View Full Version : Vintage objects of beauty
rodeosweetheart
2-22-13, 11:29am
The perception thread about Coach bags and the watch thread have kind of joined up in my head and gotten me thinking about collecting in general, or at least the fun of restoring older items and using them. I too remember Coach as the cool brand circa 1976 that lasted forev er and they would restore your bag--it was really kind of a permanent solution to the handbag problem in those days, and they were hot items to score at the Goodwill for that reason--timeless, classic, and indestructible.
Ditto the vintage watches from the watch rant thread. Last night I bought a Cape Cod polishing cloth and went at the old bulova that I bought 2 weeks ago at the thrift shop for 5 dollars--it looks brand new, circa 1950--a really beautiful little bit of wearable art. And I do love restoring things, I guess. At heart, I think I am a hoarder, although do hoarders restore things or just hoard them?
Anyway, what do you enjoy restoring or hanging on to for the sheer beauty of the object? I love old jewelry and old clothes. What do you enjoy restoring?
awakenedsoul
2-22-13, 12:11pm
I love antique furniture an lamps. It's so exciting to find something beautiful and well made at the Salvation Army and give it a good home. I try not to buy anything I don't need, though. My cottage is small, so less is more in this space.
I like a well made piece of wooden furniture. I can appreciate the workmanship. I also love vintage clothing as well, the well made seams, the careful thought put into the right type of fabric and the feel and it's tailored fit. I love sheaths and I once touched a Chanel jacket, that belongs to my great Aunt. It was heaven. :)
I love old floor lamps. Solid, heavy ones, that won't tip over in a light breeze. Floor lamps are just so practical. You can put one where ever you can reach a plug, and you don't need a hundred little tables (that also tip over) to hold all the lamps. Well, I prefer lamp light to overhead light. I have several good ones that I found at various thrift shops and flea markets, that I re-wired.
Modern floor lamps are not so attractive to me, and so wimpy, they barely stand up on their own, much less stand up to family and pets.
I also love old clocks, but they are expensive to get repaired, and my family has vowed to disown me if I buy one more old clock.:0!
I haven't had the opportunity to embark upon any restoration projects, but if I had the time and money, I'd love to restore old chairs, and have at least one really nice antique clock in the house.
I am pretty much totally taken by the now over the top resurgence of midcentury danish teak furniture. I love the lines & designs. It's gotten very expensive, though, so all I do is look...
I inherited a bunch of clocks. Mantle clocks, kitchen clocks, coo coo clocks, anniversary clocks...and Peggy, you are right, they are expensive to get running again, if you can find a place to do it! I currently have them stored. I'm thinking about doing a 'clock' wall area in my new living room, with the 'sitting' ones in an antique lawyer's bookcase.
I'm also big into vintage textiles...handkerchiefs, dish towels, etc.
early morning
2-22-13, 7:45pm
I love old things. Currently I'm enamored with wooden crates and boxes - especially shipping boxes with lovely, hand-written delivery addresses and instructions painted on.
Peggy, I'm with you on the floor lamps and have 6 that are ready for me to (learn to) rewire. I'm hoping it's not too hard of a task - any tips? DD loves old textiles and uses them as raw materials for other things. We used to buy clocks from an old gentleman who collected and repaired them. He told us he HAD to learn to repair clocks so he could justify buying more of them! Ruffian, maybe a new hobby is in your future? :)
...
Peggy, I'm with you on the floor lamps and have 6 that are ready for me to (learn to) rewire. I'm hoping it's not too hard of a task - any tips? DD loves old textiles and uses them as raw materials for other things. ...
YouTube has DIY videos. I expect it's pretty easy--the hardest part may be fishing the wires through the fittings.
I love old things. Currently I'm enamored with wooden crates and boxes - especially shipping boxes with lovely, hand-written delivery addresses and instructions painted on.
Peggy, I'm with you on the floor lamps and have 6 that are ready for me to (learn to) rewire. I'm hoping it's not too hard of a task - any tips? DD loves old textiles and uses them as raw materials for other things. We used to buy clocks from an old gentleman who collected and repaired them. He told us he HAD to learn to repair clocks so he could justify buying more of them! Ruffian, maybe a new hobby is in your future? :)
Oh absolutely check out youtube! That's what I did to learn to rewire. I was kind of afraid of it too, but decided I needed to learn this skill in order to feed my old lamp habit. It's absolutely easy, once you get into it. Lamps, all lamps apparently, just screw apart into pieces parts. I found the key was to lay out the parts, as I unscrewed them, in the order of reassembly. The replacement parts are available at any hardware store and pretty cheap, really. It was empowering, really, to do this. Once I had rewired my first lamp, I felt I could do anything! I love youtube!
