I Shop Small! Do you?

It's is Small Business Saturday!!!  What are you going to do with it?  Go pick up bagels for your houseguests at your local bakery?  Grab coffee at the town coffehouse?  Fetch your dry cleaning from the village launderer?  Maybe you'll consider your local businesses as you run errands and begin your Christmas shopping today. Whether it's your local wineshop, bookstore, florist or toystore, your precious dollars have much more oomph spent in small businesses  

Today is the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses
on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.  The day's founder, American Express®, is asking millions of people to Shop Small at their favorite local stores today to help fuel the economy.



When we all shop small, it will be huge. 
Cheers,
Whitney

Festive Fall Favor

I recently wrapped up this fun little gift for my bestest gal in the whole world, my Ma, and took some photos as I wrapped up the fun little package.  I think it would be a lovely gift for any host, especially this week as many of us are guests in others' home for the Thanksgiving holiday.  One of the easiest holiday hostess gifts is a bottle of alcohol or a potted plant, but sometimes it's nice to get out of the expected, ordinary favor train.

First, find yourself a vintage or antique nutcracker.  Not the Christmas soldier type, but a solid metal nutcracker.  These can be found vintage on eBay or Etsy or in thrift stores everywhere.  They're very clever hostess gifts, as nutcrackers seem to create many handy uses for themselves besides cracking nut shells.

The nutcracker gift I chose for my dog-lovin' recipient.  Lift his tail and crack nuts in his mouth! 

I found this one, an iron dog, on Etsy; I like that he's a little worn & vintage-y.  I had seen a similar one in the Neiman Marcus Holiday Gift catalog many years ago, and have been keeping a subconscious eye out for something similar ever since. 

Pretty ribbon and a small card serve as accessories to this favor

SHELLED NUTS!  L-R: Pecans, Hazelnuts, Walnuts



My gift was being sent in the mail, so I used the nuts as packing material!

  

I tied one end of my ribbon around the doggie nutcracker

And buried him in the nuts!



The other end of the ribbon tied to the card, wishing my wonderful recipient a Happy Thanksgiving!

 Depending on how much you spend on the nutcraker, this can be a very, very inexpensive gift with lots of impact.  If I was bringing this directly to the home of my hostess, I'd nestle the nutcracker with shelled nuts in a pretty basket, decorated with fabric ribbon and maybe some pretty fresh herbs tucked into the crevices of the nuts. 

Happy cracking!
Cheers,
Whitney

A Guest Bedroom Gets A Facelift

I had promised photos of this quick-n-cheap room makeover weeks ago, and am only posting now because, well, business picked up and life got hectic and something had to get sent to the back-burner.  You know how that goes... 

I spent a week in lovely Lexington, KY, visiting with people I love and cherish, and doing a fun little challenge: redecorating their guest bedroom on a modest budget and a quick deadline.  The project started the day I arrived, so there was zero preparation, research, pre-shopping, sourcing, ordering, etc.  The client has great art with a strong equestrian sense, which is fine by me since you know I love myself some horsey art.  And, in Lexington, horse is king.  When in Rome....

The room has two twin beds because many of this family's guests are 2 singles, not a couple.  A pair of twin beds are practical for this reason, but be sure that they're high-comfort mattresses in your guest room.  In fact, the first purchase for this room was new mattresses, box springs and frames.  I did the sourcing for the mattresses, and it was rather funny to have many mattress salespeople tell me that they rarely sell high-end models in twin size.  One guy even said he's never sold twin mattresses with a box spring.  He explained that every twin mattress he ever sold were for kids' rooms, and high-quality comfortable models weren't a priority to the customers of those sales.  But not for this project.  These twin mattresses will be hosting grandparents, great-uncles & great-aunts and special guests who travel from far distances and should be sleeping on a cozy, pillow-top gem.  Splurge.  You'll have happier house guests who will want to return if only to sleep in your heavenly guest beds.

BEFORE: Looking into the room from the door.  Note the Claifornia pillow. Home-state pride!

AFTER: Looking into the room from the door

The mattress purchase ate up much of the budget, but it was totally worth the investment.  The new beds ended up nearly 14 inches higher than the previous beds, which made the room perk up immediately; the walls seemed to stand a little higher.  New bedding included extra-long bedskirts (which needed a better ironing job by yours truly, obvi).  The extra space gained under the frames welcomed underbed bins for storing extra blankets, linens, etc.

