DECO BENCHES: RESTORATION ADVENTURES

Sorry that I haven't posted about these beauties after winning the bid on Thursday... Here are the period Deco benches as they were at the Auction. Pretty, but with surface issues. One of the most difficult decisions we make as antiques dealers is regarding restoration of finishes or do we have to resort to stripping..Yuck!! You never get the original finish quality with a refinish--no matter how good the restorer is because YOU CAN GET THOSE DAMN (oops, I meant darn) TOXIC CHEMICALS ANY MORE.  I am a super "green", organic, recycler and minimalist--but please give me back my toxic furniture chemicals...

And here are the beauties in my shop..... see how lovely they would be if only I could get the right products. The other problem is finding the perfect restorer who loves to do a French Polish. I used to have my list of professionals, but because of these wonderful traditional age-old TOXIC products, many of them have gone a little nutty and can't work any more.

(For some crazy reason I keep getting booted back to the "Times" font--can some one tell me why, please?)

So I have decided to have my life-saver, Roberto, bring the finish closer together with a touch up technique only. And perhaps die the faux lizard Edelman leather that I have --maybe a deep buttery yellow.

Ultimately (there we go back to times).....

Oooops, darn, the sun just came out and it has stopped raining which means that I had better get to the shop--I was going to take a rain day (we take our rain very seriously in Southern California) but now I don't have an excuse and I'm late!!! See you later.
Be well..........Mary

THE ETERNAL HUNT--AUCTION TIME

This is what the first hour of my favorite weekly auction looks like. A huge pile of stuff. Fortunately,  as the the day and the auction progresses, the items (lots) are more organized and you can see what is being auctioned. This is basically the "Junk Pile", but I have discovered some amazing "sleepers" in these piles. If you are really on the hunt, then you have to arrive early and be prepared to spend the entire day.  And it is always wise to preview the day before.... That said, this particular pile, does not look very inviting or promising; so I won't be coming too early.

I'm going to give you a close-up of that "pink thing" on the right--it's labeled "pink glass lamp table"--I don't think that I have ever seen anything quite so tacky as this guy--but it has an actual gold leafed wood base--go figure??

Coming up just after The Pile are a pair of period Art Deco stools/ benches that are starting to call to me. They are in rather poor condition, but I love the waterfall lines and the rosewood veneer.

I'm considering what I have at hand to reupholster the leather seats and how much time Roberto will have to spend restoring the finish. (I never strip unless the surface is in very bad condition.) Roberto is a miracle worker when it comes to finish restoration.

I have an Edelman leather faux snake skin hide that I think will look great on the benches.... it's an off-white/ivory shade. Of course, Edelman leather is top notch.

So it's decided: I'll bid on these benches. I really do not need any more chairs (my friends are instructed to physically restrain me from buying any more chairs of any form). What I really need are some case pieces and these are hard to find. (Madame Victoire is the most gorgeous of all case pieces, but not an easy piece to sell because of her price point). I'm looking for mid-century case pieces and I just don't see any today--which is fine because I spent "my wad" on Madame Victoire.

I'm going to show you some of the variety of objects that I spied today. They run the gamut from the tacky pink lamp table to sweet bronze cherub candlesticks and a very cool Minton for Tiffany & Co. dinner service.  Take a walk with me.......

 I covet this large 19th c. Japanese Tansu--just look at that amazing hand wrought iron strap work detailing--the iron pulls and the little drawers to the right side. It needs quite a bit of surface work, and it is a beautiful case piece, but I think it will go pretty high (we'll see....)

Next up is this very fake PreColumbian covered jar with a turtle? iguana? (note the repaired neck)--finial. I am sure there will be a buyer for this beauty. The lamp behind Mr. Precolumbia is really pretty and vintage and inspired by an antique chinese form, like the super desirable Christopher Spitzmuller lamps. But it is almost impossible to sell single lamps (I personally think that matched pairs can be rather boring--but what do I know?).

Next up are a few items (lots) from the higher-end portion of the Auction --the good stuff.

I am in love with this English Minton for Tiffany & Co. porcelain dinner service.  Do you see where Versace got his design inspiration for his highly desirable dinner services?  Minton's quality cannot be equaled.  Versace's designs are way over the top for porcelain services--Minton's is much more classic and with finer execution.

LOOK at the fine detail on the classical greek urn and the greek key pattern...just count the several rings of the border...GORGEOUS.

And finally, here is a sweet pair of 19th c. French bronze cherub candelabra...the bronze is finely executed and the children have wonderful character and patina--they form part of a French bronze and marble clock suite.

I love this pair of candelabra-- at one point I had a very large collection of 17th c. through 19th c. candlesticks and candelabra--and I know this set will sell very high.

Wish me luck--I'll give you an update tomorrow.......

