Dreaming of Danish ...

There's a Danish furniture sale on at Albion Antique Auction Centre this week. Started yesterday and ends Saturday. 

I hopped on the website and spotted this chair that I had to have .....

$15,000. Ouch! Glorious though. Not surprisingly, a sign at the store says ' do not sit on this chair'.  

Regardless of this little emotional setback, there were a number of other items which looked great and were priced more affordably to moi. Quite a few extendible tables, sideboards, there was this desk which in real life is gorgeous. I think it was $600 or something like that? ... good price, or maybe that was another desk. not sure.

This lounge, which i am very fond of, is $3,900, it has a planter box as part of it. Very cool, unique and a good price and excellent condition.

Lighting

There's also some period antiques in another room which are equally lovely. I adore good craftsmanship and the smell of nicely aged timber.

You can check out items here: http://www.aaac.com.au/auctions.html

E S Traders

I took a little trip out to Ipswich on Saturday. It was a glorious day and as I cruised along the highway marvelling at a picture perfect blue sky, I recalled a post by BrisMod at Fun and VJ's raving about a new space which had opened up in Ipswich town. I was desperate to see it... and did. Faabulous!

Something even more fab about the space was Kerrie, one half of the creative force behind ES traders. The more we chatted, the more evident it became that this woman is not only  incredibly interesting and easy to talk to, but she is completely captivated with  every piece that surrounds her. I walked away feeling exactly the same way.  

It's no secret that history is something which intrigues me, so having the opporunity to admire pieces steeped in hundreds of years of history and learning the story behind them is rivetting to say the least. Some of these pieces have seen and heard things that we will only ever imagine. They're beaten and bruised but absolutely mind blowingly beautiful. My phone was being disobedient so the pic's of many items are too blurry.

With a background in interior design, Kerrie's styling is gorgeous. Asian history is blended with immaculately crafted french reproductions. But not reproductions in the mass produced sense of the word. These are hand crafted to perfection.

The table pictured above is also handcrafted locally, it's enormous and the timber is simply stunning. ES Traders will be offering the service of making these by request. It won't be something that will happen over night and you will need to be patient to get your hands on one because the man who makes them will only do so when he comes across the right wood that will provide the best finish. Nice to know that you're paying for something unique and of the highest quality - the colour of the wood was magnificent.

So, you'd think i had shares in the place right? I know, that was a bit of a plug, but i just love coming across something that excites and intrigues me. To think that something has seen 200 years worth of living and still stands proud seeking a new chapter in it's life is so unbelievable. All the way from Tibet or some little province tucked in a hillside half way across the world. And you see reproductions of Asian aniquities - but let me tell you - they have absolutely nothing on the real deal and Kerrie knows every item's story, no matter how long or short it may be.

So what would you call this place? I think a gallery. In a gallery you purchase a piece that speaks to you or connects with you. You admire it for the beauty that it is and wouldn't consider interfering with that. It's not about just buying something and having it. Take a drive out there and have a chat with Kerrie. You'll know what i mean if you dont already.

ES Traders

17C Ellenborough St, Ipswich.

P.S. That stunning piece of art in the first pic is by a local Brisbane Artist jo d'hage.

Oh and just quickly. The Royal Wedding. Many posts ago i talked about all these old newspapers and Womans Day we came across from the 1940's - 1960's under the flooring of a cottage we reno'd. This is one which i kept. The Queen's Royal Wedding Spread.

 

This was in the newspaper on the 27th November 1947. Women all over the world were 'in raptures' again 64 years later on Friday night. Move over Beiber the royals are on stage! what-is-with this beiber fever ... i don't get it ... i mean i may only be almost 20 a few years older than him but i still don't get it.

I'll pop up some pic's of Shop 16 over the coming days. I had something of an incident with a potential fishbowl and some macrame at my home on Monday. Cuts to prove it on my fingers and leg. I'm a bull-at-a-gate and couldn't wait for an extra set of hands!  Hopefully i'll have the desired outcome to show sometime soon.

weekend 1

Weekends go to fast. After finalising the setup on the space in the morning of Saturday and doing up a post, i found myself surrounded by a home in disarray. By this stage it was about 11:30am. I also planned to bake a cake and meet the girls for a drink and a 'viewing' of Shop 16 at 3:30pm. Crikey moses i had some work to do!

The girls were so excited about the space, and being that they're a creative crew with independent  likes and dislikes it was great to have some good old fashioned feedback. We then mosied on down to Canvas Bar at the Gabba. Highly recommend.

