Long Beach Flea...

 Yesterday was a beautiful day for the flea market.  I went to Long Beach flea and found some wonderful goodies!  It was very very busy so it was a little harder to take pictures but I seemed to manage.  Here is a little peek at what I saw and purchased.

 

 Always a pleasure to see Trino and the boys from Atelier de Campagne!

 

just a little bit..

 

Oh my goodness we are in the final stretch here it seems.  Christmas is so close!  I finally got the house lightly decorated before my guests arrived on Saturday.  It is a little different from last year and fit my mood perfectly.  The lighting was a little off yesterday due to the rain so I am hoping for sun and I can show you something a little nicer.  These are just a few little bits and pieces.  

On Sunday I went to the flea market in Long Beach and picked up a few little goodies including some pillows to finish off the living room.. Love vintage textiles!

Wishing you a lovely Monday of madness and rushing around before the holiday!

 

 

STYLISH SHOPPING IN CT: MONTAGE MODERN VINTAGE OF WESTPORT

Photos courtesy of Montage

 The catchy sign 

When I was in Fairfield one weekend over the summer, a friend of mine said I really needed to check out Montage Modern Vintage in Westport, Connecticut. I had passed it many times while running errands on the Post Road, and really wanted to stop in. The catchy striped sign out front of 1276 Post Road East and fresh colorful assortment paired with a modern chandelier in the window looked great. I had always wanted to go in, so I took my friend Kim's advice and went over to the pale yellow building with tailored boxwoods out front.  From the minute I walked in, I was taken with the amazing merchandising, a cross-over between vintage finds and great new stuff.  Owners Robin Babbin and Tom Roth, both longtime Westport residents, hunt for unique finds that are special and have a story to tell.  Some pieces have an amazing historic provenance, like turquoise glass starburst mirrors by Paul Lazlo for the Algonquin. Other newer pieces, just mix really well with the mid-century modern, 1960's and 1970's designs by iconic designers. Their inventory of lighting, upholstery, tables, storage, accessories and original artwork by local artists is updated regularly, so check their website or visit for new additions.  There is just something really refreshing in the mix they have culled, and it is nice to know there is someone with a great eye out there finding design classics and bringing them back to life. Connecticut shopping for home furnishings has always been good, and with the addition of Montage, it is even better.

Vignettes like this are displayed around the shop, making "I'll take the whole thing, as is" an easy thing to say.

Bright pops of color, fresh accessories and a brass and chrome mix integrate seamlessly.

Glitzy bar accessories are ready for holiday entertaining and gifts.

A collection of modern artwork provides an energized, dynamic backdrop for pieces with interesting silhouettes.

A nice mix of prices and pieces mean there is something for design fans looking to redo everything in their home, and those looking for a hostess gift.

Mixing styles of varying periods works with pieces that have great lines.

Flea Market SALE

We have marked down a few of our vintage pieces to make room for new inventory!  Get there quickly as each piece is one of a kind.

Shop greige

 

READY SET DECORATE: OKL'S VINTAGE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE

Certain things in life require minor adjustments, tweaks if you will. Styling surface areas is one of those places tweaking is a must. Playing with scale, height, volume, color and texture to achieve the right balance is part of the game. Getting it right is always a work in progress. Creating something appealing and functional takes time and effort, like most things in life. Interior designers can spend days arriving at the correct balance of books to objects when styling bookshelves. Why should other surface areas be any different?
I was recently asked by One Kings Lane to take part in their Vintage Makeover Challenge for their Live, Love, Home editorial section. The task?  To re-work an area in my home,  layering in vintage items from their ever-varied, constantly-evolving Vintage and Market Finds assortment. I chose my nightstand to makeover, because it is a spot I use every day, and I wanted it to be functional, pretty and inject it with a dose of the unexpected. After I submitted my makeover area, Vintage Buyer and all-around style connoisseur Andrea Stanford of One Kings Lane set about selecting the items to bring a bit of zing to my bedside table. 

The results of her vintage selects and my styling are seen below, in a step by step guide to the art of the "try it out and see" school of styling. What she sent was a surprise, so when it arrived, I got to work.  Starting with a blank canvas,  I set about creating a layered effect to get a bit of sparkle, a lot of color and a functional spot to do more than just hold the remote control. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

I set out knowing exactly what space I wanted to transform.  My nightstand. It needed a freshening, and it was the perfect spot to delve into.

I added, subtracted, shuffled and stacked till it fit well and looked balanced.

 

The final touch was the addition of a bright pink hydrangea bloom to fill out the curvaceous teal vase with a round, voluminous mass.

Surprise! The goods!

