Sometimes You Get Lucky

Thrift shopping can be like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get... I mean... find. And a few weeks ago, strolling through our local Salvation Army, I got the foil-wrapped truffle bon bon from the center of the box! There, by all the other worn out, dated sofas was this brand spankin' new looking mid-century modern couch.

I looked it over.  Lusted after it.  Wondered over it.  Could it be vintage?  It looked so new!  No, after closer inspection, I could tell it was authentic vintage.  And I also knew it would look perfect on my 60s retro turquoise porch.  But (OH NO!) I just got another cute frisé late 40s, early 50s sofa from a friend, so I just couldn't use this darling piece!  Sigh!  And how much did it cost?  There was no price.  Perhaps it had been sold already.  Oh well, couldn't buy it anyway.

Upon returning home, I casually mentioned it to my oldest son who, with his wife, is temporarily living with us in between stints in China and possibly Glasgow.  Anyway, this son enjoys quirky and retro and he's very curious.  So, unbeknownst to me, he went over to the store to check it out.  He also got them to price it.  Would you believe only $20?  YES!  So, he bought it.  And it ended up on my 60s retro turquoise porch anyway... in front of the other couch... for now... or at least until someone returns from Glasgow I guess...  hmmm...

Well, it does match.  Take a look at the weave close up in the sunlight.  

So cute.  Some blue, some olive and some brown.

How perfectly mid-century modern.  

Happy thrift shopping to you and yours and

may you also find the foil-wrapped bon bon of chocolates on occasion!

That's what keeps us going, right?

Good Design is Always Classic

After Keaton's band concert last night I ended up in my sewing room pulling fabric off of shelves and dreaming up pillow ideas.  It was fun, but I stayed up too late and at one point one of my shelf brackets pulled out of the wall from the weight of the fabric and I was stranded there not wanting to wake anyone up by a falling board so I was holding the board up with one hand and pulling fabric off of it with the other.  (By the way, Larry if you're reading my blog - add that to your fixit list.)

Anyway, I lost track of time as I began to uncover fabrics that I didn't even remember having.  What was really interesting was realizing how my tastes have changed with the trends.  How does that happen?  I still love my old favorites, but the fabrics that are drawing my eye the most these days were my least favorites 20 years ago when I had my business - Vintage Generations.  It's like a new car that looks so cool at first, but slowly as we are introduced to new shapes, lines and colors, what was once the latest thing eventually looks out dated.  Maybe "out dated" isn't the best word to use when describing vintage fabric because they're all "out dated" so to speak.  Oh well, what am I trying to say?  Eventually, everything old is new again.  And good design is always classic.  And tastes change.

Twenty years ago I couldn't get enough big, romantic floral barkcloth and cottons like these from my collection:

 

  

 

I also have hoards of fruit fabrics like this:

I still love those fabrics.  The florals represent my love of the shabby chic roses of the 40s and the fruit shows my love of all things bright, charming and 50s.  But these days my eye is drawn to the following vintage fabrics from my collection:

 

I used to really dislike this one - not enough flowers.

Ditto.  (no flowers)  Love it now.

 

This one has flowers, but wasn't cabbage rose-ish enough.  

Now I like the bright sort of paisley swirls.

This barkcloth - so atomic - gold highlights and all.

I really love this one now - so mod.

I used to strongly dislike this fabric - but now I actually like the simplicity of the calligraphic line.  Each of those medallions is about 12" long.  (I know it's hard to tell size by a photo.)

Or how about this one?  Love it now.  20 years ago?  Not so much.

I have a small stash of VERY 60s flower power fabric.  This is one that I have at least five yards of.  To show you the size of those flowers, check out my computer mouse in the upper left.  Very graphic.

So, what do you think of my fabric?  Where do your tastes fall these days?

Pink, Turquoise, Atomic? It's Mid-Century!

Keaton had a day off school on Monday and was persistent with his suggestion that we go "thrift bombing" all day.  He loves to look for old game systems or noise making electronic toys that he can dismantle or sample sounds from -- all this to make chip music.  Anyway, we didn't spend all day, but we did hit a couple of places that I hadn't been to in 15-20 years where I found this very mid-century, very vintage lamp.  How about those sputnik style atomic beads on the metal stems?  It even looks like it's sitting on a rocket ship base.  I think this lamp would go perfectly with the vintage radio from my November 7th post.

Check out those amoebic, spacey, pink shapes with the gold painted stars in the middle.   They look like asteroids or galaxies.   The American people were fascinated with the space race in the late 50s  and early 60s and our furniture reflected it.  The gold paint used in so much of the decor from that era was usually at least 22 karat gold.

Add a turquoise fiberglass lampshade and you have the quintessential late 50s living room lamp.  George, Jane, Judy, Elroy and Astro would love it.  Maybe they shop on Etsy...

Mid-Century, my Almost Obsession

I dig my aqua green atomic era radio.

 

Warning:  If I had more funds,

I would totally be lost in a groovy 60s kind of thing.

It is definitely a big interest of mine - I'm trying to avoid the word obsession.  Actually I've been gravitating toward Eames era housewares and furniture for years.  Mid-Century will absolutely be a component of my Etsy shop... which will be opening any day now - I promise.