New Year, ReNew your home!

DID YOU KNOW?

Many of my items are not sold Mid Century Modern purists?  That’s right, these beauties are being mixed in with other eras and designs! You guys know I skirt the era and often add things to my inventory that are not typical mcm. I do this because I want to follow design trends.  Many of my clients are interior design pros and I love helping them to complete a project with the perfect piece. My keen eye for stylish well made pieces spans eras and I love placing them in well designed spaces.  

As we get ready to start a new year, I would like to offer some thoughts on sprucing up your space.  We have been in our home almost 15 years!  It was new construction and we are at the point where we need to do some refreshing.  First thing we did was repaint the main bathroom.  The walls get to a point where they just need redone and our light mint green walls were no exception.  I convinced my husband to use grey semigloss this time and I am much happier!  We swapped out our foyer light with a used but newer fixture. It is not vintage but neither is our home so I do not feel too bad there.  Our tastes have changed over the years and it is time catch up with them.

The new light installed and the grey paint being cut out.

Next, my husband has been patching wall holes and nail pops in the drywall.  Another thing necessary before painting.  The foyer is getting cut out for rolling as we speak and we should have enough paint to move on to the hallway.  I am excited to bid the tan adieu and move on to grey.  We are keeping 2 walls darker brown as they did not see much wear and tear.  The next thing we need to tend to is the carpet.  I am ready to rip it up but we only have plywood under there.....another sad reality of new construction on a budget.  You just cannot do it all.  We went with a custom builder and got to choose every last detail of the house and while the carpet was medium grade and the best we would afford, it has served us well but it now is toast and needs to go.  We have been looking for flooring alternatives but at this point, probably cannot afford to tackle that, even doing our own labor. I’d like to have this plan executed prior to restoring the Pearsall couch in my garage that I am seriously ready to get upstairs but the restoration work will be tedious and thinking waiting until warmer weather is probably the best.  

What is on your agenda for renovations and updates this coming year? 

New items ready to go: 

Lane 1050 series end table.  Great shape, amazing joinery in contrasting woods. This is a sweet and harder to find line.   

Some design inspiration for the next item......

Wallpaper from F Schumacher (expensive, but I can get it for you!) 

Gorgeous mod wing back in spring green upholstery.  This has been fully restored by my beloved upholsterer.  It is an amazing queen throne and the perfect accent for your  maximalist decor.  You can work this into bohemian, jungalow and midcentury decors.  I see it with some amazing jungle walls........

F Schumacher fabric.  This chair needs to be surrounded in bold.

F Schumacher.  I love this dragon print.  If you have not stepped into the high end design world lately, I suggest you do! Amazing things are being done with pattern and color! This chair would rock in a busy room and it needs a fab pillow!  

Karastan Chableau Shag carpet (6 by 9) circa 1969-1973.  Made with Karastan’s state of the art Kara-Loc technology only during these years.  It is in great condition!  Neutral with cream, brown and black wool yarns.  This piece came back with me from Westchester.  It truly is a rare find in this pristine condition.  

All of these items are available in my Etsy shop.  Don’t forget the Broyhill dining set is out in my retail space at an amazing pick up only price of $600.  You will not find another for this price! It is the last of 2 rooms of stuff I picked up a month and a half ago! Do not miss out as the other items already found homes.  

Happy New Year!!!

XO MALISSA

A few new items. Fresh upholstered goods landing later in the week. Holiday countdown.

Greetings! I had a busy week which included seeing my Heywood Dining Set off to it’s new home in the Boston area. Happy my friend could join me on the trip and we had a fun gal day trekking through New England and back. Always thankful to my friends who accompany me on big trips.  

This week I was able to snag a few pretties that are not officially listed yet.  Please directly contact me if you want to snag them.  I will offer a direct price if we cut out the middle men like Etsy and PayPal.  JUST IN! A gorgeous pair of Lane mini cedar chests that hold albums! They are so cute! Feature an upholstered bench seat top, castors and cedar lined interior.  I am in the process of redoing the upholstery as the original vinyl had some issues.  That said, one is already spoken for.  The available unit will be $300 restored.  I can shave a little off if you do cash and local meet or pick up.  I can probably ship Fed ex and for sure Greyhound if price is better.  

there is only one set of tags and going with the sold unit but you will get keys, the old locks (lane recall on the original locks has been in effect since the 70s.  This prior owner worked for the newspaper and I can tell he took it seriously as his own label at the lock notes he swapped them in 1974. 

