Since MTSS relocated to Austin, TX we have run into numerous problems with the location of our new offices. MTSS is of course building a completely green and ecofriendly complex of buildings that are close to beautiful and affordable neighborhoods where we expect our legions of employees to live. While the design is thoughtful and brilliant, environmentalists in the area (crazy wackos who need to get real jobs) have gone to City Hall to prevent us from breaking ground on our groundbreaking new building. Something about a spring? Who cares. Anyway, all of this hoopla has kept the staff very busy trying to spin the new building, etc. leaving precious little time for our real work. Blame the environmentalists! But, progress has been made on the official MTSS Presidential Manse as well as many exciting finds, friends and objects. Read on for exciting news, predictions and photos.
1. New Sofa
Finding good, upholstered furniture at the thrift store can sometimes be tricky. Occasionally you even have to fight for it. For years I have been fantasizing about a beautiful mid-century French Provincial sofa, just like the one I grew up with. My mother had the living room completely decked out in the stuff, originally covered in that classic white damask, and later in a gold and blue fabric. Sofa, chairs, ottoman and tables to match. Funny that it was called the 'living' room when in fact the only time my brother and I were allowed in was to practice the piano. Otherwise, only the Avon lady got to sit on the sofa. The barely used furniture was eventually sold when the room was converted into an office/game room sort of space.
So I have been looking high and low for a replacement. Problem is that most French Provincial sofas are:
A. Expensive
B. Not the right style (I wanted a mid-century version, not a Victorian style)
C. Ugly and smelly.
On the way home from work one day, I popped into the electric razor shop next to Salvation Army for some new blades and Mitchell went into SA to have a look at some tables I'd spotted earlier in the week. When I found him, he was standing next to this lovely blue sofa (it's in between a robin's egg and peacock--I'm calling it peacock's egg blue to cover all the bases). I asked the salesperson what the discount tag color was that day, but it wasn't the one on the sofa--it had just arrived on the floor hours earlier. Discount or not, I didn't care because it was in great shape, didn't smell and I had to have it. I grabbed the tag and the (very nice) salesperson gave me 20% off anyways! While I was paying, this redhead comes in and starts picking up the cushions, smelling the upholstery and kicking the tires. I was like, "Yoo hoo, missy! I'm already buying it! It's mine...please quit touching it..." But she didn't hear me. In fact, she was so enamored that she returned to examine it two more times. I didn't look back to see the tears in her eyes as we carried it out of the store and wedged it into the wagon. Finders keepers. Lord knows I've lost out on numerous pieces due to lack of speed or general bad luck.
The blue sofa looks great in the living room and we are going to paint the walls a lighter shade of the same color. I'm calling the overall look 'high modern French colonial Asian-ish.' Other people, like Jonathan Adler and some design magazines have begun to use the phrase maximalism--which is the opposite of minimalism. I am a confirmed, unapologetic maximalist. As I've said many times, less is a bore, more IS more.
2. Dumpster Diving
David Earl Smith of Houston, TX is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Mr. Smith is very proper and a little on the snobby side. Once, years ago, when he introduced me to a new acquaintance of his and inquired about my response to her I merely said, "I'm just glad you've finally found a friend who is as big a snob as you are." David would of course refer to this as one my classic back-handed compliments.
This is all to say that David is not someone you would imagine digging around in the dumpster of his apartment complex, but in fact he does and is in quite good at it. Dumpster diving is below thrift shopping on the recycling goods scale, which is based on the amount of energy output necessary to procure goods, from more to less. The scale goes:
A. Dumpster Diving
B. Garage Sales
C. Thrift Stores
D. Estate Sales
E. Antique Malls/Auctions
David has made several wonderful finds of late included a gigantic foam frame which he transformed into a fantastic headboard with just a little help from moi and a lot of d.i.y. ingenuity.
Over the winter holidays, as we were pulling into the parking lot, David Earl became quite excited, exited the car and ran to the dumpster where he pulled a giant gold high heeled shoe from the trash. It's original use? Not sure, but it is a wonderful place to stage a Miss Blessed Virgin Mary Pageant and would work equally well in the right kitchen as a spice rack. N'est-ce pas?
3. Living Room
I love faux. The fauxer the better. Faux ceramic sea shells, faux coral, faux ivory...you name it and I love it. Especially faux bamboo. What is it about faux bamboo that is just so satisfying? I had been looking and looking for a new china cabinet or organizational system for all of the dishes. The old house had tons of built-in storage space which I had packed to the very maximum, while the new place does not. Luckily, I stumbled onto 'It's New to Me' which is a consignment furniture store filled mostly with crap, but amidst all the trash there were several treasures--including this china cabinet and matching serving table. Each holds quite a bit and the Canonsburg Temporama looks stunning in the cabinet. Love it. LOVE it. And a bargain, believe me.