NEXT THURSDAY: STYLEBEAT JOINS FELLOW BLOGGERS IN ONE KINGS LANE TASTEMAKER TAG SALE

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Photos courtesy of Whole Foods and One Kings Lane

Two great things happen next Thursday. Whole Foods opens in my neighborhood and my One King's Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale goes live at 6pm. I will be part of a vintage finds sale of  with other design bloggers I love, and most of whom I am lucky to know. Kelly Ottinger of Kelly Market, Marianne Strong from Haven and Home, Christian May of Maison 21, Danni of Oh, Hello Friend and Cailtin Flemming of Sacramento Street. My assortment includes brass birds as well as an elephant that I have a hard time parting with, some cool Japanese bright orange lacquer trays, needlepoint accessories, and the rest you will have to wait and see, so I don't spoil all the fun. Unique blogger selections provide a window into their individual style, location and eye and makes the entire assortment a surprise.  I will be poised at my keyboard  ready to score some great stuff, and I hope you will be too, at 6pm EST August 23rd.  If you need to find me and I am not tethered to my computer, I will probably be sampling fresh peaches at my new neighb food mecca.

A few of my favorites!

Just a few of my favorites from today's sale!!  Happy Shopping!

 

Vintatge Finds and instagram...

So I have a question... do you instagram?  I do and I love love it!  I love the idea of being able to have a camera with me at all times and having the editing tools there too.  It is super fun and I am sure I post too many of the same pictures just from different angles.. this is how I use my regular camera too.  I take a lot of pictures and then I look for just the right one (usually they are really the same but I like to abuse my use of the camera memory).   I would love to know if you are on instagram and if you would like to have some new followers please let us all know your user name in the comments section...

I get a lot of emails and comments asking me to show some of my purchases from the flea markets.. I did take a couple of pics with my phone of some of my goodies!   (The first picture is of the gorgeous peonies that I picked up before dinner today- not from the flea market but had to share).  I found these beautiful pale green glass beads to mix in with my bone beads- love them... I also bought this great Union Jack - it is a little oversized and very thin.  Perfect for a window or to just drape around.

This is one of my favorite things!!!!  I am taking this in this morning to have it made into a pillow... so so loving this one.  Just underneath it is a beautiful English wedding document that will be getting framed and off to the side is a great croc bag (it is the real thing) that I picked up for a steal about a month ago.

Wishing you a wonderful late start to the week!

 

STYLISH SHOPPING IN THE SUN CONTINUES AT CIRCA WHO

A return trip to West Palm Beach meant my second trip to the shop Circa Who. Located on a street with tropical, brightly painted facades at 531 Northwood Road, lies a candy land where pieces are wallet friendly. Filled to the rafters with endless Camelot-era goods, you can count on owner Tracy Deramus to always have great vintage finds that she comes across scouring estate sales. This recent visit yielded a lot of wonderful accessories, natural bamboo pieces and plenty of Chinese Chippendale, mais oui.
With a great passion and appreciation for her fantastic finds, Tracy has seen a change in what her clients gravitate towards. She has, in turn, looked ahead of the curve, and is now carrying more accessories and smalls, as well as the things that brought her a loyal clientele in the first place, Palm Beach Regency. Take a browse, I am sure you will like what you see. If you want it all, I have done my job, and Tracy is ready for your orders!

Two small white woven curve leg tables in varying sizes are a real find.

Keep that party rolling with this diminutive bi level bar on wheels. I was tempted to drag this on the plane with me.

This elephant garden seat is great because it has a lot of surface area for a drink and a book, bright accent colors AND his trunk is facing upward.

Leo The Lion is adorable, I mean, he even has whiskers!

These rattan curved back arm chairs have an elegant line to them and would look amazing in a living room to balance out the upholstered pieces.

A Serpentine Mirror

Cheery elephant obelisks with a hint of bright green were hard to resist.

A pair of nightstands, a Chinoiserie lamp and blanc de chine Chinese sculpture in a white out.

A Fan Chair in great condition in a natural state. What's not to love?

Six cerused shell - back chairs would make a nice addition around a game table.

You can always count on some good white Chinese Chip chairs!

A good set of six natural bamboo chairs with cane seats look really fresh light and au natural.

Six Gothic Chippendale chairs in black have pizazz.

Who's ready to light it up?

Small chrome bamboo end tables add a bit of shine.

Need a bar? This brass tray table is a fit.

Another great rattan tall chair with a unique woven back. Love it.

A pair of Balloon back high rattan chairs have a great pattern going on as well.

A pair of faux bamboo regency benches with a punchy pink moire print are nice for the foot of the bed.

This pair of white wicker barrel chairs complete with original chintz ikat channel upholstery look very now.