Lots of album storage!

That 80s recover has been removed and the original black vinyl has cracks and issues around the edges.  I will be sewing a replacement in cream tweed.  There are castors on the bottom and it wheels around nicely.

This fabric will look great with the warm wood!

Also New is a gorgeous Lane end table! The wood is so pretty with a warm teak or medium walnut glow.  I have not listed it yet as I am trying to identify what line it goes with. It is stunning!!!!

Look at that joinery! It’s as sexy as the Danish chairs! Seriously this would be awesome between them!

Next I dropped off my latest restorations with the upholsterer yesterday.  He was slow so it worked out great that I can help him out! They should be done by the end of the week!  

She started tearing apart the France and Son Sigvard Bernadotte Chairs while I was still there.  They are now fully rebuilt and I chose the oatmeal tweed for the job. Available in my Etsy shop, coming soon to my chairish shop.

BEFORE

After. 💕👌 

 BEFORE.

After fabric!  

I have a delivery next Monday to the Hudson Valley.  If you are up that way and looking for something reach out! 👌

XO MALISSA

Early morning pics. 

All new cushions, delicate pleats and zipper access. 🙌🏻 

Hans Wegner in the house, holiday shop in the retail space.

I have been slacking on holiday updates and I apologize! To make it up to you, I am keeping my 20% off sale in my retail space going for now.  Head to Fleetwood Antique Mall and shop the MadModWorldVintage pop up 10-6 WED-SUN. Everything on sale EXCEPT the Broyhill dining set which is already hundred under my online price and half of retail in my markets.  I got this cheap and I am selling it cheap! If you need a handsome walnut set, you can pair this with any of the Broyhill Premier lines. The Saga credenza is sold. Do not miss out on this amazing set! All new upholstery too! You haul it priced. The mall staff will help load.  

Also no additional mark down on my NEW stocking stuffer deals from Primitives by Kathy.  Priced $6 ea or 2 for $10, I have box signs, trinket trays and other Smalls with motivational sayings for all your giftees! Office gifts, bus drivers and more.  Priced under wholesale! They will be out all season so grab them while they last. 

New and ready to gift! $6 ea, 2 for $10, mix and match.

Kitschy Christmas items, blow mold candle sticks, flocked deer, bottle brush and ceramic trees and pop corn decorations! Everything you need to celebrate a retro Christmas! 💕🙌🏻 

Now that the holiday season is swinging, come visit and shop small for your gifts and decor!  Open WED-SUN 10-6.  On Route 222 near Moselem Springs just south of Kutztown.  

New RESTORATIONS:  I just ordered fabric for the following restorations.  I will be proceeding with the work as my budget allows. My AS IS pricing is no longer active ONCE THE WORK STARTS.  I will run the numbers after I talk to the upholsterer, but I did score the fabric for an amazing price!  I work hard to get fabric cheap and keep my expenses low.  

This piece just needs covers for the existing cushions.  I think the work will be pretty reasonable. I picked this awesome palm print perfect for a Florida room or tiki lounge, just as this piece needs to be!  Estimated completed price $600-800.

I just picked this fabulous pair up last weekend. France and Son Danish teak arm chairs with a beautiful profile.  Design by Sigvard Bernadotte and sold by John Stuart Inc. All metal tags are present.  These will be getting a full rebuild. New strapping, foam and upholstery. I am buying both of the above colors and deciding when they get here.  If you love them, you can choose.  💕 These are high end Danish, collectible and sexy as hell.  Off the cuff, finished price will probably be $1500+/- for the pair.  One choice is more cream, the other is oatmeal.  I think they will both compliment the warm teak wood beautifully! 

Another view. Those swoopy arms though!  The wood is excellent and look at the joinery on the arms! Just need to ditch the upholstery and rebuild the structures.   

