The Couch of Dreams

Last week I accompanied a friend to pick up some auction winnings and fell in love with a little couch there.  I know I focus on Mid Century Modern, but I shop with an estate company that pulls from NYC metro and they offer many high end furnishings and décor that are not in my normal sourcing realm.  This said, if you are looking for anything more traditional or ornate, please know I may be able to help you out with this.  So back to the couch of dreams....what stole the show is that it's blush velvet upholstery was in relatively decent shape, only in need of a cleaning.  The cushion has a down insert in it!  So posh!  The style is classic Chippendale but features a very elaborately carved eagle with his talon in his mouth at each arm and of course, the paw feet.  I have found no other couches like this online and it is most definitely the best of it's kind.  They told me it was from the 1920's but I will be picking it up tomorrow so cannot wait to see if there are any more clues.  If you follow my facebook, you may have seen when I posted the picture last Friday with a 'does anyone love this as much as me???' post?  Well, in fact someone does and reached out.  At this point, she is first in line to claim this beauty.  In case she turns it down, it will get listed in my markets.  I will be picking it up tomorrow along with some auction winnings I picked up.  If you want me to have a look at anything while I am on the road, shoot me a message!  I would be more than happy to shoot you pics of items that are for sale and keep an eye open at auction.  The preview for the next week's auction is usually available which is always good to get a look at.  The smalls I am bringing home will probably get listed over the weekend.

Amazing 1920s Camelback Chippendale style couch.  Beautifully carved arms and legs featuring eagles.  This color is so hot right now in decorating trends.  Paired with navy or neutrals, it is sure to look fabulous in an eclectic or traditional space! I am hoping to reveal more clues as to the dating of this piece when I get it home. This is new territory for me so I have a lot to learn and look forward to delving into another era and style!

The eagle is so dreamy! Rolled arms are a common element to a Chippendale style couch.  The elaborate carvings in the arms do not seem to be common, according to my searches! Most later reproductions (the original English Chippendales date to the 1700s) seem to lack the arm carved details to this extent.  

This foot is known as a lion's paw foot. Another popular foot style on Chippendale furniture is the Ball and Claw, which is literally an eagle claw holding a ball.   A note on the shell referring to early 1900s Chippendale reproductions:  Shell motifs carrying over from the Queen Anne period may be present, but are not as prevalent in this style as they were earlier in the 1700s.

So couches may be the thing for me!  The orange couch just sold.  So I will be couchless if the pink beauty gets claimed right away.  One thing I do still have is the beautifully restored day bed.  I would love to find this thing a home.  It is amazing.  I do realize it is more of a specialty piece which makes it a little harder to place.  My home would not be able to accommodate it until I kick a kid out.  :)  If you have any interest in it let me know.  All brand new cushions with just the right detailing.  Super neutral navy fabric from Joybird's pet and kid friendly line.  Make great seating and can accommodate overnight guests.  I would love to see it go to new parents as it would be a great addition to a nursery where you can catch some Zs and lounge comfortably with a baby.  Wish I had something as nice when my kids were babies.....I slept on the floor more than once!  ;)  Of course, great for a den, spare room and more.  All the details have been taken care of!  Delivery in my region no extra charge.  Get an instant shipping quote on my chairish.com listing. 

For my birthday, I found a great little Eames fiberglass side chair featuring an H base.  It was painted so I spent a lot of time stripping it down.  It is so cute and dated 1959.  I believe it to be an early Zenith production and the black finish on the base is original.  Super cute and worth the work to add it to my collection!  Here is a look at the project.  Stripping it took some physical work, but the product did not ruin the original shine at all!  I even got the labels free of paint!  I worked quickly in sections and was careful not to let the stripper sit too long as there were disclaimers on the product not to use on fiberglass.  It had no ill effect! 

There were 4 layers of paint on this chair!  It took some elbow grease and was not the most pleasant job.  I have a full day into it.

NEW ENGLAND SHOPPERS!  I have a delivery scheduled in April to Rye, NH.  I will be staying in Nashua for 2 days and then making a stop in Rhode Island on the way back.  If you are looking at something larger and I can fit it in the car with the set I am delivering, I would gladly bring along for you to pick up or I can meet you.  I am tag teaming the trip with a friend.  Please reach out!  I can hold your item with a deposit until the delivery.  This is a rare opportunity to save some shipping! 

ETSY SHOP IS 10% OFF until the end of the month.  MOST ITEMS included but there are a few I left off.  Please stop by and grab some awesome items while they are on sale!  Leaving you with a few new items to check out!  Have a great weekend!  xo Malissa

JUST LISTED: beautiful 21" diameter faceted mirror.  Great for a hall, foyer or smaller wall.  Mirrored glass is mounted on a heavy wood piece and features black painted wood with gold painting trim. 

Picking these auction winnings up Friday as well!  Not sure which items I will be keeping but will be evaluating this weekend and getting them listed.  I love having access to some very eclectic pieces and I welcome you to request weird stuff!  The fun of shopping out of my area is finding higher end pieces!  Reach out if you see something you love as I will let you have first shot! 

