Thrift Art Gallery - More Beautiful Mystery's

I've posted a few Beautiful Mystery's from my Thrift Art Gallery before and actually got help identifying a few pieces, so I thought I'd show ya' a few more from my collection.

This is the 1st piece of art I remember buying. It was at a thrift in FL and has hung in every one of our homes since.  So much for starting small, LOL.

It's signed "Dormz Weimer" or Weiner...I've never found out any info on it, but love it just the same.

This beautiful floral painting is also really fun. I love the color and texture of the sunflowers though the artist "Redi" has never come up during my searches?

Asian art is all the rage and this litho by P. Chu has been a mystery for a few years. 

Signed: P. Chu, Poppies II 170/500

It hangs proudly in my spare bedroom all the same, as does this lovely asian inspired bird painting hanging in our dining room.

Signed H. Johnon, Oil on Canvas

Though they may not be worth their weight in gold, these pieces all bring a little beauty to my life everyday. You don't have to spend a fortune on art that makes you happy...but it's always fun to know that artist behind the art!

If you have insight on any of the art on my blog I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for stopping bye!

Cheers ~ Lara

Thrift Share - Fun Furniture Finds

It's been forever since I've done a Thrift Share post. I've been so fortunate to travel a LOT this year, and between that, work, & life I hadn't stepped foot into a thrift shop in about 4 months.

But...I'm redecorating (for real this time). You may remember that I've blogged about my design dilemma's and living room re-do's for months now, and I'm ashamed to say that my projects are still in limbo. But, I did make a little progress this past week & came across some pretty cool furniture that I thought I'd share, along with where these new pieces will go during the redo.

1st up...this totally cool pair of vintage chairs. I'm in love with them. The crazy avocado upholstery is original & I'm amazed at how great of shape they are in.  I couldn't find any makers marks on them but they are very well made and the backs are button tufted and totally cool. I'm guessing 1950s or 1960s but furniture isn't really my expertise.I originally thought I'd put them in our formal living room, but it's really bright in there and I'm afraid they will fade too much, so I'm putting them in the den instead.

(That leather couch is headed to the living room and a new rugs coming in here) 

I don't often tell how much I pay for my goodies, but on these next few things I have to share my sticker shock with you! 

I found this HUGE wool rug for $25!!!  That's right, $25!  It's not vintage, but it's a beauty and the for the size (8X11) and price I couldn't pass it up. To my surprise when I got home, the original tag was on the back and I was able to find out a little more info about it.  It's a Sphinx 100% Wool rug mfg by Oriental Weavers & guess what it retails for? $1,800!!! Thats right folks, this one was truly a steal!!!  It's in almost new condition and though it wasn't the exact look I was going for in the front room, I know I'll still be able to make it work.

At the same thrift I also scored this set of Bernhardt table frames.  They were brand new with the tags attached, so I googled them on the spot.  They are called Palmer Metal Cocktail & End Tables, and they were missing the glass tops so I got the pair for...$25!!! Yep, that was the magic number at that store & guess what the retail was on these puppies??? Over $1500 for the combined MSRP!!!  I took them to the glass shop this weekend and had new tops cut for them, now they look good as new. Oh wait, they are new!  Lol!  I'm moving these into the den where the oversized ottoman is now.

Last but not least, I found my 1st piece of Paul McCobb Planner Group furniture.  I happened upon this beautiful 3 drawer chest at a thrift & debated about bringing it home. It was a little on the pricey side, but after talking the store into a 20% discount I had them load it into the car.  My first inclination was to resell it on CL, and I do actually have it posted on both the LA & OC listings.  I've had 3 people contact me on it with lowball offers (in addition to 3 scammer emails)...but I've moved it around the house a few places and I'm really starting to get attached. It seems to work in both of the rooms I'm redoing and Tim really likes it...so I may not let it go.  EEK!

So that's it! Hopefully I'll be able to share the finished rooms with you soon.  Decorating around here is certainly a slow process, but thrifting new goodies keeps it fun & fluid so I'm really enjoying the process!

Cheers ~ Lara

Two Peas in a Pod

Lucy & Stella are certainly Two Peas in a Pod.

Spoiled rotten and onery as ever.

Love my silly Girls!

Cheers ~ Lara

Behind the Scenes: Living Room Re-Do

A few months ago I posted about our living room couch.  If you remember, our dogs ate the 1st one that I posted about here...and we finally found a place to order a new one that I posted about here...

So without further ado...heres the new couch!

Turned out pretty cute huh? 

Now it's time to tackle the rest of the room, cause its just a mess!

Here's another view of the couch, with some leftover chairs in the background.  

And here's a view from the other direction.  We still have the nasty old dog couch in the room! Eek! See it back there, covered in leftover pillows??? The window treatments are also horrible & I know the room will never really come together until I switch out the drapes (my excuse: it's a rental & those belong to the owner!). I've got a different coffee table in the garage. And lastly, I'm not happy with the current art situation. But 1st step for sure is to get that nasty couch OUT!!!

