Monday, October 29, 2012

A house divided

Wall units, bookcases, room dividers - I can't get enough of them (and my attic storage space can attest to this).

I'm unsure of the maker, but these pieces show up on the St. Louis Craigslist with some frequency.  I've always just missed out on that room divider action, but now I've got one of my very own.


It's a bookshelf.  It's storage.  It's a desk.  It's just so darn functional and a real looker to boot!



This piece did need some TLC, but nothing a dab of Howard's couldn't take care of.  Now it's got that perfect vintage patina.




The previous owner obviously didn't notice that the unit is finished on both sides (which is why I believe it is a room divider rather than a bookcase), and added this jankey shelf extension.  The screw holes remain, but when against a wall, nobody will be the wiser.


There it is, all moved in and gussied up.  We've got a serious shortage of nic-nacs around here, so I'm on the hunt for a nice set of Bill Curry jax bookends, brass ram heads, West German pottery, and the like.  Anybody got the hookups?


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Green Shag

While I'm completely preoccupied with the non-vintage (though still very, very crazy) aspects of my life right now, I did sneak in a few minutes at the Green Shag Market parking lot sale this weekend.  There's no way that I was going to miss out on that one!

I must say, there was fewer mid-mod items than the last sale, but that doesn't mean there wasn't plenty of treasures to be found.


Those Lane Acclaim tables were unmarked and it took all of my willpower to not ask the vendor about pricing.  I've already got quite the hoard of Acclaim awaiting refinishing upstairs (though none of the rarer double or scissor tables), and there just isn't any room.  No way.  No how.



I got to see the other St. Louis bloggers as well.  Living Analog, Secondhand Hannah, and Mr. Modtomic all had booths and a few others popped by as well.  Each had tons cool stuff for sale.



Unfortunately, I wasn't in much of a buying mood, though I did take home two vintage prints from Hannah's.  She's always got such a wonderful, eclectic assortment of items and I'm in need of pictures to cover up my crappy plaster walls.





So there it is folks.  I'll see you at the next Green Shag sale!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Special Delivery


We here at Mid-Century Midwest are not frequent mail recipients.  Oh, we get the occasional coupon pack, credit application, or bill, but the whole of my inbound correspondence generally goes straight to the recycling bin.  So when a package arrives, it's almost like Christmas.  What could be inside?!


Well, this looks promising.


Ta-da!  It's another Verichron replica George Nelson clock.  Yes, I've already got a few of these hanging around, but who couldn't use some more George Nelson goodness in their life?  I certainly can't get enough.




The starburst replicas are especially well-built, with a thick, powder-coated face (no plastic here),  stained wood arms, and the proper dimensions.  One would be hard-pressed to find any major differences between them and the official Vitras, which will set you back 5+ times as many bones.



So, that's one more for the collection.  Next up on my dream clock purchase list: a replica George Nelson 30" turbine clock.  That's gonna take a little savin'.




Monday, October 1, 2012

Mea Culpa

Hey strangers.  It's been far too long since our last update.

Yeah, I've been a bad blogger as of late.  No/short posts and a Negative Nancy (or, in this case, Nick) attitude make for a crappy read, and I apologize.  Mea culpa.

I'm trying to be a bit more positive and get back into the swing of things.  The first step: mid-mod retail therapy.

Though the thrifts didn't yield any treasures, making my normal rounds brightened my spirits.  Getting back to your regular routine is kinda comforting when everything else in your life is rapidly changing.  My weekend trip to Vandeventer Vintage was also much more fruitful.

I got me a Milo Baughman recliner....


... or at least I think it's a Baughman recliner.  There's no tags, but the look is very similar to the others I've come across.  


The only discernible difference is that most of the Baughmans I've seen had much thicker cushions and solid, nubby upholstery.  However, I do believe that this piece was recovered and the padding removed at some point.  No biggie.  The herringbone pattern, which looks much darker in person, goes well with the sofa and the color scheme I'm trying to develop in the living room.


Alex at Vandeventer Vintage was running a sale of sorts.  He mentioned something about an auction buyer backing out  (a big no-no) and having to clear out the extra inventory, so I was pleasantly surprised by the pricing.  He had a great collection of stuff there, though I assume that it moved out of there real quick-like.  I only wish that I'd been able to snag a couple of the upholstered Eames shells he had available, but the lounge immediately caught my eye and another buyer swooped in while I was distracted.  Oh well, I'm pretty happy with my purchase.

I even get to rearrange my living room again!  Yes, I get some sort of strange satisfaction out of moving furniture around.  I'm weird like that.