BEFORE.  The TV is small enough to work with on any surface, and this pretty navy urn-shaped lamp was a winner.  But the small scale of this bookshelf wasn't doing the room any favors. 

AFTER: I searched high & low for an affordable chest or dresser for this space. 
The small white bookshelf moved into the closet.

If possible, offer your guests closet space in the room, and drawer space too.  I knew that the small white melamine bookshelf would be great moved into the closet, for placing shoes and toiletry bags beneath the hanging clothes rod.  But, the piece to replace it had to be just right in size, scale and style. 

My vintage & thrift shopping around Lexington brought me to this baby, a perfectly petite 6-drawer dresser with basic proportion, good height to bring that TV up to better viewing level for the higher beds, and those fantastic campaign-esque brass drawer pulls.  I loved that it was on high legs -- furniture with legs allows the eye to go under the piece, behind it, allowing one to see more of the perimeter of the room.  In turn, the room seems larger.  This dresser was almost exactly what I had in mind.  And at less than $90, the price was beyond right.  Sold.

The brass lamp was a Goodwill find, for $3.  The shade was a Target clearance item, with happy little navy grosgrain ribbon trim.  Only after plugging in the lamp during installation did we realize it was a touch-lamp which provides [the always-preferred] 3-way setting without the use of a 3-way bulb.  Nifty!  Thrift shopping frequently brings random little surprises like this. 



I don't do killer styling, but I bought a handful of hardback books at Goodwill for 50-cents each in pretty colors with fun titles.  Even if they're never read, the books are a nice prop.  The delighful photo in the fabric frame is the client's, as is the seal figurine, a nostalgic heirloom.  The small orchid was from Whole Foods for $12.

BEFORE: The huge window and surrounding area. 

AFTER: Swapping out gauzy white sheer panels with heavy navy blue canvas panels and makeshift tiebacks provided a strong foundation for the room, and called attention to that wonderfully-large window. 

This tieback solution cost $4.39 total.  I bought 4 swivel-eye snap hooks [at the charming Chevy Chase Hardware shop], and 18" of white rope.  I used a tiny nail behind the curtain to hold the rope, and made casual knots of the rope to each hook.  Sort of reminiscent of a horse halter, I think. 

Client says this is her favorite element of the entire redecoration.



BEFORE: The far corner of room, where window meets the closet.

AFTER: An amazing brass bamboo-style magazine rack was thrifted for $8. 
Next to it sits a vintage military-ish metal chair. 



When I found this magazine rack at the thrift store Another Man's Treasure, I almost screamed.  The bamboo shape of the brass frame is so chic, and the piece is lifted off the floor just enough; the perfect height.  My client has a fantastic collection of Kentucky Monthly magazine, which I knew would live so happily in this rack.  It was my first purchase for this room after I bought the mattresses. 

A guest room should have a perch, a place to sit to put on shoes, chat on the phone, or gaze out the window, a place other than the bed.  There is always room for a chair, even in front of a rarely-opened closet door.  I really wanted to find a petite leather armchair for this corner, but I never found it - and if I did it would have busted the budget.  But when I saw this 1918 metal chair at the antique center in Georgetown, KY for $8, I had to buy.  It's a versatile little piece that adds a strong texture to the room.  It was painted green, but I spruced it up with another coat of hunter green spray paint and a strong coating of glossy shellac.  Total cost: $11.  Even if, one day down the road, the ideal leather armchair is ever found, this chair could happily move into another area of the home.  For now, it works. 

  

Yup, the curtains are a little short for my usual preference.  Had I more time, I would have let out the machine-made hem and let them touch the floor.  Perhaps I'll tackle this the next time I visit. 

 

I replaced the small white table and tiny white lamp in between the beds with a heftier piece from Pier 1, a floor model from their Elliott Collection (a great little knock off, imho).  I put the client's navy urn-shaped lamp here, with a new shade from Target.  I accessorized with a unique brass basket from Goodwill for $1, and a few more 50-cent hardback books.  A vintage clock that belonged to the client and a small brass tray serve as nightstand utility pieces for this surface. 

