Antique Sale! Day 5: Old Soul

 

My friend Yolanda’s husband, David Foster, asked me once how I have such an array of interesting friends and how none of them are alike in the least. I told him that it’s because I always root for the underdog and I think that people’s flaws are the most interesting parts about them. This theory holds true with my antiques as well. My friends are quirky, imperfect, interesting, intriguing, compelling… And beautiful. Ditto for my antiques.

To me, total perfection is a big fat bore. I like a little patina, a little fading, a little asymmetry, something that tells a story, something that has a little history, possibly with some wounds. I think we learn the most from our flaws, our defeats, our tragedies. It’s what makes us stronger. And don’t be fooled, no matter how perfect you think something is, there is always a back story and that’s what makes everything interesting and charming.

And this brings me to today’s item up for sale…

A regal antique asymmetrical garden urn

First, let’s look at some inspirational antique garden urns…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” could not be more true, non? Some people may see “damage and age” but all I see is “character.”

Without further ado, let’s take a look at today’s offering that I have for sale…

Regal Stone Garden Urn

Asymmetrical, yet unique garden urn.

Price: $550

Place of Origin: Paris, France

Materials: stone

Period: early 1900s  

Condition: good

Wear: Wear consistent with age and use. Missing one side arm

Height: 1’ 10 1/8 inch

Width: 1’ 8 1/8 inch

Number of Items: 1

Location of Item: Los Angeles, California USA

When my mother first saw this garden urn at a dealer’s booth in Paris the first thing she said was, “She’s beautiful.” Instantly, we knew this regal queen was coming home with us flaws and all. And now, in the vein of paying it forward, the urn can come home with a lucky one of you.

Fill her with plants or books or seashells… Whatever you would like, but just remember to respect her imperfections and display her proudly.

If you would like to see more inspiration, follow my Pinterest Have Some Decorum Garden Urns board HERE.

So, this beautiful garden urn is the fifth item for the sale. If you have any questions, just email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com. If you would like to purchase the garden urn, just email me at the same email address, havesomedecorum@gmail.com, and put the title of the piece in the subject line. This is a first come first serve basis and I promise I will not play favorites (unless it’s Princess Caroline of Monaco… Obviously). You can pay with either PayPal or Wells Fargo Bank deposit. You can pick it up or arrange transport for it. If you need to ship it long-distance, I use a company called Vintage Transport.

Voilà! Stay tuned for Day 6 of the sale. Hint: Monastic.

Antique Sale! Day 4: Ottoman Empire

For today’s sale I would like to offer a little treasure.

A Syrian Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Chair.

The Syrian Chair at my shop featured in Santa Barbara Magazine.

 

Even though currently Syria is a tragic war zone, it is steeped in a history that goes so far back it would make your head spin.

When Gracie was in elementary school and I was bored, I decided to go back to school. I enrolled myself at Santa Barbara City College in what I thought would be some fun classes. Boy was I right because not only were these classes fun but they were taught by some of the best professors I’ve ever had and I learned more in that one year of school than all of my years of my overpriced private education.

I signed myself up for all interior design classes… History of Furniture, drafting, lighting design, spatial design and a few others. I soon learned that I was terrible at drafting, kind of uninterested in lighting design, halfway interested in spatial design but boy, oh boy, that History of Furniture class just knocked me off my feet… It was love, pure love.

My professor of the History of Furniture class was a charismatic, fiery ginger and a brilliant architect who knew more about furniture and its origins than anyone I’ve ever met. To say that she was inspiring is an understatement. She was my mentor, my guru and probably my soulmate but here’s the funny thing… I can’t remember her name because I have ALS, a fun little brain disease which causes me to have selective memory. However, Prof. What’s Her Name started our year off with the first known piece of furniture all the way through the 1970s. Any furniture after that was honestly not worth mentioning, let alone studying.

Not surprisingly, I was teacher’s pet. I was on the edge of my seat every day, pen and paper in hand writing down every word that came out of her mouth. She not only taught about the physical piece of furniture but the story behind it and that to me was the most interesting. I also became completely obsessed with furniture descriptions… linen fold, tester, marquetry, parquetry, chinoiserie, fluting, arcading, lacquering, bombe, cabriolet, blah blah blah… I loved it all.

 

Prof. What's Her Name and I at the opening party of my shop, Circa.

 

 

One the pieces that we studied in class is the chair that I am offering today. I don’t know why but I kind of fell in love with this little chair. I loved the lines of this chair, the little mother-of-pearl inlay, the exoticism of it, and the fact that it was antique yet completely modern. I also love the fact that it had a place in any room, under any circumstances, with any decor.

