Latest finds and updates

Here we are in October! I am still working for the census. We are supposed to finish field operations by midnight Monday but there are also things going on behind the scenes so it’s not over until it’s over. I could be here a week or two more, or another month. It’s hard to say!

That said, I managed to pick up a really cool 1959 dining room which needs a good cleaning and a few minor issues to tend to. The maker, Hoover Chair Company of Lexington, NC, went out of business in 1968. I have a dining table which has great legs, one leaf and the table pads are in great shape, matching one piece narrow china hutch and a compact credenza. There are also 6 dining chairs, 4 armless plus 2 with arms. They need a little tending to and new seat foam and fabric would put them over the top. Will price by the piece but if you are interested in building a set, bulk pricing available. As always, if you want to DIY the repairs I can give you my best price. Here are a few pics.

As found and ready for some new seats!

Beautiful blond china cabinet with glass doors and chrome hardware. Not mInt but far from trAshed. Priced to move locally!

Side board in it’s home since 1958! Comes with good juju as it’s former owner died at the age of 106! I do sage my storage area here and there to protect you from transient energY if you are sensitive to that kind of stuff! Hey, we are in october now so spookiest time if the year!

View of table. It has awesome legs and ferrule on the bottom. One leaf and original Custom table pads includeD. Will get pics soon. Want to make a few steel plate reinforcements for the blocks the legs screw in as over time has weakened them. One already has neen repaired. If it interests you let me know and i will get on it as fast as i can. I may keep the chairs and table together as a set. I think it may make more sense.

Farmhouse simplicity! Maple end table pair. Finish is in great shape. Only needs a few touch ups.

It’s a side table...it’s a humidor…it has a mosaic tile top!

Copper lining!

3 piece bookcase set! Solid wood with rustic style. Refinish or leave as is. Nice peg legs. Pier cabinets can be arranged separately! I have a heywood set just like it and it’s fun to play with!

I am working on getting the lane rhythm chairs redone! I have 2 more seats to do then onto cleaning up the wood. I have an interested party, if she passes they will hit the open market. Using a nice cream tweeD on thr seats which looks great with the walnut wood. The Creden from this lane dining room is being delivered to manhattan tomorrow!

My couch went to the upholsterer a few weeks back!

It’s going back together! Here is a sneak peEk of the back showing my new fabric! The supports are all done and he bought me 4” foam for the seat. Cannot wait to get it into mu living room! I just got the walnut monocoat fInish and will be working on the trim.

That’s a lot of update! I am really busy and of course, the end of the census got pushed back to the 31st of October now so my lay-off may be as well. Just going to ride out the wave and try to keep up. Reach out if you need me!

XO Malissa

No Touch Pick-ups, a whole new world.

I hope this note finds you healthy and hiding out! We are sheltering in place and I have generally only been leaving home to pick up some groceries about 5 miles from home, once a week. It’s so easy to feel out of touch from the rest of the world! My husband is still working and thank God, as I may kill him if he is here all day, every day! Can anyone relate?! 😂. My kids started home school assignments and they are stressing me out a little. This is not working well for my underachiever and I am going insane micromanaging him. Successes are: I made some fantastic cookies that have been deployed to a friend’s birthday solitary celebration, we have been eating like rock stars and my husband smoked a pork butt for the most wonderful pulled pork ever, and I spent two days sewing us some masks….eventually we have to leave. Ha

My chairish shop is 100% functional and I had a chair picked up last week headed to the Midwest. I could get used to this no touch thing! I don’t have to lift a finger! My best shipper is back on the west coast taking a break so at this time, I suggest anyone needing a large piece shipped check my chairish shop for instant pricing. If you are new to chairish and make an account, you will get a $20 coupon via email that will apply toward any service fees. This market is pretty high end but know you are getting top notch service throughout. Your item is insured and handled with care. Please message or call me if you need help!
USPS/FED EX/UPS are all functional and any smaller packaged will go out promptly. If you are eyeing any smalls in my shop and want to negotiate, please shout! My goal is to eliminate my small items. Flea market season is on hold and I will be back to work for most of the summer and probably cannot manage a live show. I can do porch/driveway pick up for the locals, take PayPal for remote payment and whatever you need to feel comfortable. I think there are limited hours at the antique mall, meaning,if someone is there working, you can purchase things if you call ahead, or, I can access my inventory to retrieve items. I would gladly run out to grab something right now if need be.

Don’t forget to check out my website! I have listed a bunch of new items I have available from my wholesaler, Primitives by Kathy. All prices include shipping.

Working on getting 3 of these cute deco tables ready. Two are like this one and the other is halfmoon shaped. They all feature cobalt mirroRed glass. I took them on because i enjoyed their colorful style and deco stuff is fun.

i am currently working on a few projects and trying to add backstock to my shops. I got plenty of merchandise sitting around! Let me know if you are looking for something, I may have it! STAY SAFE my peeps!

