The Saving of the Chairs, Plus New Items To Make Your Valentine Swoon.→

My mother**, the most talented seamstress ever, is getting into the meat of our projects!  She has taken apart each piece of fabric including the piping.  Using each piece as a pattern, she is starting to recreate the upholstery in our brand new glorious Vibe Aquatic fabric from Joybird. 

**Margery has been a seamstress for most of her adult life.  She learned the craft sewing her own clothes and currently has a stream of loyal clients bringing her hemming and alteration projects ranging from jeans to sequined formal wear. I encouraged her to dice up my wedding dress and have 2 gorgeous heirloom christening outfits worn by my children and hopefully the next generation.

The guts of these chairs are in great shape!  Taking these apart carefully allows the cord in the piping to be reused.  Here is the new piping!  

After pinning the piping in place on the seat edge, mom fits the new seat on the chair.  Wow! 😍

You can really soon how vibrant and beautiful this fabric is! 

Cuttings for both chairs!   The original faded cream fabric is the pattern!

I have my work to do which includes sourcing some supplies, sanding and restoring the arms and of course, reassembly!  I am just working on my year end tax stuff to stay ahead of that mess so will be getting a move on.   I have not determined my final sale price for these beauties yet but feel free to email me if you have a serious interest in them.  I will only sell them together, but do have the single chair to do later and will need more fabric so could allow buyer to choose the fabric.  I was thinking of using the Vibe Tangerine.  

MEANWHILE. 

I just added a mint set of Amish Butterprint fridgies to the shop and a nice set of Primary Fridgies. Both are ready to display.  Fresh picked, a set of 3 Daisy/Sunflower Cinderella mixing bowls that i will complete shortly.  I should be able to do well on their price.  My higher priced sets are due to higher acquisition cost and I really am not making much on them, but want to offer the best collectable pieces i can! I have priced the 2 fridge sets for credit VS cash price so save $5 if you have cash for payment.  💰 Have a look!

This pattern is quite wonderful!   I will source the missing bowl and complete the set before it heads to the shop!

The Fridgies! 😍 

Lastly, I took some pics of the Sari blankets. I can get more of these for the time being, so I will gladly ship if anyone is interested in one!  I did not measure, but they are larger than a throw, might be almost sized for twin.  Each blanket is unique.  PERFECT for picnic, beach/pool, music festival, vintage campers and VW bus fans.  Unlike traditional American quilts, these do not have a batting later between the panels.  You will find holes, patches and character in the fabric as these were all vintage dresses.  Imported from India by my wholesaler, they were hand sewn and quilted. Have a look and email if you are interested in one! $50 each plus shipping from 19522.  Available to purchase at the shop WED-SUN 10-6 fleetwoodantiquemall.com

This blanket is vibrant and colorful!  Turquoise themed on one side, orange and warm on the other.  Great home decor item! 

Blanket #2 is more neutral in browns and golds.  The fabrics are interesting.  Great for a Boho look, mixed decor and so much more! 

Thanks for following along and please invite your MCM loving friends to follow along!  Any fan of good design is a friend of mine!  Email me if I can meet you at the shop!  I will bring anything in my online inventory you'd like to see! ️xo Malissa

Shop updates. Heywood Wakefield Chair restoration has begun!

I am thrilled with the space!  I cannot say enough as to how happy I am to have a physical location.  I was able to meet a local etsy customer, help her shop and bring her an item to look at that she was considering!  With that said, if you plan a visit and there is something in my online inventory you'd like to see, please email me at malissa@madmodworldvintage.com and I will get it there for you, and at me best price! If I am available when you stop, I will definitely try to meet you!  Seeing there is a market for collectable pyrex pieces that no other vendors are really tapping, I will be concentrating on curating some nice sets, cleaned and oiled and ready for display.  I will be adding a primary fridge set next week.  Waiting for the blue dish to come.   

Last dish is on it's way!  Hitting the shop next week!  

This week found home for my Friendship cinderella mixing bowl set, the turquoise step end table, the yellow hostess casserole and I expect the small bookcase and Bertoia chairs to be picked up today.  I also sold a chair online and shipped to California!  What a great busy week! Now to figure out what to put into the open space!  ​

With my Joybird yardage on the way, I started demolition on one of the Heywood Wakefield chairs.  Looking forward to making these beautiful!  I selected the VIBE AQUA, which is a great color and a sturdy weight.  Cannot wait for my mom to work her sewing magic! 

I started with the worst chair and will be doing some work on the arms thanks to a suspected small doggy's nails!  The rest of the wood is excellent though, so if this is the only sanding I have to do, I am happy!   There is a similar chair for sale at my antique mall so if this goes well and this pair finds a home fast, I will save that one as well! 

I do think it is pretty funny that our current perception of MCM does not really coordinate with fabric choices of the era!  This floral is pretty gross! 😜👍. This chair is not something i would want in my house as is, but i think after a strip (wood looks painted) returning it to blond bombshell and a sassy colored upholstery, she will be fabulous!   