Thanks for visiting.     Mary

MY BIG SALE--20% TO 40% OFF EVERYTHING... (MAYBE MORE?)

                              SALE-- SALE-- SALE-- SALE-- SALE

MAGNIFICENT SET OF 8 KLISMOS DINING CHAIRS

MJH DesignArts (that is, Jones and I) is having a BIG SALE!!!

I'm discounting my entire inventory (even Madame Victoire)----- over 300 items through FEBRUARY 14.

Most of my inventory is posted to my website  mjhdesignarts.com--but some of the smalls and decorative items are not. 

Please email me at mjhdecorativearts@yahoo.com or contact me through the website mjhdesignarts.com Contact page.

Jones will be present most days to assist in sales and be his usual happy self.

 MID 20TH C. KARGES CHINOISERIE DESK


















  

PAIR MID=20th c. CHESTS OF DRAWERS

3 PAIRS FRENCH IRON SCONCES

SET OF 4 PERIOD DECO MAHOGANY SIDE/DINING CHAIRS

LOUIS XVI STYLE DAYBED c.1840

PAIR 19th c. GILT LOUIS XVI SIDE CHAIRS IN SCALAMANDRE SILK 

PAIR MID-CENTURY MARBRO LAMPS

MINI BEAST HAS BEEN NAUGHTY LATELY--I'M GIVING HIM TO THE GYSPSIES

ART DECO STYLE LINEN VELVET SOFA WITH FORTUNY PILLOWS

J.L. CLEMENCEAU ACADEMIC DRAWINGS

DECO VENETIAN BERGERE

PAIR MID CENTURY FORTUNY PILLOWS

DECO STYLE LINEN VELVET SOFA--50% OFF!!

PAIR 1959 (DATED) ALL ORIGINAL DOROTHY DRAPER TABLES

FANTASTIC CARVED WOOD 20TH CENTURY CAMELS--33" HIGH

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY.

MARY (and Jones and Cole)

**I still don't have this picture positioning thing resolved---but I'm not giving up.

Mary

Madame Victoire, Part II

I picked up Madame Victoire this morning. AND SHE IS MORE AWESOME THAN I THOUGHT.     (Usually, it is just the opposite and I have embellished the item)

I'm going to run through her good points to give you a glimpse into French Provincial commodes. First off, although I had originally thought that she was in walnut, upon further inspection, I believe that she is solid mahogany as a primary wood. Mahogany was imported to Europe from the colonies and being a foreign species is not subject to insect damage as is the softer native European walnut. Mahogany is also a much more dense wood (more difficult to carve) which means that the piece can withstand more wear and tear than the softer walnut. And this accounts for the fact that Madame Victoire is all original: her snail carved feet (very sexy feet) retain their original carving, although the feet on the front naturally exhibit more wear than the rear feet. A further note of quality is the fact that Madame Victoire has four fully carved snail form feet. The majority of Louis XV provincial commodes had block feet to the rear. Now let's look at Victoire's beautifully proportioned sinuous bombe form--it is perfectly balanced and with a curvy sensual figure. The three drawer fronts have beautiful crisply carved molding surrounds and a carved center cartouche for the escutcheon.

Moving on to study Victoire from the side, you can see that she is just as beautifully detailed as on her front. She has a molded drop at the bottom which matches the drop on the front and the snail feet are positioned in such a way as to be beautiful when view from the side.

Next we need to look at Victoire's jewelry. Because she is provincial, her jewels ar simple. I believe that the bronze hardware which she now wears dates to and was fitted to her in the 18th c., but originally she had more simple bronze or brass bail-type fittings. The bronze hardware is beautifully cast with great detailing and is in excellent condition.

And finally, we are coming to the condition of Madame Victoire--she is in really great condition considering her 260 years of use. The drawer sides, bottoms and locks are original, her patina is deep, although there has been some resurfacing. No major splits to the wood.

              (Yes, that is the tips of my foot)

Now, just to make sure that we are dealing with a period pieces of furniture, we have to looked at Madame Victoire's backside: Is it the appropriate type of construction? YEP. Are the back boards of the same wood and of the same level of patination? YEP. Are there any square nails or nail holes? YEP. 

**See how a fabric strip has been applied to the back--this is a really good sign of appropriate shrinkage and repair.

LOOKS LIKE SHE'S A WINNER.......

(I have no idea how or why the photos and text lined up like this--but it looks intentional and good, right?)

I am definitely improving--but this dragging photos business is for the birds......

Please let me know if I am boring you with these nit-picking details.... Until the next adventure....

