I worked in DC this year redoing Fran’s space and I kinda fell in love with it. It reminded me of LA, what with the traffic and the whole ‘one industry’ thing (they have ‘the US Government’ we have ‘Hollywood’) and just generally I had a great time … well as good of a time that a first trimester pregnant chick can have.
Well, you requested it and now you are getting it. Somebody best jump on these real fast. Not all of them are total gems but there are a few that I want to hoard cross country, which is the new title of my next show: ‘Cross Country Hoarders’ starring yours truly.
Full Size Brass Bed Frame $50: Hey cutie. Put you against some modern black and white wallpaper in a girl’s room and prepare to fight off fans. I know that brass beds can get a bad wrap but in the right context you can transform all the granny geekness to antique chicness. (I just wrote that.) It’s like how you can take Joseph Gordon Levitt, buzz his head, put him in a white tee-shirt, leather jacket, and all of a sudden he’s kinda sexy in a way that surprises you. Like this bed.
Retro Office Chair $115: OK, so this is WAYYYYY too much money for this … but then I reminded myself of Jenny’s chair redo and now I’m obsessed with doing it to a chair like this.
I’m now realizing that this chair (the orange, not Jenny’s) might actually be leather in which case DO NOT PAINT. But if it’s vinyl, feel free to experiment on that guy. The pillow part of it would only be like $40 to reupholster, so don’t let that intimidate you. But again, I wish this chair were $35, not $115.
Industrial Chair $60: Ah, with a white lacquer desk this little mint chair could really be cute. And if you feel like being ballsy you could paint it white – I KNOW!! I’m not proud that I wrote that either, but I also am not the biggest fan of these tanker chairs, and besides Craigslist furniture is the best kind to experiment on. (Leave the mint leather/vinyl.) Maybe even those metal pads on the arms can be gold …
Peacock Chair $100: This isn’t a score, but you could do something like this that DesignLoveFest did which was a HUGE hit in my book:
So good. So while the peacock chair by itself isn’t particularly special, put a little sweat into it and its worth every single penny (plus like $300 more).
Pair of Lamps $115: Oh my inner Martha Washington yearns for these lamps. Obviously I’d update them with a more modern drum shade, maybe with gold foil on the inside. But on a console or as nightstand lamps they are SOOOO good for this price. These better be antique and not Z Gallerie, but either way they have a ton of personality and can be updated to work in a modern environment OR obviously work in a more traditional home.
Set of Four Barstools $150: If you’ve ever shopped for stools you’ll find that good ones are strangely expensive, so while these aren’t AMAZING, they are really good for the price. Maybe paint the bottom white and the chrome part gold … or paint the wicker part gray … they need a bit of modernizing because they are pretty tiki retro right now, but the shape, scale, and price is great.
Brass Light Fixture: I love that this is ‘OBO.’ Are they trying to do eBay on Craigslist? Regardless someone should snatch this up, hopefully for under $400. It’s awesome and worth a lot (maybe a C. Jere). It’s not for everyone, certainly, but if you love Brutalist design like I do, jump on this bad boy — but not physically, that looks very painful.
Retro Mint Side Table $125: Last but CERTAINLY not least … nay BEST, even. I want this little girl and all her ’80s goodness so bad. The color! The shape! The total playfulness of it all!! Don’t do a thing to it, just make sure that your house has a lot of white and modern graphic shapes in it. I want to put it in my mouth I love it so much.
So where to next, folks? I’m tempted to do this twice a week I love it so much …
xx – E