Thrifting “lady date”

Hey all! Thanks SO much for all the wonderful comments and emails about our sweet Peanut! Many of you asked, and he’s a Chihuahua/rat terrier mix. They called him a Chia Rat. ;)

We had such a great day with him. He slept ALL night last night and didn’t make a peep! We had a great visit to the vet – and he’s really healthy. (That was a relief!) And tonight he “went” outside for the first time! (TWICE!) It was like potty training the Bub all over again – so exciting!! ;)

Anyway, we’re figuring things out as we go. One thing I know for sure is that he LOVES our son so very very much. OH my…they are nuts about each other. It brings tears to my eyes every time I watch them together.

I’m finishing up a few things in the basement before I show you the difference decluttering made. :) Until then, I wanted to share some finds from my recent trip downtown Indy to Midland Arts and Antiques:

Three girlfriends and I went for a Saturday “lady date” – as one of my friends called it -- (love that!) out to eat and then to Midland for some antiquing.

If you live near Indy and you love the thrill of the hunt…you MUST take a trip there. It’s an old (HUGE!) warehouse full of fabulous finds.

I snapped shots of a few things that caught my eye. As with most antique stores, you’ll find some good, bad and definitely ugly. :) You’ll also find real antiques, lots of vintage (especially mid-century modern right now) and also stuff you could also find at any Goodwill. :)

I found a few clocks turned cloches:

Do they look familiar?:

The only difference – I bought my 80’s clock-turned-cloche for $3 at Goodwill, and these were both over $40 if I remember right. :)

The fabulous light fixtures are endless! Some are funky:

If we had a wine cellar, I would totally put this there! But alas, we don’t. :)

Some just need some spray paint and they’d be a close Pottery Barn knock off:

And check out this one:

SWOON! It looks SO similar to the one hanging in our dining room:

And mine was a knock off of another Pottery Barn light. I think the one at Midland is even bigger, and is the same price as our Home Depot light (now $180 I believe).

I found a gorgeous mirrored tray that would be stunning on any dresser or buffet:

And this mirror would be beautiful as is, painted a bright white or even an unexpected color:

I loved these cane side tables:

And I kept going back to this chair and ottoman:

They were in fantastic condition! I could totally see them in hubby’s office in the basement – but as  you know, I’m getting rid of stuff down there right now (for the impending finishing off of the space).

You’ll always find the downright weird too. :)

Birds on display anyone?:

And these chairs in your dining room would be a conversation piece for sure!:

:)

I found a few goodies I took home from our trip, of course.

I loved this little bird cagey candleholder:

I won’t use it for candles though. I see a nest or something spring-like nestled in there. :)

I have wanted a vintage fan forEVER…and this one caught my eye:

It was my biggest splurge of the day by far, at $25. I cleaned it up and considered spray painting it. But I also love it as is. Hmmm…

I thought this two-sided mirror was so sweet and dainty:

It’s the perfect addition to my Mom Cave. :)

There were bins full of old Bingo cards:

I only grabbed three for an idea for the playroom. I’m thinking I could use more though.

And this little bunny letter opener was my favorite find of the day:

It was one of those things…I thought it was just adorable. It was only $2, so I couldn’t pass it up.

I had to leave midway through the shopping to get back to the sitter, but it was a good thing. I’m sure it would have been dangerous to stick around too much longer. :)

Sometime I’ll have to coordinate a shopping trip for local readers and bloggers – it’s a great afternoon of digging for goodies!

Have you found any great thrifting finds lately? Any good spots in your neck of the woods?

Blue Monday

Even though red seems to be grabbing all the headlines lately, I've been noticing a lot of blue on and off the runway and in the home.  I absolutely love Todd Alexander Romano's new blue apartment that was featured in the February issue of Architectural Digest with its pops of citron, chartreuse and red.  I also noticed these same color combinations in many fashion photos from New York, London and Milan.  Makes me want to buy something blue today!

Photos by Thomas Loof for AD, Tommy Ton, The Sartorialist, Hanneli Mustaparta and Mr. Newton

Double Lack

Materials: 2 lack table

Description: For the first table, cut the four legs (about 10cm less), for the second one, cut just one leg. That's all, you can nest them as you wish.

~ dunoon, brittany

Gorgeous Gucci

In 2009, Gucci moved their headquartes from Florence to Rome.  The offices are located in a historic building on Via del Banco di Santo Spirito.  The nine story palazzo was commissioned by Giulio Alberini, a wealthy merchant, and erected in 1515 and was designed by Raphael and his student Giulio Romano.  Gucci head designer Frida Gianinni told W magazine that she found the "palazzo through a family friend, it had just undergone a historical renovation by architecture firm Studio Gigli. Inside, new bathrooms and lighting fixtures had been added, and the frescoes were painstakingly restored. Outside, the facade had been scoured of all that big-city smog residue." The Ministry of Arts and Culture rules created a few complications for the day to day work at Gucci.  Soryboards and sketches that Giannini used to pin on her walls for inspiration have to lean on the floor due to the precious frescoes, “I can’t hang anything, let alone put lights up,” Giannini lamented.

The frescoed ceiling at Gucci.

Frida Giannini in her office.  I love the brass standing mirror in the corner!

I don't care for contemporary furniture when it's housed in a sleek interior but I do like the look juxtaposed with mouldings, boiseries and architectural details.  I always wonder if this is why Europeans love this type of furniture so much.  It always seems to look better in their older buildings. 

"For the decor, Giannini plucked furnishings from the blueprint she masterminded for the brand’s flagships in New York, Rome and Shanghai. Tables are crafted from shiny Indian rosewood, often bordered with rose gold–tinted brass; divans and chairs are made from mohair velvet; and smoky or clear glass inserts gussy up the doors."

Frida Giannini was also just interviewed by James Franco for the March 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar that includes a look into her home in Rome.  After watching the Oscars last night, I do not understand his appeal but at least her house is interesting. I especially love the Fernand Leger painting behind them.

The living room was decorated with art-deco pieces.

Frida sits in an Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair in her study.

I love the railings along the stairs.

I love the simplicity of Frida's home.  Each piece of furniture becomes a work of art.

The kitchen is sleek and modern while the fur blanket softens the lines in the bedoom below. I know the Gucci office and Frida's home won't appeal to everyone but it really works for interiors in historic buildings in Rome.  More than I can say about James Franco at the Oscars.

Photos by Christopher Sturman and Douglas Friedman



Ivar Studio Desk

Materials: Ivar shelving units

Description: I work for a small architecture firm in southern California, and last summer I started working from home 3 days a week. I had a small workspace setup prior to that, but it was inadequate for actual day to day work. I needed storage space for books, my computer, stuff, and a big enough desk surface to roll out drawings.

So, I borrowed, and slightly modified the way we set the office workstations up at my firm. We use Ivar's as deskstands with door blanks as the desk surface. The setup I've done at home is similar, but I've used Europly plywood as the desktop. For a small bedroom space, this arrangement works really well.

~ Kyle, Los Angeles