Friday Favorites: Pieces

Save on gas this weekend and do your online decorative shopping at Pieces. I just discovered this site. It’s kind of like 1st Dibs, but more organized. Unlike 1st Dibs (which is truly antiques heaven), Pieces is one shop, as opposed to a mall. Visually, it’s more appealing. Both are great – Pieces is less confusing to navigate.

It’s nice to know that we can add one more resource to our collection of antiques shopping nirvana. What did we do before Al Gore invented the internet?

Friday Favorite: Starburst Mirror

A starburst mirror is a terrific room accessory. They’re so lively and versatile. A starburst can stand alone. It also looks great as part of a group. Let’s just say a starburst mirror has terrific social skills. It makes every space a little happier.

I’m especially fond of this example I found over at 1st Dibs (love that place -a great resource for designers who live in antique-challenged areas). It’s from Blend Interiors and dates from the 1950′s. The listed price is $1,500. Yes, it’s expensive. But honey, it’s French.

If you can afford a good one, invest with confidence. It’s the kind of thing that never goes out of style.

Chair of the Day: Antique Metal Stools

I was shopping over at 1st Dibs today and came across these vintage stools circa 1920-1930. Aren’t they cool? The industrial edge to these stools makes them perfect for a kitchen where you want to need some texture and a less finished look.

You can find these stools here. They’re sold as a set for $1,250.

Chinese Antique Furniture

Completing my extremely brief tour of the Far East, here’s a fantastic find for the brave and persistent. Chinese Furniture sell just that – furniture from China. Some are antiques, others are reproductions.¬†

The prices are remarkable. This cabinet, for example, is priced at $289.00. However, I said this was for the brave because the shipping gets complicated. You have to figure the container price, which they help you do and they have an email address for questions. As they say:

We can arrange delivery to a main port or city, and also to a private address. If you haven’t imported, You may find Custom House Broker from Yellow Page with any other shipping needs you may have.Once goods are sent, we will send the official shipping documents to shipping address given by buyer. The paperwork and shipping is quite simple once you’ve done it.

And this is where the dollars can add up. There’s the shipping charge, the local shipping charge and a $145 charge for processing and fumigation. But still, the price is unbeatable and these are antiques. I’m keeping it in my design arsenal.

Would you buy something this way? Too scary? Or, is anything worth the bargain?