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Posts categoriezed as Vintage

To Splurge or Not to Splurge?

To Splurge or Not to Splurge? published on

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After seeing Big Ang’s awesome pink disco kitchen (Yes, I sometimes catch Mob Wives. Don’t judge.) I told my husband that I’d love to create some kind of retro funky disco looking basement in Rockaway. He was all like “Leave the damn basement as is.” But then I walk into Build it Green Gowanus yesterday and fell deeply in love with this couch thingy. 300 bucks. Easy choice if it was my house that I’m going to live in, but an investment property that is already beyond my budget?

It’s just so friggin awesome. Quick! Someone give me a room to design around this thing!

Goodbye Pink Bathroom

Goodbye Pink Bathroom published on 2 Comments on Goodbye Pink Bathroom

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Sometimes I see pre-renovation photos and I ask why the hell people would get rid of anything as awesome as a pink bathroom to put in new dreck. Well, now I know first hand.

It’s been a difficult few weeks trying to save my pink bathroom. At first, I was going to keep it fully intact. I just wanted to take down the ugly fiberglass shower enclosure and wall behind the tub and get rid of some weird floor “junk” behind the toilet. Once I ripped that down I saw that it was hiding rotted wood.

The tub is sitting on damaged joists. There is a massive hole in the floor under the toilet. When I took down the wall that was used to enclose the shower plumbing, the room looked so much bigger and brighter.

I thought I’d salvage any pink wall and floor tile that I could. Now it’s clear that it all needs to go so I can do it properly. The good news is that I can extend the room into an adjoining closet and have a larger bathroom.

Right now I intend to do everything possible to keep my pink tub and toilet, but if I don’t find proper matching tiles, then someone else can benefit from these fabulous items. Fingers crossed it’s me though.

Antique Kitchen Cabinets

Antique Kitchen Cabinets published on 11 Comments on Antique Kitchen Cabinets

There’s no need to spend $3000 on cheapo Home Depot cabinets or $20000 for nicer ones that still look like dreck. Get yourself to an antiques shop or flea market and buy some mismatched pieces of history for your kitchen!

Can’t you see an entire red-cabinet kitchen to match the single painted piece above? Or how about multiple colors? You can have similar styles co-exist with just a few coats of paint and some matching hardware. Tip: Make sure it’s a durable paint or seal it with poly as this is for everyday kitchen use.

Ok, so this one isn’t dirt cheap flea market price, but it’s not easy to find a Hoosier with matching side cupboards. It retails for $3975 at an online antiques shop.

There’s a whole story behind this old hutch. You can read about how it was saved from certain death at Bearfort Lodge.

Need some spice storage? This antique Chinese apothecary doesn’t come cheap at $4500 but it will surely be the centerpiece of you kitchen. A less expensive and almost-as-cool alternative for spices might be a library card catalog that can be picked up for a few hundred bucks.

Keep in mind that vintage mid century cabinetry is pretty awesome and you can pick up entire sets, but this post is about ANTIQUE, not vintage. Just so you know.

More Stuff for Stoop Sale

More Stuff for Stoop Sale published on

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Valley of the Creepy Dolls

Oy. How did I collect so much stuff? I can’t even see half the crap in my basement. Fuggedaboutit! So, here are some photos of a few more things I found. Hope to see you at the stoop sale on Saturday. We’ll schmooze. You can meet my dogs. Maybe take some stuff off my hands so I don’t have to schlep it back into the house? Oh wait…it might rain. Maybe the sale will take place IN my house and not on the stoop. Whatev. It’s rain or shine!

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What home is complete without a creepy clown painting? You know you want him!

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Black velvet painting. Very classy. Unfortunately, she has a rip. Yours for 5 bucks.

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There are hinges and pulls and knobs and old tools. Guy things. Ya know.

Flickr set.

