Archive for the ‘den’ Category

THRIFTY!

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Yup.

This happened.

Is that an early production Saarinen oval marble coffee table? All up in Knoll town?

Oh yes.

I know I’m a dirty, no-good furniture dealer, but because I’m never ever selling it. Because this is my dream coffee table. Because it would have to pried from my cold dead hands. Because I am bursting that this happened. BECAUSE I CAN’T SHUT UP.

One.

Hundred.

Dollars.

Yeah. $100.

I hate me too.

Although, you gotta trust that this was a crazy unexpected fluke of chance and lucky timing.

Of course, I was browsing the Craigslist (come on, no way I found this in thrift store) and saw a posting for a vintage hutch that was super cheap but of course no freaking picture. Why people post furniture for sale on CL without a picture, I’ll never grasp, but the ad said to email for a picture and I randomly decided to just contact them and see what was the whats. When the pictures popped in (again, why not just upload them?) the hutch was pretty, pretty, pretty terrible, but something else looked mighty interesting in the far corner of the frame. Which leads to me asking if they had anything else for sale and apparently they were getting rid of everything in the whole house and they sent lots and lots and lots of pictures.

In the far distance, out of focus and sitting casually in front of a shredded up sofa was this tulip beauty. Just sitting there. Like no big deal. Whatevers. I’m just your favorite thing. Big whoop.

I got my ass down there and pulled out my big bag of negotiating tricks and walked away with some STUFF.

On a side note, apologies if I have to negotiate with you in the future or have negotiated with you in the past. I KNOW how I am. I’m an awful stubborn terrible monster.

It’s not in perfect condition.

There is some staining on the marble and I’ve been researching around about how to lighten it up. WHATEVER. Stains? On my 60 year old marble Knoll? I don’t care. I’ll never care!

Good news is that there are no chips and no cracks, just vintage goodness.

This table does weight about a thousand pounds. The tulip base is cast iron and the marble is chunk-y – like 36″ wide by 54″ long.

I really loved my old coffee table.

REALLY loved.

But there can be only one!

(It’s the Highlander. Lightning. Swords. Coffee table and such.)

 

FILED UNDER: craigslist, den, furniture, thrifting, thrifty

98 Comments »

AUCTION

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

I recently attended a local auction I’ve outright avoided for years because their offerings are usually very heavily gilt and super antique. The auction house took a chance and for the first time offered up a huge modernist estate that appealed to, what I’m completely assuming, was a younger and more aggressive crowd than is normally in attendance.

The local mcm dealers came out to represent and apparently all the dealers are dudes. Which seems weird? Male heavy auctions force me to represent with my lady-ness.

And lady bits.

Along with a thousand other things, I’ve been hoping to run across a smallish simple cabinet to replace the danish secretary (barely seen HERE) that had replaced the tension shelf in the den. Yeah. Fickle. I know.

Anyway, I spotted this simple teak cabinet during the auction preview and it appeared to be a good fit for the den.

The simple design, small scale, masculine tone plus lockable storage was sort of just what I needed. I’ve got stuff to lock up. Like ceramics.

Anywho, auctions are terrifying.

Everything happens very quickly, which is confusing to begin with and then compounded by adrenaline fueled terror. But, when things got rolling, there seemed to be just a few serious bidders that included myself and about five guys – like this dude who won a few things I eyeballed very seriously, i.e. THIS and THIS. Not that I’m jealous.

[I am]

Jealousy aside, I did come home with a few nice pieces and for now, I’ll be holding onto this little chest and probably updating the art and rug and other bits of the den in an ouroboros style of fickle decorating that never ends.

So, in summation…

Auctions are fun and terrifying.
I got this cabinet.

Otherwise, billy balls are my favorite ball style plant.

BEST POST ENDING EVER.

 

FILED UNDER: auction, decorating, den, furniture, vintage

23 Comments »

ART & STUFF

Friday, June 10th, 2011

We had to move around some stuff to accommodate a few new pieces, which hopefully I’ll get around to thinking more about soon. A casualty of the updates in the bedroom was the womb chair. It hadn’t fit so well in the den’s previous incarnations, but now with the shorter chesterfield and missing wall unit, this thing fits like a champ. Well, a champ sans the ottoman; the ottoman is surprisingly tall and sadly too big for this small space.

The womb chair is possibly the perfect TV watching chair. So comfy. So lounge-y. So pretty. It’s like a La-Z-Boy with actual aesthetic style.

Slowly an methodically, I’ve been trying to get the den details right. So, why not toss a portrait of a coral lipped gasping lady into the mix?

I procured her gaspyness off Summer during the big sale and it was love at first open-mouthed neck grab.

I’d been looking around for something to throw up on the walls and when the womb came in she just sort of meandered in here as well. I enjoy imagining that she is incredibly offended by what’s on TV, which knowing our taste, is probably pretty offensive.

I’d still like to add a fiddle leaf fig, some more art, a few accessories, maybe paint the top potion of the wall a light gray, add some new pillows, hang the tv and get the desk in order. Lots more still to do as always.

I tend to spend most of my time in the den, working on the computer and such, so I think it’s probable that all the extra exposure has made me laser focus in on this room and overly adjust things to try and get it just right (desperately want this room done and over with so I can relax and stop worrying about it). Apologies for den-palooza as of late, but it’s so hot outside that it’s killing my motivation for outdoor projects.

Also, it’s Friday so that means a couple new things are up in the BHM SHOP. Firstly, an incredible and super rare Sarreid Ltd. brass chest from the 1970′s and Spain. Secondly, a sassy rust colored Milo Baughman swivel club with chrome base and extra comfortablness. Check out these and soon to end items HERE.

I’m actively attempting to keep the less than exciting shop posts to a minimum. Summers are rough around here, they are stupidly hot and energy robbing and make me want to hide inside and ignore all the house projects. Of course things have also gotten super busy and any free time is spent working, trying to cool off or getting as far out of town as possible. Looks like the summer lull might be in full effect for realzzz.

Have a great weekend homies! Eat something super terrible for you and kiss a baby animal. ON THE MOUTH.

FILED UNDER: art, brickhouse modern, decorating, den, ebay, furniture, vintage

24 Comments »