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Vintage Table Giveaway Winner!
Thanks to everyone who entered this week’s giveaway and offered some great advice. I hope everyone found something to add to their repertoire.
And now, without further ado, the winner of the book is…
Alane M!
Congratulations, Alane! You wanted to add this to your wish list and now you can check it off. It will be zipping its way to your home on Saturday!
Thanks to everyone, again, for entering. Your readership and comments mean a lot to me.
Last Day To Enter This Week’s Giveaway!
This week’s giveaway, a copy of the newly published book, The Vintage Table, is over at the end of the day today! If you haven’t entered, follow this link to get the details and enter now!
Mastering the art of French tabletop décor is not my forté. That’s why I found this book so inspirational. But I promise to send it to the winner when I draw the lucky name tomorrow. And, no, it hasn’t been dog-eared! No coffee cup marks either. :-)
Good luck – check this site tomorrow.
DH Giveaway: The Vintage Table
Have you entered yet? I’m giving away this terrific book, The Vintage Table, by Jaqueline DeMontravel, on Saturday.
Anyone who loves vintage tabletop dishes, linens, vases and more, will find this book inspirational. I did.
To get the detail about how to enter (basically, leave a comment under the post) follow this link. The winner will be announced on Saturday and is drawn at random. No tabletop design experience is needed!
Good luck!
DH Giveaway: The Vintage Table
Just a quick reminder to enter this week’s giveaway – a copy of The Vintage Table, by Jaqueline DeMontravel.
It’s not just about your dining room table. It’s about collecting, and designing tabletops of all shapes and sizes. If you like vintage things, collections, things from France, you will find this book very inspirational. I’m raving about it because I’ve learned a lot from it.
My design weakness is styling tabletops. If I have lots of stuff to play with, I can do a great job. But shopping here and there is a real skill. You have to remember the scale of things you saw before. And then you find some new thing that gets you going in a whole new direction. I’m focusing on imporving things in this area and I found The Vintage Table to be a good start.
Don’t worry! I haven’t licked the pages. It’s new.
How To Enter
For all the details on how to enter, follow this link. The contest ends on Friday night and I’ll announce the winner, chosen at random, on Saturday. Good luck!
DH Giveaway: The Vintage Table
Don’t forget to enter this week’s giveaway! Win a copy of the brand new book by Jaqueline DeMontravel, The Vintage Table.
If you’re a collector of vintage tabletop items, you will LOVE this book. I do. I’m giving away the one the publisher sent me to review because the book doesn’t release until after Christmas. Rest assured, I’ll be replacing it on December 29th. It’s about vintage with a French twist. What’s not to like?
For all the details about how to enter, follow this link to yesterday’s post. The winner will be drawn at random on Saturday. Good luck!
DH Giveaway: Enter To Win “The Vintage Table”
I think The Vintage Table is a book a lot of you will be interested in adding to your library. Or, perhaps you know someone else who would. Now you have a change to be one of the first to own a copy – before its official release on December 29th.
The publisher of The Vintage Table, by Jacqueline DeMontravel, sent me an advance copy to review. It’s very difficult to give this book away. It’s right up my alley. French, vintage and tabletop. If you also collect vintage textiles, you will adore this book. I also love the fact that it covers more than just place settings. You’ll find inspirational ideas for dressing up all kinds of things from end tables to shelves. There are lots of beautiful photos along the way.
Jacqueline discusses collections as well. It’s all decidedly French, so you know I love that. My apartment in Paris is waiting for me. I’ll be there one of these days!
How To Enter
To win this book, simply leave a comment under any of this week’s giveaway posts. I’d like to see if I can get a discussion going about how you like to “decorate” your tables. Do you place photos on the mantle, or do you think that’s boring? Do you have a style secret you’d like to offer us? Decorating tabletops is my weak point, so I need your tips! If you’re feeling shy, just say hello and you’re still entered to win.