We were so happy with the way that the new gray sofa turned out, that we've decided to have a pair of chairs made by the same company.  I'm definitely feeling something 50s 60s modern with a fun fabric.  I want to keep an eclectic style in the room with a modern base. What do you think?  Here are a few chairs...

And a few fabric swatches.

I really like the idea of a little bit of print, but it's probably smarter to stick to a solid and accent with pillows.  If I do go solid, I'm definitely going to have them in some fun color!

Here are a few inspiration rooms from my Pinterest Boards and I'll keep you posted as I get further along!  

I'd love any suggestions too!

Cheers ~ Lara

New Couch

Modern Eclectic Inspiration Room via Doodlehouse.

Well, we finally did it.  We broke down and got a new couch.  

You may remember that our dog Lucy destroyed our previous sofa (you can see the damage HERE).  We've been hesitating getting a new one because we just don't know if she'll go back to her old tricks of chewing...but after much ado the search is over.

We had a few ground rules. I'm still going for and eclectic "Vintage Modern" style. I want the room to feel inviting & fun.  We didn't want to spend more than $600 (just in case) and we wanted something with pretty clean lines for versatility.  We also wanted a grayish texture or light patterned fabric to hide any potential dog hair.  I was dreaming of a Chesterfield, but thought that may be a little over the top in the price category until we know if Lucy can control her couch killing instincts.

After browsing OC, LA, and everywhere in between we finally happened upon Millennium Furniture in Koreatown.  They are a furniture factory based in LA, who will customize & build a sofa based on your specifications within a week.  Basically they say you can bring in your picture, or browse through their selection of catalogues (the likes of Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, etc) and they will build the sofa for a fraction of the cost.  I'll have to admit...I'm a little skeptical and cautiously excited to receive our new sofa.  The reviews on Yelp were a mixed bag.  The designs and quality of merchandise they have on the showroom floor were good, and I guess we'll find out next Sat when our new sofa is hopefully delivered exactly as we ordered it.  Here's what we decided upon.

Room & Board Andre' Sofa - $1600 - $1800

We used the same style and dimensions of the Andre sofa from Room & Board, but picked a round tapered leg like on the Jasper sofa.  Our fabric choice was a brushed twill in a heather'ish gray. 

Room & Board Jasper Sofa

The kicker...all said & done with delivery...$540!  Tim was so excited he wanted to order some matching chairs on the spot (yes, they'll build chairs too)...but I say we just have to wait and see how the sofa turns out 1st.  If it's good however, it may be on like Donkey Kong.  I'll find some funky pattern or vintage upholstery fabric & have a pair of coordinating side chairs whipped up within no time!

Wish us luck!

Cheers ~ Lara

What Do You Do & Studio ReDo!

I reorganized and de-cluttered my studio Sunday...and in the process realized how many unfinished art projects I have laying around! Half painted canvases and scratch pencil drawings galore!  I really should challenge myself to do something with the unfinished canvases.

I'd love some feedback from you other creative gals.  I wonder how many projects you work on at a time?  What do you do with projects you start and never finish ...do you revisit and rework them until you get to a point of completion?  Do you repaint the background of canvases and start over from scratch?  I'd love to hear more about each of your processes.

A journal entry & rough sketch for my room redo

I've really been enjoying the Creative Courage e-course I've been doing hosted by Stephanie Levy.  Last week, one of the topics focused on Improving Your Workspace.  Stephanie challenged us to really take a look at our studios and envision a place where we feel relaxed, inspired & excited to work.  

I'd posted several pictures of my "before" studio here and here.

Part of the problem with my workspace had been that I had been adding so many things to the room that I just didn't have any place to spread out.  The top of my desk was so cluttered that I had no room to lay out supplies while I was working & that was putting a slight cramp in my creativity.  So I fixed it!

I started by rearranging the furniture.  I picked up a new bookcase (thanks Goodwill $12.99 ~ score!) so I was able to completely clean off my desk and make a proper worktable.  Not only that, I can now just swing my chair around and work easily at the desk or easel!

I'm on the lookout to find a longer worktable...but the newly de-cluttered desk is working much better already!

I may resell a lot of vintage goodies in my Etsy shop, but I hold a special place in my heart for thrifted art & books. I tend to collect a tad too many paintings & framed prints.  By keeping the larger pieces of furniture offset from the wall a bit I have a place to store what isn't hanging.  This is much nicer than before where it was all just lining the walls. Though I already had some inspiration pieces hanging on the walls, I filled in a few more of the open spots with some of my own art along with pieces from my Thrift Art Gallery.

New Bookcase & Art Storage

I'm so much happier with the space now!  I'm feel more relaxed and creative, and have had so many ideas generated throughout the process.  

I have to admit though, I'm not the only one enjoying the new room.

 

Stella seems to have found her new spot too...I even caught her napping up here this afternoon without me!  Silly dog :-)

I can't wait to see whats coming up this week in Creative Courage!  I'm feeling so grateful that I signed up for the course!  Thanks again to Stephanie & the other amazing women in the group.