When I was in France collecting for our shop I almost had a mini heart attack when I saw this little chair and its partner in a dealer’s booth. I knew I had to have them for our shop.

Like I always say, a beautiful home is a curated home. It’s always important to have just a little something that is unique and not the norm. I think a super chic place for this little chair would be in the bathroom next to a beautiful bathtub holding your 5 million threadcount towel, a Diptyque Baies candle and a bud vase holding a perfect David Austin rose from the garden.

Let's look at a little Syrian influence inspiration, shall we?

 

So without haste, let’s get to the details of this chair that I have for sale today…

Syrian Folding Chair with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay

Intricately Carved Middle Eastern folding chair. Inlaid with mother-of-pearl star pattern.

 

Price: $895

Place of Origin: Syria

Materials: Wood, Mother-Of-Pearl

Peroid: early 20^th century

Condition: Very Nice Antique Condition

Wear: some minor loss to the inlay and slight stripping to the wood on the back (no big deal)

Height: 3’ 6  5/8 inch

Width: 1’ 7 3/8 inch

Seat depth: approximate 21 inches

Number of Items: 1

Location of Item: Los Angeles, California USA

 

Do not be alarmed by this chair, it is not delicate, in fact, it is quite sturdy. An elephant could sit in it and it would hold. :-)

Even though I think that I have it bad with my ALS, there are people who are worse off than me if you can believe it… People like the Syrian refugees. I may be paralyzed, have a 24 hour breathing machine, a feeding tube and a life expectancy of zero but at least I do not live in a tent as a refugee constantly worried if ISIS is going to come and steal my daughter and sell her off as a bride to some other ISIS idiot or be sprayed with chemical poisonous gas. So, I decided that a portion of the sale of this antique Syrian chair will go to a Syrian refugee charity. May I suggest you all do the same? There are many legitimate charities that will help the Syrian victims that you can choose from HERE.

So, this beautiful Syrian chair is the fourth item for the sale. If you have any questions, just email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com. If you would like to purchase the chair, just email me at the same email address, havesomedecorum@gmail.com, and put the title of the piece in the subject line. This is a first come first serve basis and I promise I will not play favorites (unless it’s Princess Caroline of Monaco… Obviously). You can pay with either PayPal or Wells Fargo Bank deposit. You can pick them up or arrange transport for them. If you need to ship them long-distance, I use a company called Vintage Transport.

Voilà! Stay tuned for Day 5 of the sale. Hint: “There is no exquisite beauty… Without some strangeness in its proportion.”-Edgar Allen Poe

Antique Sale! Day 3: Oh, Those Swedes...

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”-Charles Caleb Colton

 

You know how sometimes when you go to a party at someone’s house and you say to your husband, “This is exactly the kind of house that I like and when we get home, we are throwing away everything that we have and starting over and we are going to make it just like this house.”

Well, that is exactly what King Gustav III of Sweden did after he visited King Louis XVI and the royal palace of Versailles in the 1700s. He so liked what he saw at the palace that he wanted to adopt the Neoclassical style, bring it back to his own country and add a Swedish touch to it. What a king wants, a king gets (interesting, the same goes at our house) and voilà, hundreds of years later, we have Swedish Gustavian furniture, the “Paris of the North.”

The style moved from the royal palaces of Sweden, to the well-to-do townhouses and eventually out to the country houses. The structures/bones remained the same but the colors became muted and this is the fashion that most people are familiar with today. The hushed greys, milky whites and pale blues provided a reflective light in contrast to the harsh dark winters of Sweden.

This brings us to today’s sale item… A Swedish Gustavian Bench/Sofa. Hallå!

Let’s look at a little inspiration first, as usual, via my Swedish Gustavian Pinterest board…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn’t that just brighten your day? Now, truth be told, I only like a little hint of Swedish Gustavian. Not the whole house, for God sake. Just a touch of Swedish Gustavian, like a bench, a desk or a Mora clock, will add just the right bit of interest to any style of house.

And I have the perfect piece for sale! Check it out…

Swedish Gustavian Bench/Sofa

Exceptional Upholstered 19th century Gustavian Bench with four pillows (two with trim). Lambs tongue decoration. Carved and fluted legs.

 

Price: priced to sell at $4200

Place of Origin: Sweden

In the Style of: Gustavian

Materials: Wood, Linen (brand-new upholstery)

Period: early 19th century

Condition: Very Good

Wear: Wear consistent with age and use. Very slight minor 1 inch wood damage on frame.

Height: approximately 3 feet

Length: 6’ 2 3/8 inch

Number of Items: 1

Location of Item: Los Angeles, California USA

If the fabric doesn’t tickle your fancy, no big deal, just change it out. Do you want to see some of my suggestions for fabric?

