Vintage Chanel Poster - Thrifty Saturdays

It's been a while between thrifty Saturday shopping hauls and this extra special purchase was found online a few weeks ago. I love eBay and have bought many second hand and vintage bits and pieces for my home through the site and as soon as I stumbled across this vintage Chanel poster I had to make it mine! It is very similar to the style and size featured on The Block last year and my husband and I tried building our own frame using wooden moulding and custom cut perspex but it was a total fail so we sent it the be professionally framed.

Today marks the posters homecoming from the framers and at 1.2 x 1.6 metres it is without doubt the largest framed work I own to date - can't wait to see how it looks! I chose a lime washed flat edged wooden frame similar to the image top right (below).

I plan to rest the poster against a wall rather then nailing and hanging in place, that way I can move it around our home as I please!

xx

Cocktail Hour - My Fave Chairish Vintage Bar Finds

When the gorgeous team at Chairish asked if I'd be interested in putting together my fave bar style finds, using their directory, I was super excited! Hollywood regency, Palm Springs chic & mid-century glamour are some of the first things I think of when it comes to designing my ideal drinks room. Here are some of my finds...

I'm totally obsessed with brass and glass vintage furniture at the moment and anything with faux bamboo features or lucite components are my faves. Chairish had a number of amazing bits and pieces that fit the bill and if my budget was endless I would have bought the lot! 

Cherner - oh my!!!

 Lucite Deer wall feature

 Never short of an amazing vintage find this leather elephant is a footstool!!

xx

Vintage Thrifting Goodness - Concrete Swan Pots

It has been a while since I've shared a vintage shopping haul in this space and I'm not too sure why. I certainly haven't stopped thrifting by any means and this was one of those finds that had my heart pumping! It was also quite literally one of those trash to treasure purchases after the previous owners found them in the garden of their new bayside Melbourne property. A moment of clarity resulted in listing the pair for sale on eBay after initially thinking they would simply end up on the hard rubbish pile.

I love vintage swan figurines and a pair of concrete pots were at the top of my wish list. There are a few chips here and there and they have been painted white but they are an original, large mid century set and I just adore them!

xx

happy thrifting!

Inspiration Update - Feast Watson Re-Love Project 2014

The fun is underway at camp Vintage Movement!. My sawdust strewn pad is gearing up for some creative DIY'ing over the next week and I wanted to share some of my inspirations and ideas in the lead up to revealing my up-cycled coffee table and tripod as part of Feast Watson's 2014 Re-love Project. If you haven't checked out the line up for this year you can find all the details here.

For those new to Feast Watson, they offer a fab selection of wood finishes, treatments and paints... you know those floor boards you see in interiors like this - yep, they provide it all!.

Image courtesy of modern maggie

So, as introduced last week these are my chosen pieces. The tripod is an old telescope stand... it's a bit rusty and the wood is worn and the table is an old factory pallet sometimes also described as a railway pallet - I think?. I'm definitely going for an industrial vintage theme using a monochromatic colour pallet of grey, lime wash and black. 

and this pic featured in Real Living Magazine has been a great source of inspiration. I am loving the colour pallet used here and the patterned parquetry floor - thinking a chevron/striped patterned top for the table would be nice using wood stains. This way the wood is tinted with pattern but not completely covered in an opaque block out colour... the tripod will also be stained.

Here are my chosen tools of trade!

xx

Industrial Vintage Upcycling - Feast Watson Re-Love Project 2014

I love the way blogging inspires me to be more creative and over the years my home has definitely reaped the benefits of DIY-ing. I also love the challenge of taking something old and breathing new life into it, giving it a new purpose and having it look like it just left the workshop floor. So when I was invited to be a part of Feast Watson's 2014 Re-love Project I was thinking you had me at "Dear Tina"!!. 

The project runs for the next month and a half with the challenge of taking an old and unwanted item and re-loving it up to its future glory!. I've chosen to upcycle an old reclaimed factory pallet and a vintage tripod and my fellow participants have chosen fabulous items and I can't wait to see the fruits of their labour in the coming weeks!. 

Feast Watson will also be auctioning off the upcycled items with the proceeds going to the Salvos Stores commencing 24th of July - love it!.

So for me it's time to get creative... over the next week I'll be sharing my inspirations and ideas for my design and posting my journey and "how to" as the project progresses. I'm excited - wood finishes are a new endeavor as I'm usually a paint and go upcycler so this will be a fresh DIY challenge for me!. 