XO MALISSA

Adventures in Sourcing- Danish Style.

I have been fortunate to have been contacted by a local interior designer to assist in finding the perfect vintage dining table for her client. It has been a great experience and the family was fabulous. Shortly after this, I was contacted by a lovely gentleman from Long Island that was referred to me and he was looking for a tall order…..8 matching danish dining chairs, 2 captains chairs and 6 side chairs. It has been a busy few weeks and I will tell you how this all goes down.

Case Study: New with Old, mixing modern with classic Danish Modern in Kutztown.

First off, I was presented with some facts about the dining table hunt. Family purchased West Elm banquette seating and needs a pedestal style table so legs are not in the way of feet. Next, table needs to start small yet expand quite large to accommodate holiday gatherings. Ok. Next, they were thinking teak as the wood choice. It did not take me long to know exactly which table they needed. A more common Danish design in which the legs formed a pedestal under a round tabletop that opens with the legs expanding under the ends in it’s oblong transition.

The table is iT’s shorter configuration is A great size in a small room.

After discussion with the client, they agreed this sounded perfect. I am not in a Danish hotspot. Waiting for this table to turn up in my circle is just not an option. I got on the hunt and the goal was to find this table under value….which I would consider $800-1000. I turned one up….in Syracuse, NY. It was very reasonable and looked to be in great shape. The seller was willing to work with my shipper so I contacted Scott and Jill, who live up that way and travel up and down the east coast moving furniture, with occasional trips to Dallas and Ohio. They have delivered many items for me and are lovely people. After getting their price and adding a nominal commission, my final price was at the lower end of retail. Perfect. With the client’s blessing, I made the purchase and started rolling. When you use a shipper, private or white glove moving company, you can expect this process to take many weeks. I will get a general estimate when I book but things can change as they get closer to the date. Private shippers are also available in the evenings so there is a chance that your delivery will take place at night or on a weekend. They do their best to accommodate your schedule and will reach out to you when they are finalizing their route. The table was delivered and I wished Scott and Jill well in their travels until I need them again. It was in beautiful shape and had some great features like locks to keep the table closed when there were no leaves in use. I oiled it with Danish Oil and prepped for delivery. When it finally got to it’s new home, the new seating was waiting. It looked great! I enjoyed seeing where it will live and the features in the home that were laid out by the designer. She has a great colorful eye and the space was really put together well. If you are looking for a specific piece of vintage, and want me to hunt it down for you, I would be happy to assist. My goal is to obtain under value so that with the addition of shipping and commission I am still at a reasonable number for you.

Fully expanded, this table can ACCOMMODATE a crowd. Note the legs expaNd with the table. PEDESTAL tables can be tippy without this ingenious design feature.

Case Study: Longing for Danish Dining Chairs in Long Island.

In this custom sourcing adventure, I will say I was pleasantly surprised to get involved with a long distance client. He was referred to me by a friend of a friend. Thank you for referring me!

My client is planning a large family reunion in his home for Thanksgiving. It is very important to him that his guests are accommodated and his style is impeccable. He knows what he wants and sends me a pic of style. 8 dining chairs, 2 must have arms. Danish. This is totally a first dibs kind of request in that to find a set of 8, you can’t find them without buying from another dealer, who most likely built the set themselves. I started to look. I quickly found a very lovely set and reached out to the seller. These super high end Erik Buch designed chairs for OD Mobler are absolutely stunning! Popular enough that you can build a set if you need to. Sturdy and ample, unlike other Danish chairs I have dealt with in the past. After communicating my intentions, I have a buyer and will be mediating the deal, I am a professional seller, I will be sending a shipper, yada yada, I am greeted with a willingness to proceed.

JUst beAutiful! Aged teak with lovely joinery, extra soft foam work makes them super comfy and unlike most Danish, they have very large seats! Worth the splurge!

My client loves the chairs. I negotiate him a much better price than advertised and keep in mind, I am saving the seller fees, which he is passing on to us. I find out some history on them. The seller used them for the last 8 or so years, he bought them from a military family in Colorado, who brought them back from Europe. He is in Chicago. I get the negotiating squared away and then contact my east-west coast shipper, Jackie, and it turns out she was heading my way and could get them for me. I love when things go smooth. A week later, I have the chairs and am seriously in love! Oh and my seller was so amazing, he offered me 2 additional chairs that need to be restored at a price I could not refuse so they came along as well! They will be getting new upholstery and added to my inventory! My meet up with the buyer is scheduled in a few weeks and I hope he loves them as much as I do! It was great to help him find his dream chairs and overall, he paid less than some sets of 6 out there with all my help.

Great side profile!

I am pleased to offer sourcing services. Think of me like your personal shopper. On another note, I just brought back a chair from the upholsterer you may want to see!