The main event! So you remember I came home with the Ry Mobler Wall unit and Murphy bed in September.  I quickly proved it was indeed a Hans Wegner design. 🤘🏼💕 Then decided we would keep it for my lucky son.  We finally got around to swapping his room out!  Step one: Trent disassembled his IKEA bed. 

step 2 lots of Danish Oil to bring the old dry teak back to life.

Step 3 lots of heavy lifting.  We disassembled the bed from the cabinet which made it a lot better to get up our flight of stairs in the foyer.  It’s a bilevel so tight for turns. 

We made Trent help! He did a fine job taking apart his old bed too.

looks like a great place to sleep and study!

It’s not home until your Pooh bears move in! 

This definitely is part of my retirement plan. 😜👌 It will surely be worth more in 20-30 years! 😂 Thanks Hans, she’s a beauty!!!!!

***i am cranking out orders right now and will be deliving a dining set to the Boston area this Sunday.  If you need something I can fit and want a New England meet, reach out.  I might be able to save you shipping and make your vintage dreams come true!   

Thanks for reading and wil check in again soon! Back to work!   I did pass my HR BLOCK class and waiting to see if I can get hired for some tax season hours!  My unemployment is almost kicked. 😟

Malissa✌️ 

A few restorations I put on sale this week.  They are too beautiful be in my storage.  All pack flat.  Message on Etsy for shipping quote.

Lounge Chair restoration

I have been crazy busy this week with deliveries and even drove to Brooklyn for the first time ever!  It went very smooth and I would not rule it out for the future.  I also need to check my ez pass to see what tolls I incurred as I believe the Varrazano Bridge was $17 each way plus there probably was a few other charges along the way.  My kids were along and helped navigate. 

I was able to replace the Pirelli strapping in the lounge chair.  It was a pretty easy project.  I have the chair listed for sale AS IS, with an option to have custom cushions made.  I have fabrics available in my stash which would be included in the quote or provide your own.  I can also order you something at cost.  It is a great chair and comfy enough with the original cushions but will be amazing with new high density foam and a great fabric choice!  

I have not identified this beauty.  It is very similar to a Baumritter lounge but there is a metal plate on the front with logo worn off.  None of the Baumritter’s have that so I am pretty sure it is another maker.  Maybe some day I will figure it out!  The wood has been oiled and it is ready to go. 

I am not sure what I will work on next. We will be busy in the weeks coming with weekend trips and other summer activities.  I just had an ad in our local newspaper yesterday so hoping some classy local peeps find me.  I would love to help some locals furnish their homes!  

The art department at the Reading Eagle did a great job on my ad. 👌

A current view of my offerings at the Fleetwood Antique Mall.  If you are looking for a large mirrored shadow box, I got one in there and it is amazing!  I believe everything at this point is priced UNDER $100, minus the Ming table set.  Come have a look and take some great items home.  I will probably be shaking up my look come next month so this is last call before I do that.  We get lots of college students in August so I will be doing a display with them in mind! 

Thank you for reading!  Still in limbo with job hunting and not knowing what my future holds.  This is all I got right now so send me your referrals! I would love to work with like minded folks who need some fun new pieces!  XO Malissa

Another research day in the books.

Last week I got to spend a few hours in Philadelphia after picking up some new inventory which a past client sold me as he gets ready to move out of the country.  I decided to keep the dining table so will be offering up my Heywood Wakefield triple wishbone table and dog bone chairs shortly.  If you are seeking, I can sell this set in need of a little refinishing (6 chairs our of 7).    I am thrilled with the round Herman Miller Architect's table and it really fits my room alot better.  For as much as I loved the Heywood set, it really is a large piece even with no leaves inserted!  That said, reach out if it interests you!

The beautiful building of the Philly Athenaeum. The library is on the 2nd floor.

