FLAME-ing HOT!

I just cannot leave well enough alone….

Last year, I discovered a fantabulous 1920s wingchair at that most delightful of places, Class and Trash.  Actually, it was one of a not-quite-matching pair; while both chairs were of the winged variety, and both were covered in the same VERY vintage seafoam green nylon fabric, the legs were quite different on each.  One had very straight Chippendale-style legs, and was reborn into the world of total FABULOCITY as the infamous White Tiger Chair.  The other, with ornately carved ball-and-claw legs, waited ever so patiently for its own dramatic restyling.  

And behold, in all its glorious splendor:  the Flamestitch Chair!  Do watch the video for the full experience, Dear Readers, oh do!

We Heart The Flea

Oh, what fun!  Once again, I joined BFF Diana the Lady D for our quarterly pilgrimage to Chantilly, Virginia for the DC Big Flea.  The latest antiques and collectibles extravaganza was held on March 6^th and 7^th at its usual locale, the Dulles Expo Center.  And, per usual, the Lady D beat me there (but only by sheer minutes this time!), so she had nary a head-start on me.

Whereas the previous Flea, in bitterly cold January, had been one of the best attended in recent times, this particular weekend brought with it the first hint of spring – bright sunny days in the mid-50s.  Unfortunately for the vendors, the less die-hard Flea goers decided to spend their weekend on more outdoorsy activities.  Alas, the vendors’ loss was our gain: easy parking, and fewer contenders for the good stuff!

This time around, there was much less furniture offered and instead most of the vendors brought more ‘smalls’ – dishware, knick-knacks, jewelry.  Nonetheless, toward the end of the day I was most fortunate to discover these glorious armchairs, circa 1950s, at the booth of two wonderfully wacky ladies named Sarah Jean and Katherine.  Love Love LOVE these chairs – and the girls who sold them! The chairs’ lines are so elegant yet flirty (much like their previous owners), and the tufted backs are incredibly chic.  Granted, the upholstery is more than a bit tattered, but nonetheless you can see how – with the right combo of fine fabrics – they are easily within reach of total FABULOCITY!

There was so much to see, so many delicious finds to bring to my Dear Readers, that I had to create not one but TWO videos to capture it all!  Be sure to watch them both….There are many varied vendors, some familiar to you from the January Flea and lots new ones with wondrous wares.  So, pop the corn, settle into the comfort of your fave vintage chair (tattered or not!), and let the shows begin!

Part I:

Don't go away!  Here's Part II:

Luck Has (um…HAD) It!

Ah, success!  At least, a modicum of it…!

The first pieces of the “As Luck Would Have It” inventory offered at the Home Store in Manassas Virginia have been purchased!  Yes, Dear Readers, after all the collecting, all the hunting (and all the loading and storing), this Furniture Addict has sacrificed a few of his treasures in the name of commerce (actually, I prefer to consider it as “spreading the joy – for fun and profit”). 

Behold, the first babies to leave the nest (and by ‘nest’ I mean ‘storage unit’) during Home Store’s inaugural week….The most fab iron-and-glass chandelier (complete with ruched black velvet cord cover) pictured with the restyled white tiger chair was the first-of-the-first.  Later in the week, the ornate gold frame also seen here was claimed by some fortunate shopper.  

Then, this pair of Victorian cameo-back chairs with flawless gold-and-black striped velvet covering found their way to a new home.  (And, can you believe it, ALL of these pieces were discovered by moi on Washington DC’s Capitol Hill?!)  

Like any collector, I can only hope that my former treasures have found their way into the hearts of other like-minded furniture fanciers, who will behold them with the same affinity as I.  Adieu, my darlings, and bonne chance!