4. Avatar of Interior Design
People often stop me on the street and ask for some tips on what is hot right now for American interiors. There are so many answers that I could give, so many directions that I could point you in my dear reader, but I have distilled it down to three very simple elements that you can include in your home to give it that very of the moment, yet not of THE moment look.
A. Snails
Snails are hot, hot, HOT. It is true that trends wax and wane like the moon, but some motifs remain a solid, bankable part of good design. Snails, despite their rising popularity, are one of those items. In my own decor, I have included a small porcelain snail found at the citywide garage sale and a set of two ceramic snails (there was a ziplock bag which contained two owls [given to April], a squirrel [given to Kristina at work] and a duck [pitched into a drawer, ducks are very out right now] in addition to the snails) from St. David's (see below) in the china cabinet. These small objects serve to balance the seriousness of the china with a little whimsy in the same way that the snail planter I use for trash can balances the overall stoic tone of my den. What I wouldn't give for a set of snail canisters for my kitchen!
B. Early American
In the 1950s, at the height of popularity for designers like George Nelson, Eva Zeisel, Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Russel Wright and others, there were some people who didn't give a crap for American moderism. Atomic patterns, plastic furniture and fondue pots were not for them. My grandmother, Ruth Barbara Pierson Johnson Decker, was one of those people. Sadly, she did not serve us breakfast on atomic-inspired patterns by Franciscan that I would eventually inherit. Nor did she tell the time by a starburst shaped clock that would eventually hang on the wall above my mantel. However, She did decorate her house in a solid, traditional manner, investing in classic reproduction pieces of early American furniture which she augmented with family antiques. I have been lucky enough to receive her coffee table (which I wanted for as long as I could remember, it was always the perfect place for games or just to sit and draw) and her dining table as she downsized in the years before she passed away.
When you're at the thrift store, look around. Do you see any chairs by Charles and Ray Eames? What about dishes by Russel Wright? Yes, once in a while there is a great find at a store that doesn't know what they are selling. But wake up kids, most of it is gone. Gone. It's in resale shops, auctions, showrooms and museums. Now I love this stuff as much as the next person, but it's time to stop whining and find a new obsession. Early American. It's everywhere! Chairs, tables, desk, china cabinets, dry sinks and more. This mid-century interpretation of classic American pieces is often simple and blends in well with other pieces from the same period, classic or not. Take it from me, think early American.
C. Asian-ish (see above and below)
My same grandmother had these fabulous friends when I was growing up. They had a ranch not far from her house and we would go by to visit, pick grapes for jelly or for dinner. They had a very well-decorated home and served exotic things like broiled fish with the head still on. (Part of the reason I never liked fish, I think.) Their home was very Asian-ish. It wasn't some neo-Japanese inspired tea house. It wasn't made from sustainably-harvested bamboo. It wasn't arranged according to the strict rules of Feng Shui. They lived in a very American home that was peppered with Asian (particularly Chinese) pieces they had purchased while living in China after the war. At least that is how I remember it. It was Asian-ish.
Again, look around. I was at the thrift store the other day and people are discarding Asian-ish pieces like it is going out of style. Okay, so it is. All the more reason to scoop it up and add a piece here or there for a little eastern flair.
5. St. David's
One of the best thrift store I've ever shopped in is right here in Austin. It took me a while to find it, but now I'm there every week. Next-to-New is a project of St. David's Episcopal Church and I think they must spend thirty minutes every week begging their parishioners to give up the goods. This store is packed with wonderful furniture, great dishes and fantastic tchotch. It's organized, clean and doesn't sell a bunch of chipped and broken junk. Only drawback? Next-to-New is a little on the expensive side. BUT, they have this great sticker system that lists the price and depending on how long its been there, the price drops. So, it's a bit of gamble. A fun gamble. How badly do you want it? Heidi works the register and you can tell she runs the place with an iron fist--but from the fist dangle great bracelets! She greets everyone with her lovely European accent and makes sure breakables are properly wrapped. I've found some wonderful things there:
These wooden mice picks are from Denmark and each one has different colored eyes to tell them apart.
This very 60s orange plastic container has four little plates and a spoon. It was labeled salsa server, which is ridiculous as no amount of salsa would fit on the tiny plates. It works well for nuts or other little nibbly things and looks great on the coffee table.
My mom was very jealous of these coffee cups I picked up the other day. There are two of each color and they match my collection of lotus bowls fairly closely. I can't wait to use them.
Remember Asian-ish? I found the Quan Yin on the left at St. David's, but had to get her some friends. She was lonely! Now they party on the coffee table in the living room.