Ecclectic estate finds, dining chair options, and a fabulous new restoration begins.

Fall is in the air!  Many folks are thinking ahead of the holiday season and are getting their homes in order.  Adding a key new piece to your space can change your look without having to redo your whole room.  I have really focused on bringing in some unique items and some design classics in the last month so have a look at all the fun chairs in my stash and see if I can help you brighten up your home!  Some new items I am not comfortable shipping, and that will be noted in the listing and I encourage you to purchase via my Chairish shop.  You can get an instant shipping quote and if you have never shopped there, reach out as I think I can send you a coupon for $20 off your first purchase.  I have priced shipping on my own and their white glove service is easily half the price of what I can get so I feel it is worth me paying more fees on the sale to provide that service to my customers.  I have 3 items still waiting to go live, but they should be there by early next week.  Chairish is not quick to turn around listings.  :) 

Iranian-American metal artist, Bijan

I was invited to a local estate to purchase some items that had to go before the sale of the home.  I found some interesting items including a fabulous acid cut metal sculpture by an Iranian/American artist called Bijan.  Think C. Jere.  I read up on the artist and for sure am keeping the piece.  I am a sucker for tree art!  I also found that the owner had a rug fetish.  I picked up a small woven wool wall hanging.  I do not intend to sell that at this time.  These kind of things I treasure!  The real nice Arthur Umanoff metal and Danish cord chairs I recently listed also came from this estate.  It has the traditional slat board seat.  From what I have found, this particular chair is a harder to find chair.  I think it is great on it's own to add some natural interest to a space but also figured folks who have a few might be looking to complete a set.  It is in great shape overall.  I do think some of the paper cord is off at the ends but I will secure the piece to itself so it stays intact.  I would not opt to rewrap as you will lose the fabulous patina and that, in my opinion, makes this chair dreamy!  I added new plastic feet caps as there were 2 whites and 2 blacks when I found it.  This chair is listed and I could bus ship countrywide.  It is not terribly fragile.  I also picked a small upholstered arm chair, similar to my orange Heywood Wakefield arm chair, that will need a total redo.  Back of the line, but will get to it at some point. 

This Arthur Umanoff chair looks as good from the back as it does from the front! 

What else I found in that musty, moldy basement was instant love and I knew I had to take her on..........a fabulous metal frame with hairpin legs MCM daybed/studio couch!  I will tell you, after an hour or so of being in that basement, there were definitely moisture issues and I am not sensitive to it myself, but I make all restoration decisions for the benefit of those who are.  With that said, this beauty is getting all new cushions.  Foam and upholstery.  I will not be doing her myself as I felt this was a great opportunity to use my beloved upholsterer in Reading and still be under budget.  Although he has not given me a firm price, he said he WILL GIVE ME A GOOD PRICE (in his thick Spanish accent).  hahaI already picked the fabric, Bentley Indigo, from Joybird and ordered it the other day.  As soon as it shows up, the cushions will be on their way to be used as a pattern.  I expect to receive the fabric next week, possibly the week after.  This couch should be ready to deliver before Thanksgiving.  Please reach out if you would be interested in welcoming her into your home!  The fabric I choose is a textured velvet so it will be nice and soft for lounging AND it is from Joybird's PET AND KID FRIENDLY choices!  I am super excited to watch this restoration come to life!  As much as my mom and I would love to have done the work ourselves, my time is needed elsewhere right now so this just happened to be a great way to support a small local business and still get the work done.  Stay tuned for updates as she moves along! 

This day bed will be totally redone in Bentley Indigo fabric from Joybird. 

1968 classic Eames for Herman Miller in fabulous Cobalt upholstery! 

Just really cleaned up the Eames set and boy am I in love with them!  I decided, to keep the price user friendly, I will be selling AS IS, with the stacking bases.  Hopefully, the buyer will decide to invest in the repro dowel bases by modernconscience.com.  They are $130 each plus $20 shipping, I do not have a special arrangement with them so me buying them for you is just limiting my potential buyers and really, you could add them one at a time as budget allows.  There are some really cool things I learned about this set.  They are dated 1968.  They are MED BLUE fiberglass which was only available to contract customers with a 200+ chair order.  I am leaving the IBM sticker on the back of the one chair it is still present on because I think where they came from is freakin awesome!  The dawn of the computer age!  IBM's nickname was BIG BLUE, so kind of cool they choose these chairs to go with their image.  They are in pretty incredible shape.  No fiberglass issues and only very minor issues in the vinyl.  A few small pin holes, but no big tears or eyesores.  Also of note, the foam is SOFT!  These are in great working order.  I have seen enough trashed shells and have a well trained eye, I can spot the listings with the upholstery issues that no one talks about.....seriously, there is a lot of crap being sold online.  I assure you these are just lovely in every way!  They are the 'scholastic' or 'wide mount' so the only option of bases is the dowel base in choice of metal and wood.  I cannot attest for other repro manufacturers as I would personally buy from the company that Herman Miller refers their customers to for vintage restoration, and that is Modern Conscience. 

