Antique store and estate sale finds

 I don't often have the time to go antique shopping on a weekday or estate sale browsing on the weekends, but it's always one of my favorite things to do.  This gives me an extra appreciation for smart phones as I can simply take a picture if I see something I like and want to think about purchasing. In the past, I never seemed to remember to bring a camera. I especially love being able to send a pic immediately to a friend if I need feedback or I find something I think they may like.  Yes, I realize some of these pics are poor quality, but I wanted to show you what I have spotted lately.


This stop was Alameda Antiques:


This amazing pair of lamps had an block ice glass like quality with an interesting texture.  Great for a modern living room.  I believe they were $225 for the pair.

 Close up of fine cross texture:

So sad this pic was especially poor. I call these Mad Men glasses.  Very fun. If I wasn't already inundated with glasses, I would have scooped these up at $22 for set of 6!

I wasn't sure what I'd do with this old desk, but it caught my eye.  Very sweet for a kids room.
A bargain at $50 and the base was heavy wrought iron:

  Over the weekend I went to the Hudson Warehouse sale in downtown Oakland.  I'd gone to a few of their estate sales and always found a few items.  This turned out to be a small cramped warehouse.  This made me cranky. There was a wait to be allowed inside due to lack of room.  As I arrived late after getting lost, I could only stand in line helpless as antique dealers and stylish folks came out with items I coveted.  I soon turned to my little IPhone companion so I didn't have to face more torture of seeing all this cool stuff come out of the warehouse in other people's arms!  When I finally got in, disappointment.

 Much more people to navigate and much less fun stuff for me.  I was originally drawn to the sale as they were clearing out the estate of an unnamed long time interior designer from San Francisco and I recognized his items from the preview pics online. Of worthy note:


Leopard print black with gold gilding settee for $200. Gorgeous.  I just about killed myself trying to do mental hoops about finding a place for this in my home.  Alas, it stayed.

Older Lucite chairs, scratched and overpriced.  Thought of the stool for a side table.  Again overpriced and I already have a set of Lucite chairs in my home office. Overkill.

Leaving in disappointment, I came across an estate sale by another liquidation company at a home near mine.  Scored two gold loopy line mid-century bowls for $5 each. One for me and one for a friend.

 

However, my biggest recent thrill find has to be this sweet little yellow china cabinet.  I'm taking an uneducated guess it's from the early 1960's.  Found this deep in the basement of Alameda Antiques and couldn't stop thinking about the color and bamboo detail.  Two of my favorite things.

 So it ended up coming home, got cleaned up, left original paint intact and but put some initial accessories inside.  Never mind I had to move all of the furniture around in my living room to accommodate this baby.  It was worth it!

Close up of bamboo details:

By the way, for any of you Northern Californians.  The Mac Daddy of all garage sales is happening next weekend.  The Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale. While I once again showed up too late last year to score much,  I did find a sweater that won me first place in an Ugly Sweater party!

http://www.whiteelephantsale.org/

For the Love of Chrome Chairs and Craigslist

 Vintage Memorex ad with classic Le Corbusier chair

Style cycles are funny animals. What we once loved in fashion and design suddenly goes from looking wrong to completely outdated to hot once again in relatively short order. Some styles manage to transcend time and remain classics. Take chrome chairs. The classic Le Corbusier chair always looks great. The 1970's Milo Baughman style chairs to me, not so much......until recently. 

Apartment Therapy

In my daily reading of blogs, I've been wooed by the pictures of chrome chairs used in design. Must fit one of these in somewhere in my own home! 

 

 Design Pad

 Design Pad

 All The Best Blog

For the Chrome Shy, just a touch of Chrome:

Let's Buy It, UK

After many years, I finally got the time and courage up to rearrange my living room. Out went the slipcovered white slipper chairs that were never really that comfortable. My beloved faux mohair sectional got split up into two components. 

I fell in love with a yellow bamboo detailed china cabinet from the early 1960's found in an antique store (more on that in another post). But one thing was missing. One of these 70's chrome chairs. On Craigslist I searched and searched, and finally found one such chair. 

 

  

Though I love the light blue velvet, it doesn't quite mesh in this room. Hopefully the future will see it in Navy, slightly deep teal velvet. For now it's happy in it's place and has many admirers in my friends who have been by to visit.