6. Ottoman/Poof/Tuffet
April and I found this fab white ottoman at the Salvation Army a while back. It was very dirty, one of the seams was ripped and they were asking a lot for it. Too much. I kept circling and circling, finally deciding to ask if they would go lower. As I walked to the register and caught the salesperson's eye, he said those magic words: all furniture is 50% off. Sold! Mitchell sewed it up and I applied a little vinyl cleaner. Good as new, it's the perfect perch for a party.
All caught up? All worn out from reading? Go thrift shopping, you'll feel way better.
1. New Sofa
Finding good, upholstered furniture at the thrift store can sometimes be tricky. Occasionally you even have to fight for it. For years I have been fantasizing about a beautiful mid-century French Provincial sofa, just like the one I grew up with. My mother had the living room completely decked out in the stuff, originally covered in that classic white damask, and later in a gold and blue fabric. Sofa, chairs, ottoman and tables to match. Funny that it was called the 'living' room when in fact the only time my brother and I were allowed in was to practice the piano. Otherwise, only the Avon lady got to sit on the sofa. The barely used furniture was eventually sold when the room was converted into an office/game room sort of space.
So I have been looking high and low for a replacement. Problem is that most French Provincial sofas are:
A. Expensive
B. Not the right style (I wanted a mid-century version, not a Victorian style)
C. Ugly and smelly.
On the way home from work one day, I popped into the electric razor shop next to Salvation Army for some new blades and Mitchell went into SA to have a look at some tables I'd spotted earlier in the week. When I found him, he was standing next to this lovely blue sofa (it's in between a robin's egg and peacock--I'm calling it peacock's egg blue to cover all the bases). I asked the salesperson what the discount tag color was that day, but it wasn't the one on the sofa--it had just arrived on the floor hours earlier. Discount or not, I didn't care because it was in great shape, didn't smell and I had to have it. I grabbed the tag and the (very nice) salesperson gave me 20% off anyways! While I was paying, this redhead comes in and starts picking up the cushions, smelling the upholstery and kicking the tires. I was like, "Yoo hoo, missy! I'm already buying it! It's mine...please quit touching it..." But she didn't hear me. In fact, she was so enamored that she returned to examine it two more times. I didn't look back to see the tears in her eyes as we carried it out of the store and wedged it into the wagon. Finders keepers. Lord knows I've lost out on numerous pieces due to lack of speed or general bad luck.
The blue sofa looks great in the living room and we are going to paint the walls a lighter shade of the same color. I'm calling the overall look 'high modern French colonial Asian-ish.' Other people, like Jonathan Adler and some design magazines have begun to use the phrase maximalism--which is the opposite of minimalism. I am a confirmed, unapologetic maximalist. As I've said many times, less is a bore, more IS more.
2. Dumpster Diving
David Earl Smith of Houston, TX is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Mr. Smith is very proper and a little on the snobby side. Once, years ago, when he introduced me to a new acquaintance of his and inquired about my response to her I merely said, "I'm just glad you've finally found a friend who is as big a snob as you are." David would of course refer to this as one my classic back-handed compliments.
This is all to say that David is not someone you would imagine digging around in the dumpster of his apartment complex, but in fact he does and is in quite good at it. Dumpster diving is below thrift shopping on the recycling goods scale, which is based on the amount of energy output necessary to procure goods, from more to less. The scale goes:
A. Dumpster Diving
B. Garage Sales
C. Thrift Stores
D. Estate Sales
E. Antique Malls/Auctions
David has made several wonderful finds of late included a gigantic foam frame which he transformed into a fantastic headboard with just a little help from moi and a lot of d.i.y. ingenuity.
Over the winter holidays, as we were pulling into the parking lot, David Earl became quite excited, exited the car and ran to the dumpster where he pulled a giant gold high heeled shoe from the trash. It's original use? Not sure, but it is a wonderful place to stage a Miss Blessed Virgin Mary Pageant and would work equally well in the right kitchen as a spice rack. N'est-ce pas?
3. Living Room
I love faux. The fauxer the better. Faux ceramic sea shells, faux coral, faux ivory...you name it and I love it. Especially faux bamboo. What is it about faux bamboo that is just so satisfying? I had been looking and looking for a new china cabinet or organizational system for all of the dishes. The old house had tons of built-in storage space which I had packed to the very maximum, while the new place does not. Luckily, I stumbled onto 'It's New to Me' which is a consignment furniture store filled mostly with crap, but amidst all the trash there were several treasures--including this china cabinet and matching serving table. Each holds quite a bit and the Canonsburg Temporama looks stunning in the cabinet. Love it. LOVE it. And a bargain, believe me.
4. Avatar of Interior Design
People often stop me on the street and ask for some tips on what is hot right now for American interiors. There are so many answers that I could give, so many directions that I could point you in my dear reader, but I have distilled it down to three very simple elements that you can include in your home to give it that very of the moment, yet not of THE moment look.