Antique Decor in Period Condo

Antique Decor in Period Condo published on 2 Comments on Antique Decor in Period Condo

No, it’s not for sale and it’s not in New York. My witty friend forwarded some photos of her friend, artist Roberta Glick’s apartment because she knew I’d flip out over it. Roberta decorated the unit in what I like to call “Hip Old Lady Chic”. It’s not quite “Shabby Chic” because shabby chic tends to be the just-slap-some-white-paint-on-it style. Hip Old Lady Chic has a dusty old Victorian feel to it rather than the crappy Mid Century vintage these kids today go for.

Antique frames don’t need anything inside to look amazing on the wall. They are works of art in themselves. Here, they’re displayed on the table as well as the wall.

You just don’t see too many crystal sconces around these days. Maybe because they didn’t survive or maybe because they are a bitch to clean.

The beautiful old armoire would look great on it’s own, but the inclusion of vintage hats and hat boxes puts the fun into it. I’d imagine that armoire is filled with vintage clothes! Or just a bunch of clutter like my own antique armoire.

Yeah, that’s where this apartment is! The National Park Seminary. Very Mohonk Mountain House, no? It’s actually an old resort in Silver Spring, MD built in 1887. It served as a girl’s school and a rehabilitative hospital for wounded soldiers over the years. The property is an historic treasure open to the public. The condos are only part of the structure.

 

Awesome Ebay Finds

Awesome Ebay Finds published on 2 Comments on Awesome Ebay Finds

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What’s creepier (to this Jew) than a dead Jesus on a cross? That dead deer next to him is giving him some competition. Starting bid on this larger than life guy is $180k or you can buy it now for $1.3 mil. Read the description. That is priceless.

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Whose kitchen is big enough for this? Not mine. But it sure is cool (no pun intended). Located somewhere in Pennsylvania.

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Ok, so this gargoyle is $3125 and you’ll have to schlep it back from Chicago. That doesn’t make it any less awesome. Standing at 55″ high and born in the early 20th century, it’s the real deal.

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Remember the clown-water-balloon game at Coney Island? Well, this clown head is from that game.

All photos are linked to the items so you can buy them for me.

My Blue Sofa:Like Craig’s List for the Home

My Blue Sofa:Like Craig’s List for the Home published on

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My Blue Sofa is a new online marketplace for anything home related. In fact, it’s so new that it’s still in beta.

The website is easy to work with and pleasing to the eye. Images spring up along with the categorized listings. It’s more like shopping with Etsy than Craigslist. You can even pay via PayPal and get info on the seller if they supply it.  So really, it’s not like Craigs at all. I should stop with the comparisons now.

These are a few of the listings I spotted.

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Theodore Alexander desk. $2000

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Early 1900’s Farm Table. $275

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Oh, look at that! How did those chairs get in there? Yeah, they’re mine. They never really matched my Eastlake dining room table, so I’d like to get rid of them. 1800’s from Britain. I’m asking $600 for the set of 6 but will take best offer. Come on Monty, let’s make a deal!

Top photo is a fully restored Empire Duncan sofa for $3500.

Chair Portraits

Chair Portraits published on

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Over the weekend I started pulling furniture out of my garage to get ready for the yard sale. I set up a little makeshift outdoor “studio” to shoot the merch.

It’s kind of cool how the chairs almost seem lifelike as they sit waiting for some tlc. All of them are old and raggedy and have seen better days. The chippy paint and cracks are like human wrinkles that tell the story of life’s experiences.

Yeah, I know it’s a load of crap. I’m just too tired to write anything else.

So….The Beacon 2 BK Moving Sale is this Saturday, April 10th. 10-5pm. Sure, come early, but that means we’re putting you to work hauling things. Don’t think you’re gonna come early to shop, bee-atches!

Address: 1189 North Avenue. That’s Rt. 9-D, south side. Park around the corner as there is no street parking and this is a driveway sale. The house is walking distance from Metro North and we may just be open to delivery.

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Green Gifts for the Holidays in LIC

Green Gifts for the Holidays in LIC published on

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Film Biz Recycling in Long Island City is holding a holiday extravaganza! I’m reporting a few days late on this because I wanted to ensure I got my own shopping done first. Sorry kids, but it’s a jungle out there.

If you didn’t read the previous post on FBR, here’s the rundown….