Carolina Irving Textiles. "Calico" 

 

 

Carolina Irving Textiles. "Mimosa Vine" 

 

 

Michael S. Smith Inc. "Blue Indian Flower" 

 

 

Pierre Frey. "La Bussiere" 

 

 

 Pierre Frey. "Leo"

 

 A creamy white linen is always chic. 

You could also use a beautiful blue/gray velvet.

 

Typical prices for these antique benches/sofas range from $5000-$12,000. To compare prices, check out similar offerings at 1stdibs.com HERE.

If you would like some more inspiration, you can see my entire Swedish Gustavian Pinterest board HERE.

So, this beautiful Gustavian bench is the third item for the sale. If you have any questions, just email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com. If you would like to purchase the bench, just email me at the same email address, havesomedecorum@gmail.com, and put the title of the piece in the subject line. This is a first come first serve basis and I promise I will not play favorites (unless it’s Princess Caroline of Monaco… Obviously). You can pay with either PayPal or Wells Fargo Bank deposit. You can pick them up or arrange transport for them. If you need to ship them long-distance, I use a company called Vintage Transport.

So there we have it, day three of the sale. Stay tuned for the next piece. Hint: Mother-Of-Pearl.

Antique Sale! Day 2: Toujours Provence

Well, good morning from Paris!

It is a beautiful spring day and we have finally opened all of the French windows in our apartment to let the spring air pass-through. Even though Paris is a big bustling city, there is nothing better than Springtime in Paris except maybe, Springtime in Provence. Can you imagine! I currently hate my husband because he said we cannot move to Provence because he said he has a little something called “work” in Paris. Annoying.

So, when life gives you lemons… Make a panaché. So, my new plan is to bring Provence to Paris. I am literally going to pretend that I live in Provence and my apartment will reflect that. There will be a sign at my front door requesting that all guests change out of their high heels into a pair of espardrilles. I have already started to grow lavender in my window boxes and all of my furniture is going to be ivory, beige linen and a little Pierre Frey floral thrown in. I’m taking my inspiration from my Provence mentor Janet de Botton (she doesn’t know who I am, but in my world/fairytale we are best friends.) Her house/bastide in Provence, as my grandmother would say, is “divine.” My second Provence inspiration is a hotel in Avignon that is just beyond. Beyond! It is called La Mirande. Take a look…

 

If you are like me, I think everyone belongs in Provence, except people I hate. Provence is for happy people who see the importance of a good ratatouille. People who let dogs sit on sofas, know the rules of pétanque, and don’t confuse aioli with Miracle Whip. People who would willingly, without provocation, kiss an olive tree.

So, without further ado, let me introduce today’s antique sale item.

A pair of authentic Provençal Green Anduze Garden Pots.

Bonjour Provence!

Last year, I wrote an extensive blog about these type of garden pots. Everything you want to know about them is in that blog post… Their history, where I found them, how I got them back to the states, their significance, the styles etc. Click HERE to read and then come back (there will be a quiz).

First things first, let’s look at some inspiration via my Pinterest board…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If these don’t say Provence, I don’t know what does. Quintessential Provence.

So, if this kind of thing is your “thang” you are in luck because today I have two of them for sale. I think that they should be sold as a pair but I’m willing to sell them individually because I’m cool like that. Let’s look at some of the details…

French Provençal Jumbo Anduze Garden Pots

French terra-cotta Anduze pots typical of the South of France. Extra large size for olives trees, citrus trees, topiary etc.

 

Price: $2600 each

Place of Origin: Southern France

Materials: terra-cotta and glaze

Period: 21st century

Condition: Good

Wear: Wear Consistent with Age and Use. Perfect aged patina

Height: 2’ 7 ¼ inch

Width: 2’ 6 ¼ inch

Number of Items: 2

Location of Items: Los Angeles, California USA

 

How gorgeous are those? Don’t they just brighten your day and make you forget all about the fact that your husband won’t let you move to Provence?

If you want to see some more inspiration, check out my Provençal Garden Pots Pinterest Board HERE.

So, these two amazing pots are the second items for the sale. If you have any questions, just email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com. If you would like to purchase the pot or pots, just email me at the same email address, havesomedecorum@gmail.com, and put the title of the piece in the subject line. This is a first come first serve basis and I promise I will not play favorites (unless it’s Princess Caroline of Monaco… Obviously). These two pots are in Los Angeles California. You can pick them up or arrange transport for them. If you need to ship them long-distance, I use a company called Vintage Transport. You can pay with either PayPal or Wells Fargo Bank deposit.

Stay tuned for Day 3 of the antique sale. Hint: Swedish meatballs.