Mary 

Chilly Southern California Chicken Vegetable Soup

 I love it when we have cloudy, rainy, chilly (only going to be 60* today!!) days in Southern California. Yes, I know, for the rest of you this is warm and gorgeous. But here we take our cold very seriously. This is when I get into the mood to make home made soup. My favorite is chicken and vegetable soup made with as many organic or locally grown ingredients as possible. If you can't find all organic ingredients, the most important organic vegetables are celery, tomatoes and carrots and parsley and, of course, organic chicken. I know it is a little pricier and a little more work, but it is definitely worth the effort. This is what I'm making today--yum. Plus, when I'm under the weather, I make this soup and eat only this until I'm well--and I'm better in about 3 days.

     INGREDIENTS                        Whole or cut up chicken... (save breasts for other dishes)
        Organic, please!                      5-10 whole cloves
                                                        A few (15-20) fennel seeds
                                                        Bay leaf
                                                        3-4 Qts. water in large pot to generously cover chicken
                                  Simmer the chicken with the spices for about 1.5 hours. Let chicken cool;
                                  remove from bones and skim fat. (Today I also added a bit of rosemary and
                                  coriander seeds.)

                                                        4-5 stalks celery, chopped medium
                                                        1/2 large red pepper, chopped medium
                                                        3/4 lb.- 1 lb. baby carrots, cut in half
                                                        baby peas
                                                        2 zucchini, sliced 1/2" thick and quartered
                                                        green beans or haricot verts, cut in half
                                                        tomatoes, cut up or whole cherry tomatoes
                                                        (any other suitable vegetables at hand)
                                                        1/2 c. dry little white beans (soaked and cooked separately--add
                                                                                                      liquid to soup stock)
                                                        1/4 lb. or more Portobello (or other) mushrooms
                                                        1/3 c. chopped sweet onion (or 1 leek)
                                                        2 cloves chopped fresh garlic
                                                        1/3 c. (or more) pressed down chopped Italian parsley
                                                        Fresh ground black pepper
                                                    (Adjust seasonings to your taste)
                               

                                Add the vegetables to stock and bring to a simmer.  Add the boned chicken;
                                continue simmering until the vegetables are cooked.    DO NOT LET
                                VEGETABLES BOIL.  ( To preserve their nutritional value the vegetables
                                                                         must not reach boil)
                                Add two heaping tablespoons prepared PESTO to soup, stir and remove from
                                heat.
                                Serve with chopped avocado and/or freshly grated peccorino romano cheese
                                and toasted garlic French bread.
                                *** Skip the gluten (French bread) if you are ill.                
                           

Andrew started eating the soup before I had time to take a photo.
He also ate 2/3 of the bread before I took these shots.  (The amount of food consumed by this man/child never ceases to amaze me)












I think I've got it!!! The pictures got to where they are supposed to be on the first or second attempt. I'm still having trouble with "Helvetica" and the large size font--I think that I can only change font and size at the beginning of the post (correct me if I'm wrong)--but things were pretty smooth.

Thanks for visiting. Be well. Mary
                                                                     

Bringing Louis XVI Into the 21st Century

This is a tale of bringing a rather homely Louis XVI bergere into the 21st century. I call this rather neglected little Louis XVI girl Louise: she has great lines and well detailed carving, although she is slightly, about 30 years, out of period*. But her stylist really has her wardrobe all wrong--frumpy and boring.  She spent some time at my house waiting for her make over and Mini Beast, my huge adopted Siamese decided that Louise was his. He spent all of his spare (does a cat have spare time?) time--whenever he wasn't eating or terrorizing Maddy ( very small cat)--luxuriating in Louise. Sadly, Mini Beast returned to the spot where Louis had sat for more than a month--I guess he thought that she was returning to him.

In August I decided it was time to start on Louise's makeover. First came paying some much needed attention to the sunburned old dull finish which included stripping (using green products and lots of elbow grease and even dental picks) the beautifully carved frame down to the raw (greige) walnut and smooth sanding the wood (my son, Andrew did this portion). Next came choosing the best fabric to highlight the raw wood--I chose 2 complementary very high end linens: a Donghia silver linen for the front and a very heavy Anna French 100% linen burlap for the back. Then Louise went to my fantastic upholsterer, Lalo, a very American Spaniard from Malaga. First Lalo tightened up Louise's joints, added new padding, gave her a new down cushion and finished the upholstery in tape made from the corresponding linens and nail heads.  And here she is all sassy and ready for her new home. I love the earthiness of the raw wood combined with the linens.

Sometimes, when a piece of furniture turns out as well as this chair did, it is hard to give it up. I think of Louise as the perfect chair to add a bit of class to a boudoir, bedroom  or even a bathroom (study ?). Yes, she is small in scale, but really comfortable for even big men. 

I think that I'm actually getting the hang of this blogging adventure: photos are almost where I want them to be and I managed to stay in Helvetica!!

Thanks for stopping by--Mary

*Period and early 19th century bergeres and fauteuils usually (but not always) have an exposed back with the center support showing. They also are usually crisply and well carved and of a smaller proportion (think of Napoleon). My photo quality doesn't do the carving justice.