Enjoy the warmer weekend weather if you are in the Northeast!  A great time to get out and find some treasures!  Shop is open 10-6 daily, closed Mon and Tues.  Etsy and Chairish are open all the time!  I just added some fun things and have 2 durable sets of 4 dining and/or temporary seating options available!  The wine 40/4 stacking chairs will also coordinate with the Kilim rug I have in stock!  Buying multiples?  Please contact me first and I will give you a better deal!  💗👍✌️

xo Malissa

The other chair I would like to save! 

First chair being disassembled. 

Coming up for air, but still adding things to the inventory.

The Christmas rush has started!  My small items are moving out the door!  Pyrex sets, holiday decor....it's going!  This is very exciting and I am still trying to get everything out the door in 24 hours or less.  I will be stressing about last minute shipments and I can tell you UPS STANDARD will get things to NYC in one day.  But do not push your luck!  I would gladly upgrade your shipping but you need to reach out to me so I can quote it for you!  Anything going by bus really needs to get out this weekend to have a chance of making it.  I can tell you my NYC bus shipment usually arrive in Port Authority the next day after I ship, but with holiday travel, we cannot assume anything at this point. 

NEWS

If you have been to any of the shops or the web site this week, you may have noticed I have commissioned a new logo! 

Also on the move is the new Chairish shop!  I am up 6 listings, approved and live!  I am hoping to reach a new market of designers and collectors and am looking forward to my first sale and going through the process.  I will be cross listing pieces in the shops and prices will vary accordingly.     

I continue to tweak things on the web page and hope everyone finds it helpful and easy to use.  There are a few things that bother me and I will continue to tweak! I am all set up for commerce and am limited in what I can have listed, so will keep the web direct deals to items that do not fit etsy's strict criteria.  I have some new vintage themed items for sale!  They will make great stocking stuffers!  Also, I picked up a fabulous set of T-Vac chairs by Ron Arad for Vitra.  Only designed in 1999, these are too new for etsy. Ron Arad is a London based Architect and Designer who has been dubbed the hottest of our modern designers.  I thought these were definitely in line with my offerings and scooped them up! Buy direct for best price! 

Set of 4 Tom Vac Chairs by Ron Arad.....SEXY!  Click to visit the listing and BUY DIRECT!

Also new this week are a SUPER set of 7 Lane Perception dining chairs!  They are an awesome Danish inspired style, but with all the great construction of American made era furniture.  The seats are very large, everything is super sturdy and these lived their whole lives to date with one family who raised 11 children!  I have update with new vinyl seats, tended to some finish issues ending with some new lacquer and glued up some weak joints.  They are ready to ship and will look great around any walnut table.  Please check out the Perception line if you are unfamiliar.  Designed by Warren Church, this line incorporates a sleek Danish style and these seats and some of the tables incorporate a floating look.  Drawer faces feature woven cane.  It truly is a nice line and is very collectable as many of the era Lane pieces are.  They are fairly easy to find and pricing is reasonable. 

Super 7 piece set of Lane Perception dining chairs restored!

Next up.....freshly picked!  Check out these cuties!  The ever popular Carter Brothers Series 200 Scoop chair and a great sturdy slat bench!  They are both in great vintage condition with appropriate wear.  Both will make a great accent to any space. 

Carter Brothers Series 200 Scoop Chair features bent ply seat.  Very low and sexy!  Awesome avocado green vinyl upholstery!

Awesome sturdy mid century slat bench!  IDing these things is near impossible.  Not marked.  MUCH sturdier than the last one I had so definitely a better brand. 

Thanks for much for signing up for my mailing list!  I appreciate you guys following along with my endeavors!  Hope you all have a fabulous holiday and please reach out if you need a last minute gift!  Don't forget the Franciscan Starburst items I have for sale right on the web site!  I do have some exciting plans for this spring and I will wait to unveil them until official.  In the mean time, your support is helping me reach my goals of saving MCM!  Have a super holiday!!!!! xo Malissa

SAVE 10% OFF ALL ETSY SHOP INVENTORY NOW THROUGH DEC 24th AT MIDNIGHT!  Use code: MERRYKITSCHMAS at checkout!  I rarely put my furnishings on sale so NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO SAVE!!!!

Adventures in Acquisition. Come along on a ROAD TRIP!

We stumbled across a shop a few years back on our way back from a VW campout in NY state.  I had a chance this spring to stop by again and realized I need to go back and save some more!  Everything needs some work and that is fine by me because I am starting to nest my winter projects!  Yesterday I embarked on a grand adventure.  Me, the kids and our 89 VW Vanagon.  My husband had a family emergency so he headed off to Pittsburgh and I was setting off alone.  I promised to not exceed 65 MPH and keep my eye on the temperature gauge.  This van can't really get to 65 MPH, by the way!  hahaBut I had many mountains to cross on this route and that can cause overheating and trouble if the van decides to malfunction. 

High on the hill overlooking the Susquehanna River on PA Rte 6.