FBR is a non profit organization that accepts donations of props from the entertainment industry which would otherwise be thrown out. Not everything is vintage, but it’s definitely all been recycled. It would be interesting to know where each item came from. I never ask about all of them, but it seems like “Taking Woodstock” is the gift that keeps on giving for me. The last time I was there, I bought a bunch of stuff from that film and I just ended up with more.

I walked away with 4 large tote bags of small, gifty items for $182. I’ve spent more than that for 3 totes in the Korean grocery! (Ok, perhaps a fib)

The holiday sale is not just gifts. Check it out for all of your holiday decoration, gift wrapping and ribbon needs.

*Tip: Parking is a bitch on weekdays. Weekends are easier.

Some of the items I purchased for resale…..

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I’m going to castrate Bud Man. That thing is annoying me.

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I bought the two red ones on the ends. I think the others were gone. I didn’t see them.

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Clever Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers

Clever Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers published on 5 Comments on Clever Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers

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I have about 50 vintage salt and pepper shakers to sell at Gifted. I’ve been buying them on eBay like crazy because I’m freaking out that I won’t have enough handmade items to sell. Every time I open a box of these babies, I laugh, I cry…some of these are just too cute!

There are tons and tons of cute animals I’ve priced at around $15 per pair. I thought these were particularly unique and therefore tacked some extra $$ on to them.

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Pimp My Kitchen

Pimp My Kitchen published on 9 Comments on Pimp My Kitchen

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When reader Amanda wrote to me asking for recommendations on what to do with her 1950’s kitchen, I said “Let’s see some pictures!” So here they are. Leave your own ideas in the comments.

Here’s my input:

I still dream about those cabinets from this post and I think Amanda has to go PINK, PINK, PINK! Whatever color you choose (PINK!), I think the “Rick Wrench $50 paint job” are some of the best tips on the internets.

And don’t forget the pink fridge to match from this post. Ok, if these are too pricey, get an old fridge and paint it along with the cabinets. I’m not sure how I feel about vintage fridges though. Energy wasters, ya know?

Throw in a splash of blue for the counter top. See this post.

Vintage linoleum from Second Hand Rose. Kind of expensive. Hmm….how creative are you? I’m seeing painted floors.

Do you know about Retro Renovation? You can spend hours on that blog!

I’m done. Ok, your turn!

Williamsburg Junk

Williamsburg Junk published on 1 Comment on Williamsburg Junk

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On the days I drop The Husband off at work in Greenpoint, I head down Driggs to Bed Stuy. It’s usually about 6:30am and I have the dogs in the back so stopping isn’t an option, but there’s an entire block of vintage shops that I always say I’m going to check out.

Well, I finally did! I really went back for clothes shopping at Buffalo Exchange. Two dresses, a cardigan and a blouse for $60. Not drop dead fantastic prices, but it was better than Salvation Army pickins.

Junk on the corner of Driggs and N.9th had big old dolls in the window so I had to go inside. They have an eclectic mix of stuff taking over the cavernous space. There were antique church saints, vintage arcade games and tons of furniture and housewares.

The prices are decent for retail. It’s about what you’d expect to pay at a flea market. More than a stoop sale, but less than a store.

There’s also a CD section, which is almost as nostalgic as vinyl at this point. It’s worth the visit!

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The Fleas are Breeding

The Fleas are Breeding published on 2 Comments on The Fleas are Breeding

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Every week there seems to be a new flea market popping up around town. The Brooklyn Flea has been such a success that everyone with a backyard thinks they can start one. There are a number of smaller markets that couldn’t even find enough vendors, no less shoppers. They died before they ever even got off the ground. Without the perfect location and marketing, how can they expect to survive?

Here are some newer survivors you might want to check out while they still exist….

Brooklyn Flea Market (not to be confused with the Brooklyn Flea. Way to ride that wave!)
South Slope, Sat & Sun 10-6

Williamsburg Flea Market
Sundays 12-6pm

Flea by the Sea, Coney Island
Friday-Sunday, noon-sundown

The New Flea, Nolita
Indoors, daily

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