The new bedding is whiter and brighter than the original, which seems to wake up the space and juxtapose brilliantly with the new furnishings in dark, grounding colors.  Ta Da!

All in all it was a fun challenge.  I love, love, LOVE this family, and giving their guest bedroom a makeover was almost as enjoyable as watching them see it & smile on installation day. 

Cheers,

Whitney

Bye Bye Bluegrass

Leaving Lexington after a fantastic week in this fantastic city. The Guest Bedroom quick-n-cheap room makeover was a success! Below is a quick peek (just downloaded the Blogger app for iPhone and can't figure out how to insert photo mid-post, it's below my signature).
More photos with a thrift bargaining tutorial to be posted tomorrow!

Cheers,
Whitney

Hunting for Vintage

Been having a great time in Lexington, shopping the amazing vintage stores in town, and finding some amazing antique resources off the beaten path, too.

I've been redecorating a Guest Bedroom on a slim budget and blink-and-its-here deadline, so thrift stores have been my No. 1 source for unique furnishings and accessories for this room.  I've had a blast meeting many of the shop owners and salespeople at Lexington's thrift and secondhand shops, among them are the staff at Uncle Ray Jay's Furniture ReSellers, Room Service, Scout, Feather My Nest, Another Man's Treasure, and about 5 different Goodwill shops. 

But my absolute favorite shop discovery has been Street Scene, a fabulously put-together vintage boutique.  I walked in the store (which is so unassuming from the exterior), and nearly fainted at the girlie retro wonder of it all.  The store is arranged in half a dozen themed vignettes, with clothing, fashion accessories, furniture and home accessories staged to retro perfection.  It was as if Etsy morphed into a storefront and enveloped me into its well-curated quirkiness.  I whipped out my iPhone and used my favorite app, Camera+, to capture some of the goodness and share here.



Cute little kitchenette vignette!
And, are you kidding me with that chair? It was meticulously recovered in soft red gingham. YES!

A Halloween-themed vignette with 70s furniture and tons of gilded frames on the wall.



Another Halloween-y vignette near the men's clothing section.  Lots of vintage cool men's hats, btw.



The back of the shop, which is huge and so pristine, you'd think all the items were brand spanking new. 



You know I almost convulsed at the sight of all this glassware. 
Too bad I didn't bring an extra suitcase on my trip to fill with these goodies..  I love cocktail glassware!!!



A dressmaker's form was recovered in peacock blue satin and is used to display an insane amount of brooches and pins.  Steal this idea for your boudoir!

  

I really, REALLY loved this campaign-style bamboo tray table.  Wouldn't it make a fabulous nightstand?  And how rad are those plaid pillows?!




This table lamp is so haute. 



Bins filled with decorative handles, pulls, knobs and finials. 
And with prices much cheaper than that store that rhymes with Quanthropologie.



I die.  This patio furniture set would be so cute in a kitchen. 
And all those tabletop goodies are totally Mrs. Roper cool.



If you're in the Lexington area, you must check out Street Scene.  There's a treasure at every step in this shop, and the ladies on staff were so sweet and super stylish.  They recommended some of the other vintage shops that I visited this week (and mentioned above), and were so gracious while I gushed about their fab shop.  I didn't buy anything for the Guest Room makeover, but I managed to buy a purse for myself.  How does that always seem to happen?!? I was there with only 20 minutes before I had a meeting, so I couldn't shop for too long, but I'm going back before I leave town! 

Cheers,
Whitney



Oh, hey.



Hi!!





Helllll-oooooooo!

Hello Hello! 



Bye.

Sometimes $10.48 can make a big difference in a small place.
Cheers,
Whitney

1stdibs! eBay! ...and, Craigslist? An antique snobbery challenge




He's an antique snob. Are you one too?

 
How do you feel about pre-owned furnishings?  There's a strong market for it, even out-of-region, thanks to online antique exchanges.  I have a blast perusing auction sites and vintage market platforms when working on a tightly-budgeted project.  And I'm proud to say I have no qualms about low-end marketplaces.  But not everyone agrees with me on this.  Some feel that an 'antique' is only and 'antique' when sold by a formal dealer who [presumably] has deemed the piece worth a certain value.