Travelling via a 25 + year old vehicle does require avoiding the fastest way to get somewhere.  We avoid highway driving as much as possible.  So it only makes sense to take the most historically pleasing route across PA, ROUTE 6.  It runs East-West across the whole state just south of the NY border.  Meanders through small towns, up and down mountains and not only is quite scenic, there is much fun to be had shopping and eating!  We passed many antique shops, but I had one in mind to spend my money at, so did not bother stopping. 

My 2 trusty helpers were pretty decent travel buddies.  I only had to yell at them twice for beating each other in the back seat.  They have been raised in the van so it is like an extension of home to them.  They have been on some crazy long trips and camping adventures, so it was just like another day to them. 

We arrived at our destination and immediately got to talking shop with the adorable owners.  A father and son team who have many years of estate picking, sale going and show selling under their belts.  They only buy Mid Century Modern items and have a shop full of gems, if you know what you are looking at and can see past the non elegant presentation, full of dust, spider webs and issues that need to be tended to.  They always treat me fair and I can get some nice pieces for my shop.  They are in love with the history of the designers and pieces, just like me, so you can imagine how much I treasure the few hours I spend conversing with them both.  They also have the largest stash of Hey Wake I have seen and their shop is somewhat of a museum to those in the know.  Many folks came through while I was there, but I could see by the blank looks in their eyes that they were not MCM fans and had no clue what they were looking at. 

I had plenty of time to ponder items in my price range and go over a loose plan for restoration.  Talking myself up to the task perhaps, or mainly building my self esteem to know I could tackle the job, with dignity and integrity because no restoration job should be half assed.  :)  I came back around to a set of Gio Ponti Shaker Style chairs.  Gio Ponti was probably the most popular Italian modernist of the era....an architect, furniture designer and industrial designer.  His spin on the traditional ladder back chair is pretty neat.  It's exaggerated in a cartoon kind of way.  I just thrifted a smaller back Ponti chair the day before, so it quickly turned in to Ponti fest this weekend!  These chairs are dainty and light, another Shaker tradition.  They need restore work, but after my last cord restoration, I know I can do it.  :)  I got a set of 4 in chippy black lacquer....rustic and nice for those who like to mix MCM with more traditional pieces and a pair in a blond finish, which look great with the little HW cart I picked up for a friend.  He gets first dibs on them.   I have been wanting a full set of chairs in the shop because I have done well with them, so that made me happy.  These chairs definitely are not for everyone.  They are very dainty.  My almost 6' and plus size stature feels very large on them.  They would do best in a household with lighter folk and no kids or people who are rough on their furniture.  I love Danish modern, but I have Hey Wake in my dining room.....it can handle larger people just fine and it's more comfortable to me.  Just something to keep in mind when shopping.  Shipping my stuff does not allow my customers to try before they buy so I want to make it clear what thoughts I have on it, in case that helps someone make a decision!

Gio Ponti threw up in my driveway!  The chairs are very cute and the design is exaggerated and cartoony. 

So now you are wondering about those Eames chairs?  Yes, they are Herman Miller Eames shell chairs.  Structurally, they are great, on a swivel base.  They have upholstery issues so I am going to try to deal with that and bring them into a new life.  I have 3 options, try to clean up the fabric on it (I picked 2 of the cleanest) but the foam inside is degraded, paint the fabric if I can OR remove all of it and clean the glue residue and try to polish the fiberglass.  I found a blog with someone else's adventures in restoring one of these so plan to use it as a reference.  They are a great chair and actually comfy even in this degraded state.  They hug you or at least hug me because of my wide butt.  :)  The fiberglass is moss green.  I think they are pretty. 

Last but not least.  The coffee table.  Recognize it?  Yep, Paul McCobb planner group!  Such a simple design, yet oh so stunning!  The simple splayed legs scream sexy.  We discussed it in length and Tom is convinced it is an early model and that the 2 toned presentation is original.  He has found no examples of it to prove it, but he has a personal collection of McCobb and I trust his valuation.  The label residue is still on the underside over the black finish.  It has some chippy spots around the edge and some areas on the top are rubbed through the black. I have not decided how I will attack that or if I should leave it as original wear.  I do think it adds character to the piece.  I am smitten with McCobb and because he was America's designer, and massed produced, his stuff turns up.  Definitely consider adding one of his pieces to your MCM collection.   

And finally, no road trip is complete without some great eats!  There is a stretch on route 6 somewhere near Wyalusing boasting a few road side BBQ joints.  We try to hit Chris' Western Beef whenever we are travelling through.  It is a kitschy little joint and we just love it!  They close for the season sometime late September, and we have been there on their closing weekend, just barely getting through in time! 

I live for places like this!  Bring on the KITSCHY Roadside fun!

My partners had worked up an appetite!  This joint has a cool vibe, outdoor seating and decent food!  Ice cream too, but they had already had some while I was shopping so we passed on dessert.

We had a great trip!  The van behaved and I did not have to call AAA!  It was a good day.  Today I will repent and clean my garage, organize my hoard maybe work on my slat bench and keep on trucking!  CHEERS!  xo Malissa