A. Snails
Snails are hot, hot, HOT. It is true that trends wax and wane like the moon, but some motifs remain a solid, bankable part of good design. Snails, despite their rising popularity, are one of those items. In my own decor, I have included a small porcelain snail found at the citywide garage sale and a set of two ceramic snails (there was a ziplock bag which contained two owls [given to April], a squirrel [given to Kristina at work] and a duck [pitched into a drawer, ducks are very out right now] in addition to the snails) from St. David's (see below) in the china cabinet. These small objects serve to balance the seriousness of the china with a little whimsy in the same way that the snail planter I use for trash can balances the overall stoic tone of my den. What I wouldn't give for a set of snail canisters for my kitchen!
B. Early American
In the 1950s, at the height of popularity for designers like George Nelson, Eva Zeisel, Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Russel Wright and others, there were some people who didn't give a crap for American moderism. Atomic patterns, plastic furniture and fondue pots were not for them. My grandmother, Ruth Barbara Pierson Johnson Decker, was one of those people. Sadly, she did not serve us breakfast on atomic-inspired patterns by Franciscan that I would eventually inherit. Nor did she tell the time by a starburst shaped clock that would eventually hang on the wall above my mantel. However, She did decorate her house in a solid, traditional manner, investing in classic reproduction pieces of early American furniture which she augmented with family antiques. I have been lucky enough to receive her coffee table (which I wanted for as long as I could remember, it was always the perfect place for games or just to sit and draw) and her dining table as she downsized in the years before she passed away.
When you're at the thrift store, look around. Do you see any chairs by Charles and Ray Eames? What about dishes by Russel Wright? Yes, once in a while there is a great find at a store that doesn't know what they are selling. But wake up kids, most of it is gone. Gone. It's in resale shops, auctions, showrooms and museums. Now I love this stuff as much as the next person, but it's time to stop whining and find a new obsession. Early American. It's everywhere! Chairs, tables, desk, china cabinets, dry sinks and more. This mid-century interpretation of classic American pieces is often simple and blends in well with other pieces from the same period, classic or not. Take it from me, think early American.
C. Asian-ish (see above and below)
My same grandmother had these fabulous friends when I was growing up. They had a ranch not far from her house and we would go by to visit, pick grapes for jelly or for dinner. They had a very well-decorated home and served exotic things like broiled fish with the head still on. (Part of the reason I never liked fish, I think.) Their home was very Asian-ish. It wasn't some neo-Japanese inspired tea house. It wasn't made from sustainably-harvested bamboo. It wasn't arranged according to the strict rules of Feng Shui. They lived in a very American home that was peppered with Asian (particularly Chinese) pieces they had purchased while living in China after the war. At least that is how I remember it. It was Asian-ish.
Again, look around. I was at the thrift store the other day and people are discarding Asian-ish pieces like it is going out of style. Okay, so it is. All the more reason to scoop it up and add a piece here or there for a little eastern flair.
5. St. David's
One of the best thrift store I've ever shopped in is right here in Austin. It took me a while to find it, but now I'm there every week. Next-to-New is a project of St. David's Episcopal Church and I think they must spend thirty minutes every week begging their parishioners to give up the goods. This store is packed with wonderful furniture, great dishes and fantastic tchotch. It's organized, clean and doesn't sell a bunch of chipped and broken junk. Only drawback? Next-to-New is a little on the expensive side. BUT, they have this great sticker system that lists the price and depending on how long its been there, the price drops. So, it's a bit of gamble. A fun gamble. How badly do you want it? Heidi works the register and you can tell she runs the place with an iron fist--but from the fist dangle great bracelets! She greets everyone with her lovely European accent and makes sure breakables are properly wrapped. I've found some wonderful things there:
These wooden mice picks are from Denmark and each one has different colored eyes to tell them apart.
This very 60s orange plastic container has four little plates and a spoon. It was labeled salsa server, which is ridiculous as no amount of salsa would fit on the tiny plates. It works well for nuts or other little nibbly things and looks great on the coffee table.
My mom was very jealous of these coffee cups I picked up the other day. There are two of each color and they match my collection of lotus bowls fairly closely. I can't wait to use them.
Remember Asian-ish? I found the Quan Yin on the left at St. David's, but had to get her some friends. She was lonely! Now they party on the coffee table in the living room.
6. Ottoman/Poof/Tuffet
April and I found this fab white ottoman at the Salvation Army a while back. It was very dirty, one of the seams was ripped and they were asking a lot for it. Too much. I kept circling and circling, finally deciding to ask if they would go lower. As I walked to the register and caught the salesperson's eye, he said those magic words: all furniture is 50% off. Sold! Mitchell sewed it up and I applied a little vinyl cleaner. Good as new, it's the perfect perch for a party.
All caught up? All worn out from reading? Go thrift shopping, you'll feel way better.