collecting: Bang the Brass Drum

      

I know there were either lovers or haters of Kelly Wearstler's converted guest house in the October issue of Domino magazine.  But since I love brass and have been collecting it for a while, I was thrilled to see the terrific lighting she had in the bedroom.   

   

You can see how beautifully brass warms up to a candy pink color.

 

These three started my collection.  They belonged to my grandmother and I loved to pet the mouse's oversized ears when I was little.

 

Oriental bud vases

   

Larger vases that I love for their shape and rich color

 

I would love to find out more information on these candlesticks.  They remind me of the pipes on a organ.

 

This little owl is very heavy and can serve as a candleholder