Back to Work



I will admit it's been a little hard getting back into work this week after such a beautiful holiday.  I always think it's so much easier once the kids go back to school and the normal routine resumes.  Maybe next week once Harry is back at school I will be able to concentrate and come out from under the lampshade so-to-speak!

Talking about lamps I had to show you this amazing lamp which is actually one of a pair of vintage lamps we received into the store just before Christmas.  You can't really tell from the picture but they are quite large and so beautiful.  I haven't decided what lampshade I am going to put on them yet but they will feature in a window display in the coming weeks...that's if they don't sell before-hand.  I envy the lucky person who will end up with this lovely unique pair of lamps!!

xx

Anna

image 1 - via pretty stuff

New Things at Black & Spiro

I thought you might like to see our current front window display at Black & Spiro and also a fabulous new ikat armchair which arrived last week.  The chest of drawers in the window is a little antique French chest and the lamp is a fabulous old lamp I found.  The new shade has certainly given it a wonderful, new and uplifting look. 

xx

Anna

White & Wander

Just wanted to give you all the heads up {if you don't already know} that the extremely talented and creative Emma Clements from White and Wander and her mum have launched their amazing online store.  It is filled to the brim with antlers and globes and all sorts of amazing collected things. I really think their store fills a void in the market {here in Australia} for stylish vintage treasures and in their own words "it is a discovery of time worn treasures and imperfect luxuries." 

Click HERE to start fossicking through their wonderful collection...

Fresh Tulips Fresh Window

It's always like a breath of fresh air when we install a new window display at Black & Spiro.  To celebrate our new window I bought some pretty fresh tulips which we have placed into one of a pair of blue and white vases we have on the table with a beautiful pair of lamps.  Good old Chiang Mai in blue and white makes a big appearance in the background.  I will try to post a picture from the outside of the shop too as the antique table which you can't really see in this photo is absolutely divine!!

Vintage homeware

Vintage homeware ranges from kitchenalia to furniture, from ceramics to toys and tissues. It comes from everywhere in the early 20th century, up until the 1970s and 1980s. If you're a collector of all things chic and even items that can be marked with kitsch, you already know about various trinkets and trophies are available. Ultimately, vintage homeware is the element used in the House for a particular purpose.

Furniture and fabrics are known form of this type of decoration, mainly because of their use in modern and Vintage homes today. Reproductions come a dime a dozen, but if you can get your hands on the originals you will find yourself with some promising collectibles. Toys and small objects are a favorite, of course. Many collectibles are valuable when they come in their original packaging, such as Board and card games, magazines and even entire assortment BRIC Brac.

Vintage homeware takes us back to a time when there is a certain style in the House and its rooms. 1920s in 1950 showed this development style of dazzling bedroom linens and eccentric bedside lamps. Today we are inundated with modernist and postmodern even take on simplicity. We are no longer part of the era, which thrives on an extravagant presentation of our home, instead, we are striving for space, white walls, sharp edges, rounded edges and a sense of order.

This style allowed the Lady at home to decorate the homes of her husband in the match. Bright colors and outlandish design mixed with art deco influences are evident in many textile vintage homeware and clothing of the time. Colors became brighter, even during the 1960s-1980s and designs themselves have become much more abstract, a departure from standard forms of structured art.

Whether you are a collection of old toys from a bygone era, or just hoping to find old cookbook brought back to life the forgotten kitchen, kitchenware, you have many places to find and buy vintage homeware. It should be borne in mind that there are reproductions of vintage homeware, and it would be advisable for you to contact the vendor directly or, at least, that they sell legitimate and authentic vintage homeware. You don't want to find yourself buying marking authentic piece, only to specialist, told that this was done in 2009.

Past Inspiration

Look at this seriously beautiful sofa Grace Kelly is lounging on...

All you would need to recreate this look is a vintage sofa, a roll of black and white ticking, some black fringing and a good upholsterer...I am inspired are you??

Displaying Collections

I often talk about collections and how to display them. Here a few images to inspire...

All images via skona hem

Looking Through the Windows

Some of you asked to see some more images of our new display at Black & Spiro. Well here they are. If you look closely you can see that we wallpapered the ceiling of the entry to the shop in a contrasting paper to our front wall. Sorry about the terrible photos...I haven't mastered the art of taking photos through glass yet even though some of my lovely readers have tried to offer me advice on how to do it!!

Before & After

Sideboard After

Sideboard Before

I recently came across this lovely old Puerto Rican sideboard which I purchased for Black & Spiro. The girls and I decided to have it painted in a very soft mint green colour. We just had the piece delivered into the store on Friday. We placed it in our front window display with lots of pretty old jugs and vases filled with fresh flowers on it. I was so excited as one of my lovely clients came in to see me on Friday afternoon to go over a few things for her new kitchen and she instantly fell in love with our new piece. It is going into her new kitchen and she plans to fill it up with her collection of old mismatched china. I think it will be so perfect along with her pale pink retro Smeg fridge!!

PS. Sorry about the terrible photos however, it's really hard to get a good photo through the front glass windows of the shop...

Saturday Vintage Shopping Trip

A friend asked me to go hunting for vintage pieces with her yesterday {Saturday}. I warned her before we left that sometimes it can be hard to find things and sometimes we can come home with no great finds. Well, didn't I eat my words. We had one of the most successful vintage hunts I have had in a long time. We filled the boot of the car and then filled the back seats with things too. We even have a few pieces which need delivering next week!! Now, that's what I call a successful day...