I'm no Ansel Adams, but at least we have pictures

The office camera is back in my hands for a few days, so I thought I'd start working through my photo backlog.  Please excuse the poor shots.  Whenever I use the flash, the images come out looking terrible.  When I don't, there isn't enough light and they get blurry.  Some day I'll figure this thing out.

I acquired these Lane Acclaim tables over the course of two estate sales.  Oddly, both occured on the same day.  I'd been after a set for a good long while but couldn't find any at a reasonable price.  I even considered paying retail at the local antique mall!  Then, BAM, I was up to my neck in Acclaim (and for practically nothing).

The Acclaim line was designed for Lane by Andre Bus and released in 1963.  It went on to become one of the furniture-makers best sellers.  Take a look at those gorgeous contrasting faux dovetails and you can understand why.  I'd go into a bit more history here, but Jet Set Modern already has it pretty well covered.  They've got a whole page dedicated to Lane Acclaim, so check out the link.

The square coffee table made its way into the sunroom, grouped with the Danish sofa and chairs from the office, while the round one still waits for a home up in the unfinished bedroom. I believe that they are later models, as they have black painted ferrules rather than brass.

The two stepped end tables now sit in the living room.  They really work out great for those with a lot of reading material, as you can load up the bottom level with books and magazines and still have a place to set down your drinks (on a coaster of course), pictures, lamps, etc.

Don't they look great?  You just can't find well-designed, quality furniture like this any more.  And to think, they sold the Acclaim rectangular coffee table in 1963 for the equivalent of $160 today.

All of the pieces are in usable condition, but could use a bit of love.  When I get around to fixing them up, I'll make sure to document the process (If only so that you can learn from my mistakes).

Coincidence?

I was sitting at home one evening, perusing Craigslist as usual, when I came across these funky looking end tables.

They looked a bit scuffed up in the ad and the simplicity of the design led me to believe that they might be the product of a little mid-century DIY, but I was looking for something with character to go with the Danish sofa and chairs in the sunroom anyway.

The seller was in Southeast St. Louis, which is always a bit of a pain. If you aren't familiar with St. Louis, picking up Craigslist items in the city can be a bit of a crapshoot. One street might be filled trendy loft apartments and old brick mansions while the next is all crack dens and urban ruins. On more than one occasion I've had to turn back because I wasn't willing to go down an alleyway or street that looked just a little too sketchy (and I work in East St. Louis, so that's saying something).

Luckily, the seller lived in one of the former areas. She also turned out to be English! Her, my girlfriend (a fellow Brit), and I sat and talked for quite a while about immigration, England, and Mid-Century furniture. Did I mention that she is also close friends with the owner of The Future Antiques (my favorite Mid-Century shop in the whole of St. Louis)? What luck! It's always nice when sellers turn out to be new friends. She was even kind enough to throw in a cool hand-made coat rack.

I'll give her a plug, as she is still trying to sell her solid teak wall unit. I'd buy it myself, but I have neither the room nor the money. Believe me, it's worth every penny.  Just look at all those great chotchkie nooks.

Link:

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/fuo/2539408673.html