This entire blog was inspired by a news clip that I saw yesterday on a local shop, "The Future Antiques of America", also known locally in St. Louis as "TFA". 100% of their merchandise is original mid-century modern classic furniture, clothing, and household items. I have purchased a few things from this store, including a hard-to-find specialty piano role for my J Chein mini player piano.
I have always been attracted to vintage...everything! In my belief system, vintage is anything more than 30 years old. That would include "up to the late 1970's".
I do know folks who are excellent at incorporating up-to-date modern decor with antiques, and items from all eras. While this is the best way to 'have your cake, and eat it too', I marvel at the attention to detail that is heeded in designing a space that is themed to the max!
When I was growing up (late 1960's - early 1980's), decor, clothing and other items from the mid-century to the early 1980's would have been in vogue. However, my parents would never concern themselves with anything fashionable - period. "I'm just sayin', and I'm only keeping it real." I have photographic proof, if it is needed. They haven't changed their ways, either. I have learned how to live my live by exception, rather than following in their footsteps.
I absolutely refuse to be bound by the same self-inflicted chains that run and have ruined their lives. Therefore, I embrace both the old and the new.
There are many spaces that I would choose to be my ultimate dream home. I am fond of an overly busy Moroccan, Indian (India) or other Middle Eastern space as well as I am attracted to an extremely sleek, clean, minimalistic space. Mark and I have had lengthy conversations about how difficult the jobs of an architect and an interior decorator would be is money were limitless, and I had free reign over the design of my living space.
With that being acknowledged, the current home we live in was built in 195, with the back great room added in the early 1960's. The kitchen is stuck in a bad 1970's sit com, and I wouldn't change a thing. The back great room screams 1960's, with it's slanted roof, indirect florescent lighting along the length of the ceiling, original paneled walls, built-in shelving and a stone floor with huge grout lines.
"Our '60's Great Room":
(Note the sloped roof, and the indirect fluorescent lighting the full length of the room, and the grout lines on that floor!)
A second view:
I wouldn't change a thing about this space, and I would happily hunt down anyone that attempted to do so. If you have ever seen any of HGTV's shows that have to do with decorating or "flipping this house", you will have a front row seat on the bastardization of American design and decorating. This country has a reputation all over the world for rapidly destroying it's history, or what little history we have to begin with. The shows that I have mentioned are serving only to teach people how to do something less detail oriented, with less effort, and on-the-fly.
Back to my retro home:
This video clip ran recently on a local St. Louis news station, and featured a local shop, The Future Antiques of America ("TFA") The clip in no way does the store justice, but it does give a general idea of the merchandise they carry.
The Future Antiques of America's web site:
The folks at TFA go to the same haunts that I do - estate sales. Most of the estate sales that I go to every weekend have the same items that are in the TFA store. It's just a matter of who gets there first - myself, or their pickers! - and who wants it the most!
Mark hates anything vintage, because his late aunt had a room that was full of vintage furnishings, and that room was "off limits". Please allow me to be the first to tell you that there isn't another person on this planet that has the power to make me neither despise nor love anything. Those are my choices, and choices that I choose to make alone. I love it all! Through unparalleled vigilance and some sneaky purchasing tactics, I always seem to get my way.
I have had this lamp since I was a child:
Look up "panther TV lamp on eBay." The retro store in the clip that I posted at the beginning of this blog sells these lamps upwards of $75. This lamp sits on one of my Hammond organs, which by chance, is retro, too!
I also have a 1966 Wurlitzer Electric piano:
This is a video of the Wurli Electric piano in action:
That lovely 3D ship painting!:
(Hammond A-100 with Leslie 122 speaker identical to my rig
Get those damned plants off the organ and speaker! It's an instrument,
not a fern stand!)
A video of the Hammond A-100 / Leslie 122 speaker. Actually, it is me playing my own Hammond A-100 and piano in a 'clone situation.
But...but.... I also have two sets of the huge glass grapes! I have always been intrigued by those!
(I bought my lamp in excellent condition at a flea market for $15! The same lamp is priced at $250 on eBay.)
My next quest (and they are more rare than you would think):Another estate sale find brought us 2 Wasilly chairs. These chairs are an example of an item that appears to fit into an era or a decade, but they are, in fact, from a much earlier period. These chairs were invented in 1925 - 1926, but appear to be from the 1950's or 1960's. There are wonderful bargains to be found at estate sales. We shopped at the House of Denmark furniture store, and these chairs are available (on sale) for $1,600. Regular price: $2,200. I got both chairs for $225 - for the pair!
A good description of the Wassilly Chairs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassily_Chair
1) An original Egg Pod chair:
An original Egg Pod chair in *EXCELLENT* condition is between $5, 000 - 8,000. An original egg pod chair in *BAD* condition, and in need of complete restoration is $1,000 - 1,500!
2. A Spaghetti lamp:
They are not rare, and not horribly expensive. I just haven't made the purchase yet. There are a lot of these lamps out there, in all shapes and sizes. Choices, choices, choices! They come in swag, pole lamps, desk many other types of lamps
It would be much easier expressed as, "Every weekend I go to estate sales, and most of them feature both vintage furnishings and vintage clothing. If I brought home everything that appealed to me, I would need to buy my entire subdivision to house all my treasures!"
- Michael
No comments:
Post a Comment