The winner will be drawn, at random, on Saturday, December 12th. The contest is open to everyone living in the US and Canada. If you’ve won a giveaway in the last months, please let everyone else have a chance.
Good luck and let’s have some fun!
DH Gift Guide: 5 Great Gifts For Guitar Players
My gift guides this year aren’t just about interior design. I thought I’d spread the subject out. After all, we like interior design. But it’s not necessarily the thing for those we love. Plus, it gives me a chance to visit life outside the box for a bit and work on my own shopping list. wink, wink.
Do you know a guitar player? How about a wanna-be guitar player? Here are some ideas from my favorite musician, misterarthur.
1. Personalized Picks
All the big rock stars have them. Here, for example, a front and back of one of Eric Clapton’s picks: There’s no reason you can’t do the same for the guitar player in your life. Lots of places sell them, but Pickworld (100 picks for $30) is a good place to start.
Before you buy, check your player’s preferences. Picks are made of various materials and thicknesses. Your guitarist may prefer one over another. Even if you don’t get them exactly right, your player will be thrilled.
2. Vintage Rock Poster
How about a ‘vintage’ rock poster? Real antique posters are pricey pricey pricey. Consider getting one from one of the originators of “psychedelic art”, Detroit’s own Gary Grimshaw. He’s re-printed some faves we can all afford. Here’s Jimi Hendrix at Detroit’s Masonic Temple Auditorium ($15.00)
If you’re into more modern music, here’s one for the White Stripes ($30.00)
3. Guitar Strings
You can never have enough of ‘em, and getting a whole bunch at once would be very cool. They also make a great small gift at around $12.00 a pack. Musician’s Friend sells all kinds of strings – separately and in bulk sets, which are fun. Be sure to look through his or her guitar case to see what brand he or she likes. (And remember, electric and acoustic guitars use different kinds of strings). Ok, so they don’t have swanky packaging – you’ll think of something to make them look more attractive.
4. Guitar Case
Lugging a hard case around gets to be kind of a drag. But most soft cases don’t do a real good job protecting the instrument. This one does. It’s made by Mono ($189.99).
5. A Guitar!
If you have a tween-ager or an older daughter who’d like to play the guitar, there are a bunch of great choices. Daisy Rock makes guitars just for girls. The acoustic Wildwood model ($419) comes in funky colors.
If your daughter is more of an electric rocker chick, try one of these. The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster ($199.99) is sized for a younger girl. So is the Daisy Rock Debutante series. The pink guitar on the left is sells for $169.00.
Finding the groupies are up to you!
Lucienne Day’s Vintage Post War Fabrics Return
I was thrilled to see that The Centre for Advanced Textiles (an adjunct of The Glasgow School of Art) has reproduced fabrics from three of Scotland’s most iconic fabric designers from the post-war era. Allow me to reintroduce…
Lucienne Day
Calyx
Larch
Lucienne set up a design practice in 1948 in collaboration with her husband the furniture designer Robin Day. She established a worldwide reputation with her “Calyx” fabric design, which won, among other awards, a gold medal at the Milan Triennale of 1951.
Trio
Her work perfectly characterized the stylistic exuberance of the 1950’s and demonstrated that good design and mass production could be both compatible and successful.
Robert Stewart
Macrahanish
This Scottish designer and artist became one of the most significant figures in the field of surface design. He taught at The Glasgow School of Art for 35 years. He also produced paintings, enamels, and ceramics. But it was his fabrics that have been most influential, particularly those produced by Liberty and Pringle.
Kilmun
Raimult
Sun Man
Sylvia Chalmers
Penang
Sylvia studied at The Glasgow School of Art and moved to London in 1951 with only $10 in her pocket. She worked at Storey’s, selling furniture and fabrics. She then began designing her own fabrics and murals for Elizabeth Eaton. In 1955 she founded Tuar Fabrics. 1976 Chalmers moved back to Scotland, purchased Blacknest House in Thornhill, and converted the out-buildings into a design and production complex.
