House Tour (redux)

We've gone through a number of adjustments at the homestead, so I thought it'd be a good time to update the house tour.  The place is really starting to come together and look like an actual grown-up residence.   Considering that I bought my first home and began collecting less than a year and a half ago, I'd say we're making good progress.  Don't worry though.  There's still plenty of work to be done and Mid-Mod finds to share! 

So, without further adieu, here's the grand tour.

Mid-Century Midwest House Tour (1/30/13)

Living Room

We have liftoff!

While I didn't check everything off of my to-do list last weekend, I did complete one long overdue project.

Yes, the sputnik has come out of hiding and taken its rightful place in the dining room.

I <3 this chandelier!  I mean I REALLY LOVE it.  If marriage to inanimate objects was legal in the state of Missouri, I'd be writing my vows right now.  Unfortunately, society frowns upon our affections and this dream will never be realized.

In all seriousness though, I couldn't believe my luck when I found it at an estate sale last summer for a song.  It's a big'n too - a full 24 inches of brassy, atomic goodness.

I'd planned on putting it up just about every weekend for the last few months, but kept delaying because I thought that there might be some way to fix those tarnish/scratch issues.  Brasso, Katsup, and a mixture of vinegar and salt - all tried to no avail.  I was even thinking that I might just get it re-plated.

Perhaps I also had a feeling that it'd be a nightmare to hang.  It was.  Don't ever attempt to tackle a sputnik installation on your own unless you enjoy contorting yourself into all sorts of awkward positions and being poked in the face with brass rods.

Eventually I just couldn't bear it sitting in the storage room any longer.  So there it is, blemishes and all.

As you can plainly see, the chandelier is missing a few bulbs, but that's another project for another day.  Apparently 15 watt chandelier bulbs are extraordinarily hard to find and I'm not paying $3.87 per set of 4 ($23.22 just for the dang bulbs!) at Home Depot when they can be found for $.97 online.

It does take 15 watt bulbs, right?  None of them have any markings, so I'm not completely sure.

It used to have a full set of star bulbs, but they were taken out by an overzealous estate-saler who tried to snatch my prize AFTER I'd paid for it and set it aside at the checkout counter.

Now, I want you to close your eyes and picture a cheap, generic, builder-quality chandelier.

Does it look like this?

I'm so glad to see that light fixture go.  The whole contemporary brushed steel combined with very traditional marbleized frosted glass thing should've died in the 90's.  OK, so maybe that's a bit harsh, but I'm still bitter about being sliced open by its cheap stamped metal edges and the fact that it began rusting after hanging for only 6 months.

Ahhhhhhh, much better.

Oh little Sputnik, flying high ...

I think that I'm developing a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Sputnik lamps.  If I could find enough of them, I think I'd end up with one in every room.

Here are a few snaps of the one I procured from a local estate sale last weekend.  Structurally, it's in pretty decent shape.  There aren't any bends, loose joints, or missing pieces.  Cosmetically, it's a different story.  The whole chandelier needs a thorough cleaning and new bulbs.  It originally had an almost-full set of star bulbs, but an overzealous estate sale shopper managed to break quite a few of them against a piano when she tried to carry it out AFTER I'd taken the tag off and paid.

My initial inclination was to polish with Brasso, but I have a feeling that to do so might be a big mistake.  Anyone have experience restoring and removing tarnish from one of these things (or I guess brass lamps in general)?  I'm not sure if it is solid brass or just brass plating.

Back On Topic

While last week may have been a disaster, I did manage to snag some of the big-ticket items on my checklist.

I'd been fretting all week about which sale I'd attend: the one with the Sputnik chandelier or the one with the another of my most-wanted pieces.  Both began at the same time and they were at opposite ends of the city, so one would have to be sacrificed.  How could I choose?  In the end, I decided to go for the Sputnik.  It's easier to transport and I was considering constructing my own wall unit anyway.  

Surprisingly, nobody showed up until 7, two hours before opening.  There I'd waited, sitting in the cold since 3 AM, all for naught (Admittedly, I did have a lawn chair, blankets, and free wifi).  It was well worth it though.  I got that coveted first spot in line and easily snagged the lamp.  Good thing I did, numbers 2 - 10 all went for the exact same thing. 

There isn't much available on the history of the Sputnik chandelier, but they were (I believe) originally designed by Gino Sarfatti for the Italian lamp-maker Arteluce.  I can't find an exact date, but I would assume that it was produced shortly after its design inspiration, the Sputnik-1 satellite, launched in 1957.  I'm pretty sure that mine isn't an Arteluce, but it may be a Lightolier, a firm that mass produced Sputniks in America during this time period.  I'll have to check if there are any identifying marks (and update with an actual picture of my Sputnik rather than a stock photo).

After checking out, I headed up to the second sale, just to check out what was left.  I figured there wouldn't be much.  After all, I was an hour late and when I pulled up, there was a woman carting out a load of bubble lamps and shell chairs.  And that's where we'll pick up next time.

A side note - They call it a "tag" sale for a reason.  You take the tags off the items you wish to purchase.  If the item does not have a tag, someone has already taken it.  I had 3 different individuals try to walk off with my dear Sputnik this Saturday, one of whom managed to break several of the star bulbs.

Nothing to see here

This weekend, I managed to comb over 16 antique malls/thrift stores as well as 2 estate sales. Despite all of the legwork, I ended up coming home empty-handed. It was a bit disappointing, but I did come across a few treasures, including a Selig sofa, Brasilia headboard, and Sputnik lamp. All were more than I was willing to pay, so I left them for someone else to enjoy. However, my luck may have turned, as I'm (hopefully) bringing home two new additions this afternoon.

In other news, I need a new camera to document my finds.  Borrowing the office camera just isn't cutting it.