Home Accessories with Staying Power- a How To

There is nothing worse than finding a trend you love only to see it panned the following year. The key to staying on trend without constantly changing your world is to catch the flavor of the trend, without a full out embrace- you need to "side hug" the trend!

Brass is a great hot trend right now. It gives a space warmth by reflecting warm light better than any other metal, even mirrors. However, going Brass-tastic on the family room will be disappointing when the next trend comes around.

The solution in three options:
Choose one brass piece, perhaps a table with brass legs or a brass top and place it prominently.

Find it here!

Find it here!

Find it here!

TIP: Hit local estate and tag sales for vintage brass items.

Fine it here!

Find it here!

You can truly give brass a side hug and use a gold leaf or mixed metal accessories.

Find it here!

Lastly, you can second guess the trend. Go one step beyond it. Say to yourself, if brass is hot now, what might be next, bronze, which is like brass. Or, is it time for the trend to swing in the opposite direction? If a trend just took a turn- from stainless steel to brass for example, then it will probably continue along the path for a bit. If we have already progressed down a trend path- red in the new black, pink is the new red, orange is the new pink, then we might be swinging to the opposite direction where green is the new orange. Opposite on the color wheel- green and orange. Try your hand at trend spotting! Even better, be an early adopter and the envy of your friends. Soon, you will be the trendsetter!

Chairsh is the word! My newest vintage home accessory selections

I have joined the Chairish community with some of special vintage selections. These gorgeous items have links below to Chairish!

Versatile Danish Modern candlesticks designed by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk

The elegant curves interlink to create a tight or a long line of candles. {BUY ME!}

Or they can be arranged short and wide. These candlesticks are 5" tall and 4.25" wide. {BUY ME!}

Who's got the handsomest mug? This guy! {TAKE HIM HOME!}

This pair of bookends are perfect for dog lovers and book lovers! Best of all the white ceramic bookends add brightness and light to a dark bookcase. {BUY ME}

Red Murano glass bowl, functional, practical, pretty! {BUY ME!}

This bowl features the aventurine, which is silver or gold flecks in the glass. {BUY ME!}

The murano bowl also have a bullicante pattern between the red and clear glass. This pattern of air bubbles makes a fibonacci spiral! {BUY ME!}

Miriam Haskell pearl earrings. Simplicity at it's best! {BUY ME!}

Best selling brass is back- vintage faves return to the shop

I have just added two of my best sellers back to the vintage store on ETSY! I love finding these items and offering them to you.

Brass pineapple box is the best. It's a storage box, ice bucket, candle holder and all around perfect house warming gift!

These graduated brass candlestick work on thier own, mixed in flowers and table scapes... they are perfect for holiday gatherings!

Buying great vintage items is the best of living green! You will find them to be better made, stronger, and less expensive than their contemporary counterparts.

Etsy finds- Loving Lucite

I have long loved Lucute in any form! Ghost chairs, 1030's bedroom furniture, and Dorothy Thorpe knot home accessories.

Today, I sold a favorite recent acquisition.

These candlesticks were one of those items that I bought for resale and one of the few I considered keeping. I often have to remind myself that things are bought for resale.

My other recent fave was a set of napkin rings I purchased and considered them as a jewelry part.

But, I kept my self inline and did not design a gi-NOR-mous necklace.... but can't you see these as stations on chunky necklace. Yeah, maybe they will not sell and I'll have a new necklace.

Etsy SALE- new mark downs of 25% off in my Etsy shop

I love a good sale! And, I love having shelf space! So, I am combining my loves and having a sale in my Etsy shop to move along some beauties and make room for new beauties.

What's on Sale? Here ya' go!

Lovely bookends

Vintage fused or slumped glass platter

Adorable New In Box lidded onion soup bowls

Mighty handsome and large Trojan horse head Onyx bookends

The perfect holiday candy dish large brass reindeer

Who would not love to get a little Christmas Cactus planted in this little guy! Christmas Elf planter

It is a HOOT!