Rebuilt with new foam, new seat cushion and new fabulous upholstery! Mid century gone modern. Very much in love wity my latest restoration!

Handsome from every side! Gorgeous designer fabric in white velvety tweed and high sheen teal or peacock overstitching in a random abstract allows thE light to dance off beautifully. I never was one for white furniture but the touch of blue is faNtastic and it adds light to a soace instead of draB. I am thinking about ordering more for my pearsall couch i love it so much!

LoTs of details! Piping or welting, notched seat cushion and Although it us mid century in stature, it is wider than many era chairs. Next to my modern couch, you can see she is smaller than today’s overstuffed and overplumped styles. Great when you have an older home with smaller rOoms!

Beautiful from behind too!

What a difference from the day I dropped her off! I also have a nice swIvel rocker ready to go! If you want to customize your own mid century beauty, i can heLp you get it done!

This chair is now available for purchase! You can get an instant shipping quote in my Etsy shop. My guess without checking is about $299. If you are east coast I might get it a little cheaper with a private shipper but in cases like this, chairish may be the way to go. I can help you make sense of the logistics if you reach out to me! I do not expect this amazing piece to be here long! 💗💗💗💗. XO Malissa

Shop and save! Lots of markdowns in my Etsy shop! Sale runs through oct 31.

Seek and Ye Shall Find, MCM Style: How Custom Shopping Works.

A while back, one of my clients asked me to keep an eye open for a nice walnut low dresser for her.  It's been on my mind overtime I am out sourcing.  Finally, I found a fabulous piece that was in great condition and I thought she may love it.  I sent a pic, and my initial thoughts on condition which I call a once over.  Meanwhile, my brain is going crazy processing the issues and trying to determine a strategy to repair and blend in the issues.  My initial pics were in the shop it was found and of course, these items do not last long so it was imperative that I pounce on it to secure it for my client.  I am lucky that she is easily accessible and we went back and forth via text for a little bit as I answered her questions, checked the dresser for smells, drawers work, structural issues and finish issues....plus the ever important dimensions!  She quickly decided this piece was for her (and I agree, that it is a totally stellar piece!).  There was a matching dresser and night stand and for as much as we hated to leave them behind.....I saw today they were already sold so no going back!  As soon as I had her blessing, I purchased the dresser and got it home to spend the rest of the day cleaning, touching up and filling a large gash on the left front corner.  As I worked, I really fell in love with this piece!  It was totally not the average low dresser and wow was it cleaning up fabulously!  I kept her posted with pics of my progress and she is totally excited to meet it!  Delivery is this Friday and I am so excited to see it in her home.  I love to get to clients homes since most of my customers are around the country, it's not always possible.  This lovely lady has quite the eye for design and it is a treat to see my awesome finds displayed in her amazing space.  Her color choices are bold and stunning.  The home is a sprawling MCM ranch in a charming neighborhood close to where I went to college. I always enjoy the visit! 

As I finished cleaning up this piece, I was contacted by a shopper on Etsy about a pair of dressers I had listed.  She was interested in both pieces.  (Yea!  I hate separating sets!!!!)  Would I deliver to Maryland outside of Washington DC?  Sure would for these pretties!  We set the delivery up for the following day and I get them ready and packed my car. The family and I headed down and delivered these gorgeous chests and we got them all moved in.  They were perfect!  My client sent us on our way with the most delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies I ever ate!  As we talked and she said she was interested in some more dressers for the other bedroom, I showed her a pic of another set that was for sale and I just loved so much.  She loved it too!  So today I got all the specs and did my run down on condition plus checked how much dirt was really on it and how it would clean up.  Well, this set is amazing in a kitchy and fun way.  I am happy to report I will be purchasing this set and getting it ready for delivery in early July!

Seriously shopping?  I get around!  I am always out looking and some things I choose not to invest in for various reasons including size, price and budget.  If i know you are looking for something, I would totally shop for you.  My goal is to get you a great price so that I can still price the final product under street value in my markets.  This means I will purchase on your behalf, go over it with a fine tooth comb trying to clean, erase imperfections as best as I can and tend to any structural issues that it may have.  Your freshly cleaned and touched up item will be shipped or delivered with the same care I take with the inventory I invest in.  You will get my honest opinion on condition and what I think I can do to get it up to snuff. I do not buy stinky or smelly stuff!  You can trust me to shop for quality items!  In most cases, I will ask for a deposit when I make the purchase with the balance due upon shipping/delivery.  If we have worked together in the past, however, you will have my trust on this. My services are offered in good faith that you will purchase the items secured for you.  Please reach out!  I will do all I can to help you find the piece of your dreams!  Good things take time, so do not expect an instant score and especially so if you give me a very specific list!  Walnut low dresser was easier to locate than say a Broyhill Brasilia 9 drawer dresser.  So the more flexible you are, the quicker this may go. 