Cheers ~ Lara

Thrift Share - Craigslist Crazy Holiday

Happy 4th of July weekend to all of my US Thrift Hunting blogger friends!

Whilst yard sales aren't as plentiful on a holiday weekend I hope you all managed some great finds!

I'm super excited about what I brought home...though it was quite a task to acquire it.

If you've been following my blog a little you probably remember how frustrated I've been with changing up our Den.  I can't find the right pillows or table & just overall not happy with the space.  I moved the oversize ottoman back, returned the brown pillows, and picked up these new Yellow & Color Burst ones from West Elm this weekend.  I think they are OK, but not perfect.  What do you think??? 

So on to my find...

A couple of weeks ago I shared my envy when Morgan at The Brick House found a perfect coffee table for their room on Craigslist...and I knew it would be perfect in my room too.  Our ottoman is ok, but there's no where to put drinks & we really need a harder surface.  So guess what....I FOUND ONE!  Well, not exactly the same, but pretty darn close!  Yesterday I was scrolling on Craigslist and thought "What the Hay", and checked in San Diego listings.  We had nothing going on & it's not too far of a drive...when low & behold I found the pics on this listing!

I called, the table was still available & for only $75 and a drive to San Diego it was mine.  Sounds easy, but with the 4th of July traffic it took 4 hours to get there.  Regardless, I've got my project for the rest of the weekend.  The table is great.  I'm going to sand & stain it a little darker & reseal the travertine & I'll have some pics for you next week (maybe with different pillows, lol).  We were all exhausted after our drive, but hopefully it was worth it in the end!

I hope that you have a safe and fun 4th whatever your day brings & I can't wait to see all of your Thrifty Things....so once again I'm linking up to Flea Market Finds & Thrift Share Monday.  

Cheers ~ Lara

Decorating Dilemmas

We've been living in our Long Beach home for a little over 2 years now.  It's a rental, so we can't do any major changes like painting or remodeling ~ so I do a lot of tweaking to our furnishings.

My biggest decorating challenge has been our back room~den.  It's an odd shaped room off the kitchen and along the back of the house.  The door & window open up to the patio.  It's very long & kind of narrow and I just can't get it right.

View into Kitchen...say Hi to Stella!

I know hanging curtains would make a world of difference.  In a dream world, I'd knock all those windows out and put sliding glass doors across the back of the house!

Back corner of Room

View from Kitchen...notice how the TV has to be hooked up on this wall.  It makes area where brown couch is awkward.

I've rearranged the furniture several times & lately have been moving paintings & accessories in from other rooms.

This was a while back, notice all the red accessories.  They look great, but I'm sick of staring at the same colors for over 2 years and just needed a change.  Also, notice the bench & couch are angled differently?

I just changed up some of the pillows & the coffee table (this is the 3rd that I've tried).  I love the shape and height of this one...but the mirror is just not practical in this busy space.   Too many smudges & too much dog hair.

Also looking for new pillows.

Morgan at the Brick House just found the perfect coffee table on Craigslist in LA...it's EXACTLY what I've been looking for!  Why wasn't I scouring LA Craigslist last week???

I'm so jealous...wouldn't this table be perfect!!!  

I guess I'll keep tweaking till I get it right...and I'm open to any Decorating Suggestions!!!  You probably can't tell from the pictures that the tags are still attached to the pillows. lol.  But I'm still not decided on the brown floral pillows.  I wanted some more color, but think they feel a little too "patio furniture" inspired.  Thank goodness Home Goods has a 30 day return policy, I just don't know if these are right.

The hunt continues!

Cheers ~ Lara

Behind the Scenes

Staying organized as a reseller is a job in itself.

A few weeks ago Amanda at Tall Glass of Water blogged about her "Dirty Little Secret" and asked the question of how to best stay organized with inventory as a reseller.

Unfortunately I can't say I'm a role model as I have stuff stored throughout the house & garage

(Tim tells me I've invaded every space of our place),
but I have to say I've impressed myself as I've found a place for most of my things.

Stella feels inspired for a nap!

My Art Room is overflowing.  I don't take as much time to create in here as I should, but the closet in this room is perfect for storing my supplies & some of my inventory.

My art obsession lines the walls.

This is where it starts to get messy.

I did save myself a little space to create.

The garage is where you'll find most of the breakables.  We have a fun little workshop filled with drawers & cabinets just perfect for holding all sorts of little treasures.  Almost everything out here is for the shop.

Did I mention that the cabinets don't really close?

Oversized frames & mirrors.

What would you expect to find in the library??? Well books of course!  I thought I may have a hard time filling the shelves in here, but nah!  Heres a little peek from when out Xmas decorations were still up.

Vintage clothes are housed in the guest closet & all of my inventory is logged into a little Composition Book as it comes in.  I give myself enough room to write a small description, measurements, and price paid for each item...it's getting it onto a computer spreadsheet that proves to be the bigger challenge.  

Basically I guess it's just slightly organized chaos...but it's fun & I enjoy every minute of it!

Hope you enjoyed the Behind the Scenes peek of NowSoLA Vintage!

Cheers ~ Lara