Announcing..."As Luck Would Have It" -- the Website!

FINALLY! The "As Luck Would Have It" Website has launched! Now, in addition to the offerings at Home Store Manassas, my carefully edited collection of vintage treasures are available thru www.LuckVintageDecor.com. Be sure to check it out daily, as there are many more pieces of inventory to be posted. And tell ALL your friends, family, co-workers, strangers you meet in bars....Trust me, they'll thank you for it! At least I will...!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Fave Source Alert: Class and Trash



I probably should be very selfish with my vintage furniture sources; after all, seeking out unique home décor is a treasure hunt, and why tell all the other furniture pirates the location of the booty?!?  Nonetheless, being the giver that I am, I’m compelled to share with my dear readers my absolutely favorite vintage décor source (besides, I’m notoriously bad at keeping secrets!).

Class and Trash, located just north of Richmond Virginia on Route 1, is an amazing warehouse of vintage and antique goods.  Owned by my childhood friend Lisa Waldrop and her husband Kenny, I discovered it quite by accident one day several years ago while traveling down Route 1 with my mother; as we were speeding down the highway, I saw this large brick building with a bunch of outdoor furniture sitting in front, and almost gave my mother whiplash when I did a sudden hairpin turn into the graveled drive.  Walking through the front door, I felt as though I’d entered Xanadu!  Vintage home, garden, and collectible items were piled up as far as the eye could see!  Imagine my surprise when the lovely lady manning the counter told the person she was speaking with on the phone, “Oh my God, Tammy, guess who just walked in the shop?  HOWARD!”  Lisa recognized me from YEARS ago, and happened to be on the phone with another classmate.

I was hooked from that point on.  Turns out, Lisa and Kenny returned to our hometown of Ashland after spending several years in Northern Virginia.  Their passion for collecting unique vintage items led them to start a small booth in an antique mall.  Five years ago, they followed their dream (one shared by many of us furniture addicts!), moved back to Ashland, and opened their unique shopping emporium.

I find myself visiting Class and Trash at least once a month….Sometimes, though, I have to stop cold turkey, because I always find too many desirable items:  vintage furniture, wonderful collectible pottery, architectural elements, even antique needlepoint pieces.  Kenny and Lisa have quite a fan base; one Sunday morning last summer, while waiting to pick up a pristine French dresser that I had purchased weeks earlier (and which had belonged to the mother of the aforementioned classmate Tammy), there was a small crowd of ravenous shoppers eagerly awaiting Kenny and Lisa’s arrival to open their shop.  The inventory of “as-is” items is constantly changing, and the shop has become a resource for many dealers in the Richmond area.  The Waldrops gather their wares from estate sales, auctions, and private collectors.  Lisa’s father even helps with the hunting; he somehow manages to regularly locate the odd piece of Homecraft patio furniture featured in one of my earlier postings!

Last Friday, I took Sharona to Richmond for her first C&T experience.  She, too, was mesmerized by that day’s offerings.  And, true to form, the shop was bustling and there were many interesting items to admire.  A piece I found particularly desirable: a lovely wing chair (1920’s/’30’s) with its original upholstery, beautifully carved legs and ball-and-claw feet, all in fine condition (to be featured in a later post!).  

I’m so pleased for Kenny and Lisa; they work extremely hard to ensure C&T provides a constantly changing array of unique furniture and décor for their client base, all at extremely reasonable prices.  Their friendly, hands-on style makes everyone feel as if you’re stopping by for a fabulous neighborhood yard sale!  Contrary to the shop’s name, Class and Trash is a class act all the way.

4 comments:

  1. OMG Howard, you should be a writer, not a dumpster diver! I love the way you write.......can I be your first fan? Speaking of which I bumped in to Carson Kressley from Queer Eye yesterday-oh my!!!! I will NOT be a stalker I will NOT be a stalker

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  2. LOL! I LUV having fans! And having a stalker would place me on the D-list at a minimum! Thanks for writing!!

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  3. Hi Howard, I agree with Will463 about your writing. I've enjoyed your enthusiam for furniture in our class. I'll keep checking in to see yoru treasures from time to time. Don't forget to checkout freecycle. It helps our environment to keep thingsout ofthe trash. See you in class. Marjorie

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  4. Thanks, Marjorie! The funriture class has been fun! And you've become a professional veneer restorer! I hope there are enuf people interested in a follow-on class....I have so many more projects!

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