KEEPING YOUR VINTAGE FINDS MODERN

I love going to flea markets, secondhand stores and vintage shops to find a great piece that can immediately transform the look of a room. It's true, vintage or antique pieces stand out as works of art when paired with the right decor style. Traditional decor can feel old, and modern decor can "get" old, but regardless of the style of house, you can always incorporate a few vintage or antique finds to keep it interesting. The challenge is keeping your vintage finds modern. Keep in mind that interiors aren't meant to "match", but rather "coordinate".

The best way to incorporate vintage/antique pieces into your decor is to intersperse them throughout. This will act as a more eclectic and international feel. Designers do this best by making sure they have one vintage piece in every room. If you're lucky enough to travel abroad, you can probably bring home some amazing finds....for all of us others, we will continue to scour the endless sea of vintage items at our local flea markets!

The only rule here is to make sure you balance cultures, styles and time periods. You can't go wrong....and these pieces make your style really stand out!

This vintage yellow tufted wingback chair adds color and character to the corner of this elegant dining room.

Believe it or not, this is a "mud room"! The room includes vintage items such as the white hall tree against the wall, the settee from an antique mall and a vintage table found on ebay.

In this sophisticated, turned rugged living space, these red vintage number signs (once used at an old gas station) add color to this space.

This room's designer created an illusion of height by placing wallpaper on the ceiling and to inspire the rest of the furnishings, she added a vintage couch (still in it's original upholstery).

While updating this home, the designer opted to keep the original 1947 molding over the doorway. It brings charm to the room, don't you agree?

All photos courtesy of Lonny Mag

The painting in this sitting area was purchased by the homeowner at a market in Thailand. Always bring back pieces when traveling.

Bottom line is to mix vintage finds with modern pieces, don't over think it, go with your gut, and if you buy what you love and put it where you'll enjoy it, it will always work!

 

STAND AND DELIVER

Nothing else adds as much character to a room like a unique accessory. Trophy heads, regal dog statues, gazelles, Buddhas, bookends and even artichokes....all just standing there (but delivering) and defining personalities of home owners and decor style from Los Angeles to Dubai! Whether you prefer porcelain, ceramic, glass, stone or iron, these beauties are all the rage in the design business.
Here are a few of my faves in homes around the world!

The peacock in turquoise glaze, adding color, texture and elegance. Silver ram head figurine, perfect modern addition to any table.  
Pure white porcelain greyhound. Adds height and drama to room. 
The platinum octopus climbs atop the mantle for a conversation builder.
 
Another turquoise statue, this large thoroughbred is everyone's favorite.  
For a bookshelf in need of an antique look, these jacks in black do the trick.
 
Horns are so dramatic and provide a wild side to all decor styles.

 
Tone down a space with these organic artichokes on white pedestals.
 
Moosehead bookends in bronze bring eclectic style to a room needing flair.  
Another horse figure adding wood-like texture and rustic charm.
 
Orient sophistication of this dragon brings edge and culture to a room.
 
Another cultural statue, commands attention in a zen environment.

SUNBURST MIRRORS!

Sunburst mirrors are NOT new to the design world, in fact, they've been around for years! Sunburst mirrors became popular in European countries in different times throughout history. In America the mirrors as we know them today were used in living and dining rooms from the mid-20th century. Most of the ones that are selling now are inspired my mid century antique designs.

As most of you know, a mirror adds depth to a room, which tends to make the space look larger. When using decorative mirrors, such as sunburst mirrors, you're adding more than depth...you're creating flair and in my opinion, functional art pieces. I've seen many different styles of sunburst mirrors lately, and I sell two great mirrors as part of the LOFT32 collection- as seen here:

If you're interested in my mirrors, please EMAIL me!

It's difficult for some of us (including me!) to step outside the "box" and add mirrors to their decor that aren't your traditional square or rectangular shapes. So, to help you envision what masterpiece you can create by just adding a new mirror-here are a few inspiring ideas of what a sunburst mirror could add to your home!

 

Design photos courtesy of decorpad.com

BARBARA COSGROVE LAMPS NOW AVAILABLE AT LOFT32!

There's a certain intrigue associated with antique lamps. I believe it has to do with the mystery and unknown past of antiques, as well as being unique. 
Antique lamps are also known to serve as a "work of art" when decorating. Because of this title, they typically come with a hefty price tag! Today, manufacturers and designers strive to recreate this very look, by coming up with their own version of the "antique lamp".

I fell in love with Designer, Barbara Cosgrove's lamp collection. I decided to offer her lamps as part of my LOFT32 product line. As some of you may already know, when it comes selecting potential new products or textiles for LOFT32-I only carry products and textiles within a price point that my clients/customers (YOU) can afford and only the items I would put in my own home!