Stock update:

Both Frank Lloyd Wright stretched fabric frames are complete and listed.  I can make more but have 4 of the smaller 'Design 107' pattern and 3 of the larger St Marks Print pattern ready to ship! They are very simple, fabric stretched over an artists canvas.  Please see them in the etsy shop.  Reach out if you would like me to order yardage from this line for you.  Even if you only want a yard, I would split the minimum order with you as they seem to require a 2 yard purchase.  They are also selling pillows made to order.  They are not cheap, but if you are interested, please check the schumacher.com website for available prints (search Frank Lloyd Wright and they come up) and I can work up a quote for you.  All pillows are 2 sided with the print you select. Expect to pay around $200 per pillow and most are 18" square but I saw they had the velvet in 16" square, most likely because the velvet is crazy expensive.  Reach out!

We are shoving off on vacation in a few weeks.  I will be totally off the grid for most of it.  I will probably put my online shops on vacation mode so I don't have any mad shoppers.  Although I expect to get into town every few days and access wifi, I am positive we will not have internet out in the Adirondacks where we are primitive camping.  If you need something, please reach out to me before Jun 22nd.  I will most likely not be coordinating any deliveries that week either or large furniture shipments. Hit me up now if there is something you love so I can get it shipped out or delivered for you in the next week or 2.  I will be crazy packing as we will be living in our VW Vanagon for 10 days or so which takes a lot of planning!! haha  

Special thanks to Darcie and Debbie who have been the most gracious clients and I just adore working with you! xo Malissa

Web site redesign launched!

I fell down a rabbit hole last week adding myself to Houzz.  I went to add the button to my web page and then decided to completely redo it entirely!  Please pop over and check it out!  I have hopefully made it better to navigate and used a different layout, which I really like.  I am still adding things, so not all of my customized pieces are logged yet but hope to get to that this week.  I also added my blog sign up form to page one instead of a splash page.  I had a few people express that they did not like it and I get it, but generally speaking, people won't sign up unless it is in their face!  ;)  Please reach out if you find something not working or something is just awkward so I can tweak it!  xo Web page link

I ordered some caning/weaving books which are coming today as I am having trouble figuring out how the weave was done in my dining chairs.  Hopefully one of the 3 books coming will address it.  If not, I will pick one that is in there and go with it.  I am anxious to get moving on them so they are ready to list.  

I just ordered chair glides for the 40/4 stacking chair set I have.  I know I lost a sale a while back because of the glide issue and I also did not directly deal with the customer or I would have bought them and sent them.  So I sourced the parts and will be installing them so they are ready to go and will not scratch floors.  If you like the commercial/industrial look, need a solid heavy and sturdy chair set for home or office, give them a look!  The chair has great history and is in fact the chair that all subsequent stacking chairs have strived to be like.  An ingenious design and a sleek look, the matched set of 4 will make a great add for your seating needs.  Check them out here:  40/4 stacking chairs by David Rowland

I am very happy to move a few items that have been here for a while over the last week. (and 2 bus shipments that have once again reminded me how REASONABLE it is to ship a chair across the country on the bus!!!)  I am also gearing up for a few auctions ending today that I plan on bidding on a few things so will see if I end up with anything.  I have a friend who is also interested in buying so I am able to spend the day on Friday hitting some sales with her in North Jersey.  I am very excited and it will be a fun day.  Maybe I will even come home with some cool stuff!  Keep your eyes on my social media!  

Looking for something?  With all of these sales I am hitting, let me know if you are looking for something specific!  I will certainly look for you!  It's hard for me to keep buying on my limited budget!  Regional and local peeps, this means you!  haha  In an effort to expand my regional presence, I have been mailing postcards out to Interior Design and photography pros in the area.  If you know of someone in Berks, Lehigh, Montgomery, Bucks, Lancaster, Lebanon areas who may rent furnishings for shoots or staging or even someone who may just need to keep my card on file in case something comes up in the future, let me know!  Working with professionals in my own area is a goal of mine for this year.  I love servicing the nation, don't get me wrong, but I feel there may be a need for my services here as well if people know about it. 

NEW TO HOUZZ!  Click the widget below and visit my page!  I'd appreciate if any of my past customers would leave me a review to get me started! xo 

MadModWorldVintage Featured on Houzz

Thank you for your time and enjoy your week!  xo Malissa

UPDATE!  I had success at my auctions last night! The following will be available when I get them picked up!  

Danish Teak open bookcase! It is amazing! Can you see an awesome collection displayed here?! 

Another amazing piece! Glass top dining table featuring lucite legs and brass details.  27" tall by 52" diameter. 

I also got a cool champagne ice bucket on a stand and some mod serving pieces from another sale that I will be picking up on Friday!  I have a great north jersey picking adventure with a friend this week! Totally looking forward to it!