I did get the cake baked, and following drinks we had dinner with Friends at a local Italian with much to celebrate including the birthday of the fun and fabulous Julie over at Restoring the Old Girl. My packet mix cake was rather pitiful in comparison to the baked from scratch delicacies Jules creates - so i thought that bringing it out at about 11pm was a sure fire way to make it a total hit.

After a thoroughly exhausting Saturday, A and I drove to Springbrook yesterday. We were both tired and lethargic and felt the need for a cruisy drive to look at calm and soothing things. You may remember the Caravan and green besser brick i came across last time we were up there ( click here )? 

This time we saw this

Even the wheels were made of wood - i wonder how long it's been here for? It was on one of the sites that have been demolished. They've been doing a buy back scheme up there to reclaim land to conserve the national park and things are being demolished left right and centre.

I like the colours that years of weathering has brought to it- the moisture in the air up there is incredible, green moss covers everything.

Mist was low yesterday which is when the mountain is the most beautiful i think. A went to explore while i sat in the car and intermittently took photo's of something mossy. The breeze swished the mist around the car - it was freezing cold but smelt of clean, fresh rainforest.

Today i popped into WAC to eye off the space and see how Weekend 1 had faired. It was pretty cool to see some blank space and sold stickers. So i decided to celebrate again and bought this darling honey bunch from the cafe there. He's sitting here in my intray waiting to be eaten - terrified. He's being eyeballed from every direction.

I have bundles of fabric for items of furniture. I just need to decide what will go with what. I like tropical and morrocan prints. Thing is, not everyone else does so i need to put some thought into it. Give me a hand for a tic ... if you were looking for an item of furniture to sit on be it chairs, stools, daybeds, whatever ... what kind of fabric would you like 'off the shelf' style? Tropical, floral, geometric, stripes, block ..

shop 16

Well, it's official. I am the very, very proud stall holder of Shop 16 at Woolloongabba Antique Centre.

It's been a complete whirlwind couple of weeks since i received a call from  Sarah-Jane and Megan from WAC and here i am exactly 12 days later - in like flyn baby.

So this is me.

Love my macrame so it will continue to be a feature i think. The macrame's for sale but not the bottles of plants - they're going to be living here permanently the little darlings.

Some of these pieces will look familiar but i let me say - they much prefer their surroundings amongst so many other fun, eclectic and beautiful things. That centre is christmas, birthdays, tooth faires and the easter bunny all rolled into one place for me.

The carpet tile has made a nice quirky feature on the floor. We had a pile left over in the shed from a house reno and a friend suggested i use it here. GREAT suggestion! I was leaning toward acrylic grass or honan matting. Might change it up down the track ...

The white cane chairs have reversible cushions for the base and also the scatter cushions. It's a fine beige and white pinstripe on the back of the cushions and plain beige on the seat base - gives you the option to tone down the piece if you're not having a red day.

So that's it. So bizarre i'm even posting about this - wasn't in the plan for this year but i am totally excited about this venture no matter what the outcome. Some things just happen for a reason ...

Hoping to see you all there - so much to look at, we've got Katherine from The Old Boathouse and Paint me White amongst something like 60 other stores and of course lil ole me. Have a great rainy Saturday. Cocktails this afternoon with the gals to celebrate. It's so great when you're friends are just (if not more) excited that you are when you do something like this. Friends are the best!

cane at its very best

I'm on ebay and mesmerised by this setting. This is the finest, most stunning and perfect example of the very best cane setting i have ever laid eyes on. Ever. In all the cane settings i've seen - this is the one that has stirred me the most ... ever .... ever

Just look at those curves

oh my

It has yet to sell and has a starting bid of $650 - based in Seaforth in NSW. I wish i hadn't seen it.

I wonder how many watchers are watching it? It's a rediculous bargain if you get it for under $1,000. The sunken lounge i plan on having in this lifetime would really thrive with this setting in it surrounded with palms and greenery flourishing in the indoor garden i also plan to have.  Wouldn't it look perfectly perfect? I wish very much that i had that house and space at this moment in time.

2 days and 1 hour to go. Someone is going to be a very very happy person come Wenesday night.

ticking it off the list

I would be a complete head case if i didn't have lists...

On friday night, instead of cracking a wine with the girls, i condensed these lists ready for a very productive weekend. I mentioned a few posts ago that i had re-found a stash of Chanel makeup that had been pushed to the back of the bunch and neglected?

Well, it was on my list to go through and see what i want and what my mother may use. Done and done. Massive tick. Majority has been unopened, but what i am wondering is what on earth possessed me to buy the paint set for lips, cheeks and eyes? of course they're still in the box!

I also dropped into a vintage fashion store called 'La Bella Donna' at Morningside.

