I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything… here’s the latest in the furniture category. Remember that old un-upholstered chair in one of my “Love at First Gasp” posts? (click here to see it) Well, I found one almost like it on Craigslist recently for just $5. Yup! The ad said my chair is from the 1920’s. You can see the inspiration “Love at First Gasp” photo on the left below and my fantastic new find on the right. This is me making lemonade out of lemons – a tight budget is always more challenging, but THAT much more fun.
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Oooo… benches! So, originally I wanted this post to include only the kind of benches that you can pull up to a dining table, but I made it include ALL types of benches instead. The type you stick at the foot of the bed, the type you’d use in an entry or foyer, and yes, the type that can pull up to a dining table for that cozy picnic feel. These are benches selected only for their looks – with no cap on price, space or size (makes it more fun that way, doesn’t it?). My favorite from this list depends on the mood I’m in… if you can understand that! They are all in a way a favorite of mine or they wouldn’t be in this list. I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Who knows, maybe you’ll even end up feeling inspired!
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Literally. Below are all the things that my neighbors have thrown away! Aren’t my neighbors crazy? My poor husband gets so embarrassed when I come home with something from a neighbor’s trash pile. I just laugh & laugh… who doesn’t love FREE stuff! Their trash is now my treasure. I get such a rush out of finding fabulous, intact home stuff in people’s trash pile. No, I’m not an addict – nothing like those people on the hoarder “Intervention” A&E TV show – have you ever seen that show? Hoarding is a serious addition. I thank God I’m not addicted. I don’t dig through my neighbors’ trash either. I only take the things that are neatly next to their trash bins. As you can see from the items below. They’re usually large items. I have even knocked on my neighbors’ doors to let them know that I was taking their “trash” home with me. LOL! It sounds even funnier now that I’m sharing this with you! I think life (home, husband, kids, cooking, etc.) keeps me too busy to be addicted to trash treasure hunting.
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Goodbye piano bench… your new home is now in my bedroom closet! LOL! Yup! That’s where it is. I use it as a little shelf to stack shoes on. Somewhat of a downgrade of it’s intended purpose, I guess. I got tired of my piano bench matching my piano. Don’t you just get tired of things being matchy-matchy sometimes? So, I put it in the closet and gave my white Bertoia chair a new home. Then I got a book at the library this week called: “Decorating Junk Market Style” by Sue Whitney & Ki Nassauer. The book had the below left photo in it. I guess it can be used as an inspiration photo for this blog post. I just love the blue metal chair in the inspiration photo – so vintage, old-marrying-new looking. It compliments the baby grand piano so nicely. As done my Bertoia chair, don’t you think?
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I’m starting a new blog category today… It’ll be called “Top 10″. These will be my top 10 picks on furniture & home related items that I would buy for myself… if I won the lottery! LOL! Basically I’m putting no cap on price, space or size… These picks are purely for their aesthetics – just something about them scream “gorgeous” to me. So gorgeous that they deserve to be in a blog post. Different from my “love at first gasp” category in that these are items currently for sale. My love at first gasp posts have been & will continue to be mostly about photos of rooms that aren’t purchase-able… if that’s a word! While, again, the items featured in my top 10 category are purchase-able. (I think I just made up a new word!) This blog post is dedicated to fabulous 10 sofas that have won my heart. They are each gorgeous in their own way. I would pair any two together in one room as in some way they all seem to compliment each other in my head. I love & want them all! They are NOT in order of preference – they are all equally wanted by me! I hope this post serves as a great reference tool & even inspires you. Enjoy!
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Show & Tell time… here’s my latest great find: Lonny Magazine! If you miss Domino magazine, you’ll love Lonny! It’s a free online decor magazine. So no, you won’t be able to dog-ear your favorite pages, but ultimately you will be saving some trees. Here’s a link: www.lonnymag.com. Read what this lovely magazine has to say about itself: “At Lonny, we value independent thinking and believe not in following trends but rather in making choices that lead to happiness. We believe that good design and affordable design can coexist and that true inspiration can be found in the teeniest of homes or in the grandest of spaces.” Well said! I like how Lonny isn’t about following what some textbook says beautiful decor is. I also like how they’re about decor bringing happiness. I couldn’t agree more! Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder after all. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear someone else say this other than just me. Go Lonny!
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Two words: Ghetto fabulous! Founders Jimmie & Martin are brilliant. Their work “combines the decadent and quirky with the nostalgic & urban” – quote taken from their website: www.jimmiemartin.co.uk. Price tag: pricey – rightfully so. The end product is unique & well done with close attention paid to details. I would love to see one of Jimmie Martin’s pieces in person… doable if I could afford the presidential suite in Manhattan’s luxury Surrey hotel – as one of Jimmie Martin’s pieces is in the suite’s bar, lobby. Since our budget’s not allowing this visit anytime soon, I’ll settle for these lovely photos below (these are my favorites from Jimmie Martin’s work).
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The blog world is very forgiving… I’ve been MIA (missing in action) for a whole week now. I’ll spare you the details, but will highly recommend this: a weekend get-a-way minus the kids. Just want the doctor would prescribe, I imagine! My spontaneous husband decides Saturday at 1pm that we should go to NYC & at 5:25pm we fly over flat Florida towards our beloved Manhattan. Thank God for credit cards. Don’t do it every weekend, but at least once, DO it. Thanks to Twitter & various tech people we ended up at The Roger Smith Hotel. Budget friendly, nicely located. No, we didn’t run into Mark Zuckerberg (creator of Facebook) or Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple), but we would’ve loved to. The word “tech” to my husband is like the word “decor” for me… explains why he picked this hotel. Altogether good experience though. Only one complaint which you’ll read in my “Dislikes” list…
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So, my “local” category needed some attention… hence this post! Let me introduce you to “Jane’s Furniture Divas”. Formerly known as “Jane Loves Cheap Furniture”. Owned & run by two savvy ladies named Jackie & Cricket – oh wait, with a bit of help from Bella the cat & Charlie the fish, of course! Located in Lake Worth, Florida. About 15 minutes south of the famous West Palm Beach (remember, where the Williams sisters live?)… I gotta find another celebrity that livest there too – I could say Donald Trump, but he has property everywhere so he doesn’t count. In case you’re wondering Jane was Jackie’s mom. She & Jackie opened “Jane Loves Cheap Furniture” 16 years ago. Jane passed about 2 years ago, but her memory lives on in a fun, furniture-shop sort of way. Today Jackie & Cricket keep Jane’s furniture redo dreams alive. Way to go girls!
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I’m in love… with STEEL! Literally. Particularly John Beck’s steel Table 9. I know I use the word “love” a lot, but this time I really am in crazy, must-have love…. or would that be lust! Ooo… I hope I’m not lusting over a piece of furniture. LOL! My blog buddy, David from The Studio Chronicle posted John Beck’s work & I MUST, must, must re-post his work for myself.
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