Shopping this weekend, I ran across this not-so-little HOOT! I love the colors, the style and the attention to detail. The original intent was to be a candle holder, but it look great on it's own. Handmade in Italy for Rosenthal-Netter, it is attributed to Aldo Lossi for Bitossi in the Rimini Blu colorway. I have yet to completely confirm that. He, or she, is such a looker... whOO, whOO, whOO cares. (little owl humor)

Check out the rest of the pictures below.

If you would like to own this 15 inch tall drink-of water, click here to take you to my Etsy store to purchase. UPDATE- sold out... but I am on the hunt for more!

New Digs- Hanna Antiques move in a little more each day

I am continuing to work of filling my space at Hanna Antiques (2424 7th ave S, Birmingham). Here's a progress report!

Ummm, yes, that is a lamp without shades... working on it!

New digs- Hanna Antiques

In the new year, I have decided to make some business changes- freshen-up, change of scene, etc.  Beside being published and the cover story in Birmingham Home and Garden magazine as a New Designer to Watch, I have changed my antique store locale. I am currently moving into Hanna Antiques at 2424 7th ave South in downtown Birmingham. I'll be full moved in this weekend!

It  is also Hanna's annual January Sale! New antiques, in new digs, with a 20% off sale! A perfect match for savings.

Stop by my space on the main floor near the small ramp to see the new items I have recently added to my stock for this new location! You will find a lovely Limoges tray, Nippon cocoa set, a darling armoire- perfect for a nursery, handsome vintage trunks, and some small Staffordshire dogs. A camera collection will arrive tomorrow!

Trend spotting- color in 2014

I have always loved trend spotting- be it for color, style, or trinket! In going though the trade magazines, I started to notice the many shades of yellow and it is a natural progression from the oranges in the past few years... though I still get compliments of my orange hand bag at least once a week since I purchased it about five years ago. (Perhaps it is time for a new handbag after five years of hard labor!)

Back to yellow. Sure there are signal yellow home accessories out there (see below), but they are sometimes hard to bring into an already designed space. They tend to look very graphic. So if you space if stark black and white, contemporary, or low on "knick- knackery", they might be just for you.

Karen Robertson yellow sea fan

Yellow on yellow houndstooth pouf from Surya

Glossy yellow bust of David

However, if you have a "traditional" space, stark yellow can be a bit harsh. There is still a yellow for you Trad' folks as well!

Circa table fiesta lamp

sunny yellow tray from Etsy

Yellow mini trunk from Hunter's Alley.... and a perfect remote box if ever there was!

 

Then, for those who would like a little yellow, but just cannot do YELLOW, there is yellow metals a.k.a. brass and gold. Always a great way to add warmth to a space. Especially great for the contemporary spaces that can look cold!

Frank Flush Mount lighting fixture from Circa lighting

Gold and white Florentine tray from my collection on Hunter's Alley

Hawes Sconce from vanCollier

Chilewich placemat is the perfect gold contemporary! It's how to do glitzy austere... in a good way.

What trends are you spotting? Do tell!!!

Picks from this weekend- animals and nature

Are you a Georgia Bulldog fan? Love gnomes? Understand the luck that Koi fish can bring you? Well you should have been picking with me this weekend. But never fear, you can still have any of these! I'm selling and shipping.

Here's my picks from this weekend... so far!

Fitz and Floyd bulldog bookends from 1976. Fan-tastic!

Brass koi fish, needs a bit of polishing... which is my favorite thing for do. Nothing like it for job reward!

I think Ashford and Simpson were singing about these brass dogwood bookends. They are "solid as a rock" and heavy as one as well.

"Gernumblies Forestsi" for the Harry Potter Fans or Forest Gnome for the Tom Clark fans. Love this 10 inch gnome from 1983 and part of the Tom Clark Gnome series. He just seems perfect for this time of year!

If you are interested in any of these items, please contact me via the social buttons at the top of the page. Soon, they will be in my Etsy store, or available locally in my stall at Interiors and Antiques in the Vestavia Hills, AL area.