Uno
Fruit
These fabrics (I’ve shown only a few) are available for sale at $124 per meter. Samples are available for $8.20, which will be deducted from your order. At Lucienne’s request, Calyx is only available in one meter pieces. I hope she changes her mind.
I also hope she adds “Leaf” (above) to the collection. It’s my favorite.
Are you into vintage textiles? I think these are really timeless. How about you?
Reproduction Lightbulbs from Rejuvenation
Bare light bulbs dangling from the ceiling don’t exactly bring the word style to mind. Interrogation is more on the mark. What do you do with a pendant or other light fixture where the bulb is exposed for all to see? Time to break out reproduction carbon and tungsten-filament bulbs. You can find a nice selection at Rejuvenation. 
Carbon-filament bulbs debuted in the 1890s, and their soft glow illuminated homes until 1912 when the more powerful tungsten filament transformed the light bulb industry. Now they’re back.
Some older homes were built without a ceiling fixture at all – just a socket for the bulb. If you’re interested in maintaining an historic look, these bulbs are the way to go. However, they look best in simple fixtures that showcase their beauty. The filament, shape and quality of light are what make them unique. Prices at Rejuvenation start at $12.00.
Here are a few choices from Rejuvenation, including their Burnside pendant ($113.00) shown in the photo at the top.
These also look great in semi-transparent glass fixtures like those made by Caleb Siemon.
Friday Favorite: Sweet Bella’s Vintage Phones
I love these! I’m putting these on my own Hot Tamale Train. I’m buying myself one of these ASAP.
You can find all sorts of vintage phones at Sweet Bella. The telephones are original, unused phones from the British General Post Office (later British Telecom) and date from the 1950s.
Would you like to buy one, too? Good luck, because I can’t them to answer my emails inquiring about prices and retail locations. I thought if I wrote about them maybe they’d read this and let us know.
You can help me with my mission to own that orange phone by leaving a comment of support. I’ll keep you posted.
Reware Vintage notebooks
A web designer I’m working with brough one of these to a meeting and I fell in love. These diaries made from old record album covers that have seen better days. Since they’re not in collectible condition, Reware Vintage has fashioned them into re-fillable notebooks.
The actual record is included and the back cover lists the songs. The whole thing attaches with removeable rings. You can order extra paper, too.
Find these, along with lots of other vintage coolness at Reware Vintage (a Detroit company). The diaries are $15.00. Refills are $2.50.
Which are you, Rod Stewart or The Ray Coniff Singers?
5 Great Alarm Clocks
It may be summer, but most of us still have to get out of bed in the morning. The exception would be my teen-aged son, who rises around lunch time. Since alarm clocks are a must-have, shouldn’t they look great, too?
Here are my picks:
I have to thank my friend, Dave, for finding this one. This wooden alarm clock ($199.99 from Firebox), looks like a plain, but nice, block of wood when it’s turned off. The numbers seem to appear out of nowhere. This might make a cool Father’s Day gift.
If you’re into vintage, check out the selection at the aptly named Alarm Clocks Online. This one is terrific. The grooved “decorator white” siding on this TravelAire Clock ($75) , slides to open and close the clock dial. Groovy.
I’m old school when it comes to photos. But this alarm frame, from Phillips, is one of the nicer ones I’ve seen. And it’s not just a frame, it’s an alarm clock with all the bells and whistles. Wake up to sounds of birds chirping, a waterfall or music. I’m laughing as I write because the #$%! birds outside my window start singing at 4:30 AM. They’re very good at waking me up.
This is a bit more refined, and discrete. The Red Jasper finish on this clock, (from Gumps $89) is stylish and fits nicely on any bedside table.
This may be a travel alarm, but its pink leather case is so beautiful I’d use it every day. (Tiffany’s $400)
My favorite is the Tiffany clock. Which one is yours?