Anna, the owner, has some beautiful pieces. She takes some things on consignment and other pieces she sources, like this dress - a 1950's velvet gown. The shade of green is breathtaking.$350 - absolute steal. I can't express it's stunningness in this photo.

There were other's Anna had sourced from the same owner in Toowoomba including a burgundy floor length gown with a jewelled thin belt and jewelling around the neckline. It came out blurry on my phone. You can kind of see it in this shot, rediculously beautiful, it'd be sacrilege to cut it off, but good lord it would look superb. The one at the front divine too.

I wonder who owned them and what life they led? A very glamorous one indeed. This gorgeous little number jumped in my bag before i could say no. I pictured it with the bow at the front (traditionally back to front) but looks great either way.

Someone must go and buy this hat too - don't let the freaky model turn you off.

Anna reminded me of the annual vintage fair that's held at the Mt Gravatt Showgrounds. It's coming up on the 26/27 March, i feel it's my duty to share - always a treasure trove.

So that was actuallly a tick as i went there to talk to her about some gowns i have she may like to sell ... and there was also a reward because, well just because.

Next stop was Woolloongabba antiques to look at fabric. This ended up being a huge X on the list front but a big tick on the rewards front. It's all about compromise.

I snagged this teak 1970's room divider.

 

It's not a great shot and it has feet so is completely freestanding.

My heart raced like i was climbing Everest when we saw eachother. I messaged a friend saying 'i need someone to tell me to buy this' and got back 'do it'. I did what i was told. I then immediately exited the building.

I have nowhere to put it and definitely do not need it like the fabric i was actually there to buy, but it is most certainly an instant fave and lifelong friend.

My next tick was commencing the makeover on this setting.

 

These are the chairs so far. Tricky work with all the curves. Going to be a long road. Half tick.

 

You're probably thinking i'm low on ticks for what i termed a productive weekend? I also, cleaned the s*** room. I'm afraid it's the only term, and everyone has one - ours is the office. A perpetual mess always bombarded with the rejects of anything and everything - a thorn in my side. Huge tick. Plus, washed, ironed and took out the bins. That's four more ticks which equals a total of 6 and a half. I earned that room divider - look how hard i work!

pictur-esk

Last weekend, actually the one before last, we went for a sunday cruise and ended up entering a town with a sign that said 'pictur-esk'. I've been out there so many times and never noticed the little cute sign. How adorable the people in Esk are, and i totally agree with them - it is very pretty out there even though water has left a path of destruction.


Seeing it was Sunday i bought some stuff... starting with this bottle.

 Oooooh how i love that shade of green. She's fitting in well in the kitchen with this curvaceous bunch below.

And these are some shots of the interior of the store. This place is about to burst it has so much stuff - it's located in an old pub

 I purchased these saturday just gone and they still look gorgeous after all of this heat, the flower lady told me to put them in ice cold water and change it every few days

 and these too - no idea what either of them are called

'A' bought me a puzzle to do

 and himself a painting which is really growing on me

Wowsers. It's 10:30pm. Last February Friday of 2011 tomorrow. Where does the time go?

sunday street sale

I've been over to my dentist this morning at Nundah in Brisbane, and every time i go there i drop into an Antique store on Buckland Street. There are 3 separate shops which used to be an old telephone exchange. The building is just gorgeous and full of treasures.

We have Savad Designs, Panda Pearls and Travels with my Aunt and each quarter they have a 'Sunday Street Sale'. It's tomorrow starting from 9am. Get you're skates on. Here are some shots of what's in store right now.   

The windows are magnificent and remind me of 'Playschool' which was a kid's show i watched when i was little. There was a game of what was behind a window... there were maybe 4 different shaped windows, and a guest child on the show got to choose one and then it would open ... this window above looks like one of them.

Savad Designs import stunning vintage fabric which are mounted on canvas and often sold separately.I purchasesd some Marimekko fabric from the owner Helen last year. She also has some fab vintage collectables.

Panda Pearls has an enormous range of spectacular pearls and other gorgeous jewellery. She has a passion for Antiques so there's always some other 'raise the heartbeat' treasures amongst it all.

And Travelling with my Aunt is a mixed bunch and fabulous! All the fabrics above are vintage, i purchased a big piece of tribal print fabric and a 2m long gorgeous bird and blossom fabric which is used for the inside of kimono's (i think she said?) last year. I never know the name of fabrics, yet love to buy them!!! She has tonnes of buttons and so much more. Stunning antique vases, crystal, hats, bags, jewells .... the list goes on.

There's also a bit of new. It's not all antique or vintage so the whole place is a great mix. Makes my dentist visits worthwhile anyway.

Sharing the love people... 9:00am tomorrow.