Do you disagree with me?  Let's face it, when buying furnishings that have been previously owned, it's USED, no matter how you cut it.  But, I have watched clients' faces distort in disgust when I suggest a second-hand or Craigslist purchase.  And yet the same faces won't grimace at the mention of eBay or, especially, 1stdibs.  Hrmmmm.

I'm curious: are we all just a little too snobby when it comes to previously-owned goods?  Or, does the vendor have everything to do with the reliability of purchase?  Is the quality presumed to be higher with a higher price tag?  Is the transaction akin to buying a used Mercedes from a listing in the yellow pages (objectionable), but purchasing a pre-owned Mercedes from a dealership (perfectly acceptable)? 



Challenge #1  (I'm thinking about making this a monthly series on CYAH)
Below are three sideboards.  Each piece was discovered on the 3 sites using the single Keyword "Baker."  Match the Baker sideboard to which venue it's currently being listed:
 

Federal style sideboard by Baker.
a) 1stdibs  b) eBay  c) Craigslist




Regency style console by Baker.
a) 1stdibs b) eBay c) Craigslist




Late Georgian style sideboard by Baker.
a) 1stdibs b) eBay c) Craigslist



BONUS POINTS: Match the price to the piece:

$3,500.00

$1,450.00

$510.00

Throw out your guesses in the comment section.  And we'll see who has the best (or, is it worst?) snob radar in the pre-owned furnishings department...

Answers (and links) will posted over the weekend!
Cheers, Whitney

UPDATE & ANSWERS:


Federal style sideboard by Baker.
Available through a seller on NYC-Area Craigslist!  Asking price is $1,450.00
Link:   http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/fuo/2531142214.html

 

Regency style console by Baker.
Available through a vendor on 1stdibs!  And a steep price at $3,500.00  
Link: http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=455554



Late Georgian style sideboard by Baker.
Available through eBay.  At time of posting, bidding for $510.00
Link:  http://cgi.ebay.com/Baker-Mahogany-Sideboard-circa-1960-/300584730676?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fc3f0034

How did you fare on our little test?  Surprised with the truth about second-hand furnishings, perhaps?    
Cheers, Whitney

Because Dishwashing Should Be Chic

Not sure where I found this image, but I've had it for years and years.  I open up the file just so I can look at it and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

anyone know the source of this image?

Here's to hoping for big, creative ideas tomorrow.
Cheers,
Whitney

A Quick Thrift Spin

Earlier this week I was running some errands on the Upper East Side, and went into a few of my go-to thrift haunts.  Housing Works almost always shines in the second-hand store category, and these sightings did not disappoint.  I favor the Housing Works on 77th Street off Third Ave, but have had very good luck at the Grammercy and Chelsea locations, too.

A delightful and versatile rocker bench.  I'd sand it down, paint it a glossy navy and put it in a child's room

An immaculate set of bentwood chairs.  Bentwood chairs!  These are for sale through HW's auction site.

Um, not sure that this is an operable gas mask, but it might be a cool, punk decor accessory in the right room, no?

A huge leather case, in perfectly-worn-and-loved condition. Only catch? The latch was locked shut and the combination unknown.  The photo is shoddy, but it was a beautiful saddle color.

After I left Housing Works -- empty-handed, amazingly! -- I walked to Thriffany on First Ave.  Yes that's such an absurd name but I can't stop thinking about it when I'm in their shop, so at least its catchy.  Their selection is varied but such is the case with most thrift shops.  The thrill of the hunt is most of the fun. 

This pair of portaits caught my eye. 

And by 'catching my eye,' I mean that I wanted to buy insurance from them.

This vintage brass banquet server was cool. 

A huge burlwood dresser.  Marked down to $225, which is crazy, but they'd likely take half that.

And during my walk between Housing Works and Thriffany, I saw this old lady hanging out over her window ledge watching me like a ... wait, that's not an old lady! That's a pit bull!

Only in New York...

All these photos were taken with my crummy Blackberry.  On that note, I'm in the market for a new camera.  A legitimate camera which I will respect & love as the investment that it shall be.  But I know very little about fancy cameras.  What kind of shooter do you use and/or recommend??  I'm anxiously awaiting your ideas & advice!
Cheers,
Whitney