Great finds at Goodwill

Finding Tiffany's candlesticks and a great bar on wheels at Goodwill is considered a good bargain finding day, right?

Genevieve

With the replacing of the windows on the 2nd floor "reading room", now being transformed into a playroom, some of the many toys that were housed in our family room have been moved into the new playroom, and a more adult environment has been created.

In the family room, a built in has survived and houses memos, books, and orange color galore!

I love orange color, it reminds of my travel to Thailand, the Buddhist monks robes, the praying beads,...for me is a very soothing color.

I have added some of my souvenirs from several distinct places, such as Mozambique, Ethiopia, England, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Goodwill from just around the corner!

Mr Y has a very good eye for bargains and nice things, as well. He was a darling when he got an antique print with a lady called Genevieve, my late mom's name.

I used the holes that can be found on the sides of the built in to pass through the red and white ribbon I  got a few years ago in Cape Town, added a clock from Target bought for song at Goodwill, and slowly my built in is being nicely dressed with my cooking books, cake stands and magazines.

Karl Springer, a great designer and a mirror

One of the many things I have learned when pursuing antiques and valuables is look into the back of the items, the quality of the materials used, and the finishings.
When I came into a junk store and found a mirror heavy as a rock, beautiful lines, parchment, mid-century lines I knew I had hit the thrifty mother load!
I came home, did some internet research, et voilá! I was in the possession  of an original Karl Springer octagonal mirror.
Karl Springer was "THE" designer of royals and celebrities. Those that loved his work include the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Frank Sinatra, Doris Duke, Jackie & Aristotle Onassis, Joni Mitchell and many others with good taste!
Mr. Y was never found of the mirror, and in a marriage ones needs to choose battles, so I have decided to consign to the amazing Baltimorean mid-century dealer Orions Objects.

My mirror that had a special place in my family room, and some amazing Springer's pieces found and sold at 1stDibs:

Photo credits:   Photos of individual pieces from 1st Dibs.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Hand embroideries: a dying tradition?

I was born and grew up in a tiny Island, Madeira Island, where hand embroidery was one most beautiful traditions and in some families a source of income.
Every young woman had to accumulate a trousseau made up of amazing pieces. I was able to get some of my pieces made by my late Mom, and every time I go to Madeira I try to get some more. It's considered a luxury item, even for tourists. I don't see as many stores as there were while growing up, so every opportunity I have to purchase a piece, I don't even think twice, more when you can find amazing pieces like this I got: a table cloth with six napkins for a steal!

You just need to know how to differentiate a real hand made from a machine one done in China, and that is turning the piece and check the back. In a hand made piece the finishings are always well hidden, the thread used is double, making it feel as it was embossed in the cloth.
This amazing piece I got at one of my favorite stores in my neighborhood: The Turnover Shop.

PS: the "white" spots are actually reflections from the chandelier I have on the dinning room.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Upholstery inspiration

Every time I need to clear my mind from what I call "dementia inducing bugs", aka, life roadblocks, I stop by an amazing Design/Decor store, at walking distance from my house.

Think airy sun rooms, beach/country house style. Every time I'm there I need to control  my impulse to steal the keys, and move in at the first opportunity.
It was here that I fell in love with upholstery, as well. All the sofas, pillows, chairs, benches are so well made, I have to leave my credit card at home to avoid any impulsive purchase.

Today I decided to stop by to ask the owner, Lauri, this gorgeous, with amazing taste woman, if she could provide her upholster contact information. I have do improve my upholstery skills pronto!  I may become soon an upholster apprentice.
Hopefully, very soon I will have a mini version of Stony Run Home.

Some pics of their goodies, saved immediately to my inspiration files!

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Before & After: Chinoiserie at best!

Before my adventures into upholstery, and with the help of many youtube and blogs tutorials, I decided to put to some good use an amazing Bassett McNab's Tea Garden fabric I purchased from FHG (fabric holly grail, aka, DeBois).

I had already seen the impact and use of the wallpaper of the mentioned fabric:

                 

Room by Gideon Mendelson as seen at House Beautiful

After many theories in how to make a headboard (thank you Rachel and Sara), I decided to take the plunge and go for it:

Add amazing fabric:

Some plywood and MDF:

Et voila! In less than 3 hours (matching the fabric was the most difficult of all tasks):

There is still a lot to do before I unveil the final product: my blue guest room. I still need to use the remaining fabric to do a roman shade for this room, add a rug, paintings, and a nifty chair I just purchased from Goodwill!

Linking my DIY project at The Pink Pagoda

Before & After: "Almost perfect" and I am fine with it!

I love evenings... So much, that I have trouble going to bed at night. I prefer staying up reading and spending endless hours on Pinterest. However, due to this last "addiction", my mind is filled with ideas (please read grand ideas, zero-how-I-will-translate-that-to-real-life).
To add to those grand ideas, I have become a fabric hoarder.  Since reading at the fellow Baltimorean blogs design par Deux and Pigtown Design about the "fabric holy grail" that is Debois Textiles.
My furniture hoarding "enabler/feeder" is an amazing store in Hampden filled with great pieces and people David's on the Avenue.

This is an example of one of my most recent adventures into the needles and thread ruthless world...
You mix a great chrome black leather, tarnished with a few cigarette burns:

With 2 yards of Windsor Smith for Kravet, Mandella fabric, and you get:

An awesome, almost perfect bench! 

I must thank Rose from Nifty Needle that with loads of patience and trust on my poor, almost non-existent  sewing skills, lead me through my first upholstery project!

It's not perfect at all, due to being short of fabric I was unable to align the patters, and will not win any Martha Stewart crafty honor badge in a million years.

Beijinhos, MY.