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

Spring refresh, back to school and other thoughts on business.

The Etsy shop sale is winding down.  Please check out by midnight Saturday to save.  I will hold price onlarge items with a deposit.  Message me to secure your favorite piece! 

Thanks for al the love I the last two weeks! I have been packing, shipping and delivering some great items! Spring is such a great time to spruce up your home. We just repainted our bathroom and I picked up an incredible shower curtain by Sin in Linen so set off the warm grey we chose.  More painting to come and hopefully some new flooring before I get to work on my couch restoration.  Here’s a peek at the bathroom.  Our home was built in 2004 with 70s era blueprints so we have new home luxuries with smaller rooms like an older home.  I do miss not having cool things like tiles and hardwood but as things are aging we can refresh with the details we love. 

We formerly had a light green tint wall, which over the years showed a lot of dirt and wear.  I choose the flooring with green so needed to work some green into the space and this shower curtain really brought it all together! 💕. Cannot wait for the next transformation!

I have been taking a Small Business class with a division of Kutztown University and am about half way through the session.  Learning how to take my business to the next level and our final project is presenting a Pitch to lenders.  I am not looking for a loan, but will be a good experience.  I am focusing my efforts into reaching a more regional audience of interior designers and Home stagers for other services besides just sales.  I am about 5 years into selling and although my numbers are fantastic, it really leaves little in my pocket and the goal was to replace a full time income which I am still very far from.  I do not feel it wise to go into debt at this point.  I have a great inventory I built up with little personal investment so I feel slow and steady wins the race.  I also feel  like my own area is not my market and I do hope that after spending time working that market and alternative revenue streams, I am pleasantly surprised by my findings. This business is very volatile.  Not only do trends change quickly, you are at the whim of big box knock offs and worse, the crappy economy.  Last year has given me PTSD as overall I did well but there were many successive months that I scraped by. The only pay I get is that this business pays my car payment and I had to reach into my pocket to do that last summer.  My pocket can not afford that payment.  😂. So this year, I am going to start going lean and keeping a stash in case that happens again. I will be picky about my buys from this point forward just because it is easy to just keep buying but when things stop selling it is a very stressful place to be.  Summer generally is the slow time.  Anyway, I plan to offer more custom services so reach out if I can assist in coordinating a restoration for you.  I have a few stunners ready for new upholstery now! There is something special about saving a piece and making it your own! The pride you will get of showing off the piece and talking about how you helped create it, that is priceless! 

Enjoy your week!!!! Malissa

Weekend hustle. Pics of the new couch.

I had a great weekend starting off with picking up the pink velvet couch.  Wow is it stunning!  Wanted to share pics of it cleaned up and it is AVAILABLE.   Listing is up on ETSY and coming soon to Chairish.

I so love the feather cushion!  This piece was restored in the not so distant past.  Everything is in amazing shape including the feather insert.  

I won these French made pillows that I thought would be a perfect match! They also have down inserts.

After a cleaning and refreshing of the wood, these carvings really shine! This foot design is known as a lion paw or hairy paw. The shell motif was less common in American reproductions in the early part of the 20th Century.  I found no clues on it’s maker and most pieces from this era are not as elaborate as this piece.  The upholstery redo is fantastic work.

The left side eagle has been repaired and failed so I will be tending to that. Otherwise, only issues are some light stains on the fabric which are pretty minor.

Pieces this great really do not turn up that often and I will say after extensively searching for another, there are some damn boring Chippendale reproductions out there!!!! The carvings not only make this piece, the shape does.  As you can see the camel hump is less pronounced and the flared ends really create a nice almost exotic look.  Not every Chippendale is the same and this one has everything going for it.  The pink velvet makes it very pertinent to today’s hot colors and textures and it will be timeless while adding class and elegance to your space.  Whether you have a Victorian home or a craftsman style bungalow, this piece will fit in with your eclectic look.  

Please note if you are local to me, reach out for a cash price if you buy direct!!!

Next up, source to order fun.  

I always am hunting for pieces for clients and sometimes it takes longer than others.  I found one long dresser last year and placed it with the first person on my list.  I also had another waiting and this weekend I found a beauty!  

Beautiful walnut veneer 9 drawer chest reminiscent of the Broyhill Sculptra line but unmarked and still unidentified.  Recessed pulls on center drawers and beautiful gold and black filigree pulls on the ends.   

I brought it home and cleaned it up while reporting to my client details on condition and concerns.  There was only one area with some veneer chipping so we discussed that and made a plan.  I did some work blending in the area and it really helped. Delivered 24 hours later! If you are searching for a special piece, reach out with details and I will try to help you find it! 

Adding some stain to darken the area and then adding a clear coat to protect and seal helped this area blend in.  

After the touch up and not so much attention is drawn to the area.   

I was thrilled to visit my friends and clients who had me restore a pair of Heywood Wakefield dining chairs for them a few years ago.  It’s always great to visit my babies!  Plus I got to meet their adorable pups, Elvis and Audrey! So happy I could hook them up with this dreamy piece! 

The orange convertible couch is getting picked up tonight and heading to Delaware.  Things are on the move!  My etsy store will remain 10% off through the end of the month and they will be advertising sales etsywide.  

A reminder that I am heading to New England next month.  If you are searching for a larger item and can meet me in Nashua area with a side trip to Rye on the coast or Rhode Island....message me now! I am delivering a 2 pc set so as long as I can fit your item in my car, I can save you shipping!   

Thanks for reading!!!!  Have a great week! 

XO Malissa