If you choose to add these modern conscience dowel bases, you can choose from walnut or maple wood and chrome or black powder coat metal.  Very well made and worth the investment.

Another choice of dining chairs I have is the finally complete Broyhill Brasilia chairs.  In gorgeous walnut finish and all new foam and upholstery in Pure Water by Joybird, they are stunning.  All structural issues have been repairs and a new shellac finish added to protect the wood.  These would look great in a more traditional setting if you are not an mcm purist.  They have real tall backs and make a formal statement.  They are ready to ship or deliver.  I can pack these for bus shipping nationwide for $100 or less in most cases.  

This blue really pops!  Mix with greens, blues even yellow and golds!   

I am generally available Tues, Wed and Fri for meet ups and deliveries in the region, occasional weekends. Please reach out if you want to meet me in eastern or central PA, NJ, NE MD areas and save on shipping! ✌️

Don't forget to order your MADMODWORLDVINTAGE T SHIRTS!  This limited offer is available NOW and for the next 24 days!  Pop over and reserve a shirt or 2 while you can!  $20 plus shipping.  http://madmodworldvintage.us12.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=e96eb7c7d54050652d89e7da9&id=8aeb144ed0&e=1907f1ceac

Thanks for listening!!!  Local peeps, stop by and shop local at Fleetwood Antique Mall!  XO Malissa

Just added!  Red vinyl Viking Artline slipper chair!  Priced at $50!  Take me home WED-SUN 10-6. 14129 Kutztown Rd, Fleetwood. 

Shopping and something new to restore!

Fall is getting underway, even though we are still battling unbelievably hot and humid temps here in PA!  I have been finding lots of goodies and am slowly trying to get things researched, cleaned, and listed in preparation for the busy holiday season.  In the mean time, I have been packing, shipping and delivering lots of cool things for folks!  Things are on the move now so if you are keeping an eye on my something in my shop, now is the time to commit!  Some of my last few items were sold to friends and I THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support!  I can tell you I now have a forest of CERAMIC CHRISTMAS TREES in the process of being touched up and repaired.  I plan on taking a few to my booth space to sell locally, but if you are looking for one, reach out and I can send you pics of what I have.  I just love them!  They make great heirlooms to pass down as well.  I sold 3 or so last season and they really are just great to have for your holiday decorating, in small spaces or in the office! 

Great chrome kitchen set!  That is RIGHT!  I found the perfect table to go with the atomic Dixie kitchen chairs I have!  Now they make the perfect little dinette set for a retro kitchen and feature dusty blue atomic print on the chairs, grey cracked ice formica top and lots of chrome.  If you are in the market for a dining set for a smaller space, this one is adorable.  The table also features 2 end leaves that store internally on spring loaded hinges.  A little bit shabby, this set can be used in any retro kitchen area, 50s theme or even shabby chic and farmhouse.  I consider myself more of a purist, but you do not have to be to work this stuff into your home! 

Restorations coming!  I am really trying to get through and list as much as I can so it is ready for the holiday shoppers.  That also includes working through a stash of items I need to restore.  I just ordered 5 yards of PURE WATER from Joybird which I plan on using on the Broyhill Brasilia chairs I have.  They need a bunch of structural work but I want to get them listed soon as many will be looking for chairs for their holiday tables!  Turquoise and Walnut is a divine combination!  I still have more Heywood tables to do and hope my life quiets down just a little so I can get through them!  Never enough hours in the day!  I also just picked up a super fabulous Eames fiberglass shell which I have determined to be a 2nd generation Zenith in the color Greige.  I am super stoked to tackle this and have just ordered the rocker base from modernconscience.com in black powder coat finish with walnut rockers.  I cannot wait to put it together and work some magic on the fiberglass.   If this goes well, I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for more shells.  Herman Miller is not the easiest to find in our area but this chair is such an icon and it is so cool to be able to bring this back and much improved.  It originally had an X base, which is common for a Zenith production piece.  There is one tiny crack on the edge of the fiberglass so I hope to be able to reinforce it as to not deteriorate any further.  Keep your eyes on the blog as I will definitely be writing about this process.  The chair will be living with me.....at least for the time being.  It is small enough, I hope to fit it in my living room.  My house is full of projects so much more fun to come. 

I am loving the walnut legs with this GREIGE seat and cannot wait to see them in person.  Greige is a made up word, or Portmanteau.  A hybrid of Grey and Beige.  Apparently this color type is picked as THE HOT paint and decorator color for 2017!  As always, I somehow find myself on the cutting edge of design totally by accident!

Expect a total revamp of the booth space in the coming weeks.  I'd love to work the chrome table set into it for the holidays.  I also have been picking up some fun kitchen items I'd like to feature in a fun little display. 

Bruno Mankowski update.  I added one of Mr Mankowski's bronze medals to my now collection.  Is it very heavy for a little thing and just gorgeous!  I am officially a collector of his work!  This medal features Asa Gray, a botanist.  Have a look!  Thanks, as always, for giving my blog a read!  I do get feedback from my readers and I am glad you are enjoying! xo Malissa