This image is definitely serving as inspiration at this early stage... I'm loving the Industrial Scandi aesthetic and the overall colour pallet of greys/white/black...mind ticking, more to come!.

xx

Vintage Peacock Chair Mini DIY Makeover

I love good peacock chair, they seem to be having a decade long comeback and I have always kept an eye out for a vintage version in my travels but never found the bargain I was looking for - until this week!. I found this beauty online and while it's not the super large ornate style I had in mind it was a fab find and I'm thrilled to finally have one in my collection.

I love the natural cane look but I am also obsessed with painting anything and everything around my home so I decided to white wash this chair by simply watering down some water based white paint. I added just under equal parts paint to water, stirred it through and painted away... it gives a chalky, lime washed finish. I started by adding 1/4 cup water to 1/2 cup paint then gradually added water to achieve the look I was after.

 

Raspberry Cockatoo Cushion (Bonnie and Neil), Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, Morrocan Boucherouite Rug, Morrocan Leather Pouffe (Ada and Darcy), Triangle Pot plant DIY - here

xx

Mysterious Mid Century Style Pottery Horse

I adore mid century Italian horse figurines, especially the large Bitossi beauties you see every now and then and I look forward to the day I snap one up online or at auction. For the time being, while I wait for the real thing, I've happily settle on this cute hand made reproduction I picked up a few weeks ago. He stands at 35cm tall and I adore his rich marigold hue.

I have spotted a few smaller styles on Etsy like this one here but I can't seem to find the exact shape, size and design to verify where it was made, so for now, he will remain an international horse of mystery!.

xx

Moroccan Boucherouite Recycled Rag Rug

I have been in love with Boucherouite Rugs for the last year or so. My first real life example of these gorgeous Moroccan works of art was at a friends townhouse and it looked fabulous. At that time I had no idea of price points and where to get one until I started my online search and soon enough realised it wasn't going to happen. So I set my sights on Ikea's old faithful and called it a day.

I remember reading a post on Design Sponge, where Grace Bonney dreamed of finding a Boucherouite listed for a steal on Etsy or eBay and I thought while that would be lovely it was never going to happen... Well, two weeks ago I won this 4'x6' beauty for the price of the Ikea alternative, at a local auction house, tucked under a teak coffee table and a set of Tolix chairs - YAY!. Now all I need is a pair of Moroccan leather ottomans and I'll be set!.

 I bought these glasses at cute little boutique in Monte Marte not far from the steps to Sacré-Coeur .

xx 

Have a great weekend!

Mid Century Scandinavian Inspired Deers

Another day another vintage shopping spree only this time it was lead by my hubby... a nice change. On a random Ebay hunt we stumbled across this set of Deers and he was taken, so we had a bid.

I think they are fabulous... I love the lava like paint work. The pair measure about 30cm tall and 15cm wide. I think they will make a fabulous vintage Christmas feature too!.

Retro kitsch to the max

happy thrifting

xx

Vintage Module Leather Chair - Danish Inspired Australian Made

I've blogged about many a vintage find in this space but this one is a super special post... I'm a self confessed shopaholic, so buying second hand not only means I can do my part for the environment but I can also feed my habit without plunging into financial ruin!.

This year I decided it was time to trade in my replicas for some aged, supple leather goodness and started to hunt around vintage boutiques and websites... I soon realised I'd be saving my pennies for a while and happened to stumbled across this sweet little duo in need of a new home. Made in Melbourne in the 70's this Scandinavian inspired swivel chair and ottoman are very welcome in my home. I know the whole 70's retro aesthetic isn't for everyone but it sure is for me!.

Vintage Leather Sling Chair & Retro Tapestry Macrame Wall Hanging

Thought I'd share some vintage treasure today. I love a bargain vintage buy and both of these items fit the bill... the leather sling back chair is one of a pair, purchased on Ebay for $20 each!! They are super comfy and while the legs need a little TLC - also known as rust remover, they are one of my favourite vintage buys to date. This was such a lucky find, the couple selling these chairs were heading overseas and clearing out their bulky items... they had purchased these chairs from a vintage boutique a few years prior which I'd say means they were definitely not $20 each at the time of purchase ;-).

The retro wall hanging was a Vinnies bargain at $3! Mum pointed it out as we perused the shelves and I'm loving the geo /aztec/ navajo inspired design. Not sure if it's classed as macrame, embroidery or weaving but I'm thrilled to add it to my collection. We were quite a way from the city when we spotted this gem hence the bargain and the find itself... doubt it would have lasted more then a minute in the inner city op shops.

Industrial letter 'S' - purchased at a roadside market in Paris