Barbara Cosgrove specializes in nouveau-traditional lamps (which can be used in almost any decor style). Owner and creative force, Barbara Cosgrove began designing lamps out of her garage in the mid-nineties. There, a company was born when she put her first collection of lamps together and headed for the Atlanta Market. Cosgrove's lamps are inspired by her background in the Arts. Her lamps sell to retail boutiques from Manhattan to Beverly Hills to Claremont ♥. Neiman Marcus features her styles in their "Make Room" catalog season after season. A commitment to quality, style and good taste has earned her lighting solutions an extensive following in the design community as well.
Barbara Cosgrove Lamps are regularly featured in publications, a few being: Elle Decor, Domino, Southern Living, Veranda, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Home Magazine, Southern Accents, Country Home and Midwest Living....and now, my blog!


Here are just a few of my favorites from her collection:

Sold as a pair, these light gold horse statue lamps are perfect...nothing better than a lamp that also adds flair! I ♥ these lamps. Antique bronze base and stem, with white shades.

It doesn't get better than these floor lamps, which double as a side table! Choose the white or black shade on either Gold or Silver option.

Another statue lamp! This sitting dog lamp can add eclectic charm to modern sophistication in any room. White dog statue with a grey/brown shade and antique brown base and stem.

Just like at the studio! These amazing theatre/spot lights are still raising eyebrows all over the design industry. They're timeless and brilliant in their chrome finish. Choose from 3 different size options.

Cream Colored Foo Dog lamps! There's always a place for a Foo Dog in your home. Medium brown shades for these puppies and they are sold as a pair.

Who doesn't adore a nice pendant!? Glam it up or bring it to a casual mood with these hanging beauties. They're available in two different shape options and two color options. Silver or Antique Bronze.

So, which lamp fits YOUR style best?



For pricing on the above lamps or others from Barbara Cosgrove's Collection, email me.

A STORY WORTH TELLING......CHAPTER II

As you might recall, from my previous post (Chapter 1), I realized that your home (and our home) is your book and the treasures in your home are small chapters! I promised to share more of my "chapters" with you, so here we are....

Chapter II-Trash vs. Treasure 
 
As you all know, the saying goes..."one man's trash is another man's treasure". Well, I believe there's some truth to that, and the saying that should immediately follow it is "the beauty (or shall I say-potential beauty) is in the eye of the beholder".
  
I wanted a very basic, but solid wood table in an espresso stain. I decided after seeing tons of "almost the right table" (a lot of them in veneer, and some that were VERY close, but way too expensive), that the only remaining option was to have one custom made.

In the meantime, what in the world would I do about the chairs? The furniture maker could make chairs, but I wanted them upholstered, not all wood. I went on another quest, for chairs. If I bought chairs from a retail store and had the table made, how would I get the stain to match? Then, I figured it all out...I was going to mix old and new-old (vintage) chairs and a new table. I narrowed it down to chrome chairs for a classic look and began searching for the perfect chairs-vintage style, classic and still in good enough condition that I can restore them myself. I wanted to keep the cost down, but as you know, once it's called "vintage", the price usually gets increased by about five notches! I searched online for 3 months! I searched Etsy, Ebay and Craigslist...until I found THE ones!

Someone who ate dinner in these chairs from childhood, through adolescence, into adulthood and now couldn't wait to get rid of them-posted six Chrome Vintage Chairs for sale on Ebay for a starting bid of $100! As I scrolled through the pictures, I KNEW they would be absolutely amazing with my new table (or table to be). I HAD TO HAVE THEM! Three days left in the auction and no bids yet.....okay, sounding good.....reading through the description, I stumbled upon the shipping details. The details said "PICK UP ONLY" ....oh noooo....and where were these chairs??? NEW YORK!!! (cue the record skipping noise)

I was NOT about to give up! I contacted the seller to ask if there was ANY way that she would consider shipping them to me (in California) if I bid and happen to win them. She was reluctant at first, but said if I researched the shipping method and found someone to also pack them, then she would do it. So, I researched my heart out and found out that she could ship them via Greyhound from a local station near her and right to a station here in my hometown! The shipping costs weren't too awful either. So, I placed my bid and WON them for only $100! (vision: me dancing around the house) But....then I get a call from the seller...oh no....but it was good news....she called to say that she found two more chairs (8 total) and if I wanted those too, then she would include them....let me think about it....UMMMM YEAH! 

Now, we had to plan on designing a larger table to accommodate 8 chairs, instead of six. Thank goodness the dining room was big enough to fit all of it! So, as you can see from the above picture, the chrome was a little pitted and had some scuffs and rust. The upholstery was a 1968 faux suede in a beige color and should have been replaced about 43 years ago! Once the chairs arrived, we removed the seats and backs, bought some really fine grade steel wool (0000), used a LOT of elbow grease and some chrome polish to clean up the chrome. They shined up really nice. We took them to our local upholster and selected a white leather fabric for them. Drum roll please.....

Once we had the table made, it was a match made in heaven!

And the WINNER is.....

....MARGI !! 

Way to go MARGI- YOU WON my blog giveaway!
You won...a gorgeous Set of 3 Decorative Antiqued Baskets. YAY! I just emailed you to get your address! Please send it to me so I can get these babies to their new home!
Congrats to you! And THANK YOU to everyone who entered. I'll have another GIVEAWAY in a couple weeks. So, stay tuned! 
In the meantime, be on the lookout for some more of my "Chapters"!!