The finale of the trip was a Harvey Probber catalog on reserve at the Philadelphia Athenaem.  This museum is an architect's museum.  So you can expect blue prints, buildings and other items of interest.  Harvey Probber furniture is actually more transitional than MCM.  More like Dunbar and Edward Wormley designs.  These designers played on traditional designs so you will see modern elements-curves and angles in tandem with tradition materials like cane and lots of brass bling.  Check first dibs and you will see a Probber piece will set you back quite a bit.  So now you know why I spend so much time on authentification.  If it truly is a Probber, it is a rarer piece.  None of my comps have labels and neither does mine.  Rule #1 of MCM.....never trust it because you SAW it on the internet.  PROOF PROOF PROOF.  If you are spending your money on something of provenance and the dealer does not provide you with adequate proof of this, or at least a well thought out reason to why they believe it is legit....keep walking.  Unless you really love the piece and do not care if it's legit, of course.  

My suspected Probber piece.  The brass rod is a common thread with other Probber pieces.  I have seen magazine racks like this that do not have the table top.  None of my comps are labeled.  

The librarian was waiting with my materials when I arrived for the scheduled appointment.  The folio contained just a small catalog.  I was able to take pics (as is common with museums and collections.....they want to protect their collections and do not want bad photos published.  Makes sense.  Copy right protection is real.  SO I cannot share any pics with you of the catalog but she is safe there in Philadelphia waiting for you to sign her out for the hour.  It may have had about 50 pages, in black and white with some nice photography.  The really cool X or scissors chairs that have a brass rod similar to my table were in there as were some other things I recognized from around the web.  The note on the chairs said '...The new "Probber" chair is distinguished by its elegance of line, achieved through the application of new electronic laminating techniques used in its manufacture.'  Probber was young....like 15 when he started pitching furniture designs to companies.  He really was a go getter.  His line of modular couches were one of the first in the realm.  He had his own furniture company for many years, selling through designers and did a lot of custom work.  Classy is the best way I can describe his designs.  Innovative as well.  So my table or similar magazine rack was not in the booklet.  I was told about 2 places in Delaware where I can expand my search.  I plan on investigating the holdings at Wintethur and Hayley.

BACK TO THE CUTTOLI LEGER RUG..... 

I also received a few documents from my friend at Kykuit.  These were published by scholars and I could not find a free copy to view but she managed to get me a copy and I am ever so thankful.  The one I really thought would be a great read, in fact, was!  Published by Virginia Gardner Troy, 'Easel Tapestries: The American Reception of the Marie Cuttoli Tapestries 1930s-1950s' hit the mark.  Ms Troy really delves into the history of Cuttoli and her creations and then the element of reproduction of an artists work.  She works through the timeline from the original tapestry series of the 1930s through the exhibition and reception of the works into the 1960s editions.  I found what I was looking for when she touched on this specifically with the following regarding Nelson Rockefeller: “10 years later (1962) he purchased Matisse’s ‘Papeete’ and 2 Leger carpets from Cuttoli via her partnership with Galarie Lucie Weill in Paris.  Both tapestries were deaccessioned by the 1970s.”  The literal meaning of deaccessioned is when a listed item is removed from a collection most likely to sell to raise funds.  We know those rugs were not sold as they still reside at Kykuit and are once again on display to the public.  Amazing how much information gets lost in a relatively short period of time!  Troy cites documents from the Rockefeller archives which means the information exists but to reasonably piece this story together takes numerous sources of varying origins.  It is quite fascinating to discover this and now I have proof of what I figured out some time ago.  This chapter can now be closed and I can say without a doubt what I have.  As to which socialite and art collector owned mine.....I guess I may never figure that out. 🤷‍♂️

New acquisitions.

i have been adding some really neat items to my inventory.  Here is a quick overview.  

Contemporary Italian chrome bar cart. 

Amazing Morris of Glasgow (yes, Scotland) mixed teak and mahogany veneer credenza.  Designed by Neil Morris.  Features angled shelves and felt lined top drawer.

Unmarked teak danish style hutch.  Features glass doors (not pictured), 2 drawers and bottom cabinet.  Compact size to display your collections.  

Currently working on rebuilding this bench and I have a buyer who is customizing it with me. New strapping installed!

More coming!  I just sold the first danish style lounge and have another that I will be restrapping and making cushions for.  Keep your eyes peeled to my Instagram or Facebook so you don’t miss anything!

Have a great week!  XO MALISSA