If you just can't do it, however, I think a lamp store could do it for you fairly cheaply. But look at the youtube videos anyway. You'll be surprise at how straight forward it is.
I inherited a bunch of clocks. Mantle clocks, kitchen clocks, coo coo clocks, anniversary clocks...and Peggy, you are right, they are expensive to get running again, if you can find a place to do it! I currently have them stored. I'm thinking about doing a 'clock' wall area in my new living room, with the 'sitting' ones in an antique lawyer's bookcase.
I'm also big into vintage textiles...handkerchiefs, dish towels, etc.
A clock wall sounds so cool! I just love clocks! I have an eight day dutch clock now that needs work. It's been worked on before and I think it's kind of touchy, but I love it and keep doing what I need to keep it going. I got it in Holland at a wonderful flea market. I wish now I had bought several that looked dicey but for the parts.
I also got a cuckoo clock in Germany that I love but the family keeps turning it off cause they say they can't stand the cuckoo!>8)
My latest is a funky iron clock with monkeys in fedoras! Kitschy I know, but I just couldn't resist it!
Boy, I could get carried away with many things and end up with a very crowded house. I really like older things. I have kept one of those big floor standing tube radios in a nice wooden case from probably the 30's that has been in the family. It still works and gets AM and a couple bands of short wave. It's not an antiques road show treasure, I just like it. I don't dress up very often, but could probably get into cuff links, stick pins, fedoras, and pocket watches with chains. They are not a match for my lifestyle, but still cool.
DH and I both enjoy the craftsmanship and beauty of older items. Among our possessions are several handmade quilts, made by ancestors; my grandparents' clock, which is special to me because i remember hearing its chime when awake in the middle of the night in the memorable summers I spent at their house; my great-grandmother's china set; and DH's small collection of tube radios.
I rewire lamps, and its not hard at all! Sometimes the hardest part is finding older parts for them.
iris lily
2-23-13, 12:49pm
I like a well made piece of wooden furniture. I can appreciate the workmanship. I also love vintage clothing as well, the well made seams, the careful thought put into the right type of fabric and the feel and it's tailored fit. I love sheaths and I once touched a Chanel jacket, that belongs to my great Aunt. It was heaven. :)
DH's side of the family has cashmere pieces passed down through generations. His auntie in Scotland had a cashmere factory and made many things for DH's family.
But me--I am hard on clothes. I don't really want to take care of them. I and grateful for the anonymous women who shop at Talbot's and later turn those products over to Goodwill in perfect condition. I am talking about fitted cotton T-shirts. I can't see why anyone would get rid of them, you can wear them forever (except I cannot because mine are stained and torn.)
I've seen some antique cigarette cases that were really pretty.
I also think Art Deco style lighting, especially the glass shades, are gorgeous. Well, anything Art Deco really.
I am pretty much totally taken by the now over the top resurgence of midcentury danish teak furniture. I love the lines & designs. It's gotten very expensive, though, so all I do is look...
We bought most of ours before the whole mid-century-modern craze took root. It wasn't the best stuff, either -- think garage sales (not estate sales :)) at houses in Denmark. But most of it is all wood and all of it is serviceable and beautiful. I'd like to learn to refinish it properly; most of the pieces could use some assistance after years of owners putting plants and glasses and hot dishes on improperly-protected wood.
I do have to admit being partial to stereo gear from the 60s through the early 80s. Sure, there was some industrial-looking stuff out there, but the lights and the precise layout of knobs and switches and markings ... I love switching on the equipment, letting it light an otherwise-dark room, and listening to the music.
I'm a sucker for vintage linens, too, Ruffian. I have many pieces from my grandmother. I am going to attempt to insert a photo of something she embroidered that has always been a conversation-starter. I can't seem to bring myself to do anything with it. I think it would make a great pillow, though!
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1143&d=1361735423If anyone can interpret the saying, I'm all ears. I've never seen/heard it before or since.
Beautiful, KayLRZ! Never heard the saying before, either.
The linen piece would make for great wall-art if arranged in a light-box! Would make for such a wonderful display while preserving. So befitting of something one could expect to see in a kitchen or sewing room.
I like framed needle art. Use acid-free mats and general conservation principles.
I think the maxim refers to "pipe dreams."
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pipe+dream
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_dream
KayLRZ I would absolutely make that into a wall art piece! I first thought 'pillow' too, but I would be afraid of getting it dirty. It's beautiful!
I have 65 ladies hankies (okay a couple of men's dress hankies are in there too). :|( In my defense, they were inherited also. I have washed them and ironed them, and have summer curtains for the kitchen planned. Just whip stitching them onto sheers I think, something wispy and fun.
And as far as repairing clocks go, I guess I need to find some that don't have any sentimental value to me and tear into them and see what damage I can do. My clock repair guy is awesome (and fairly priced too), but complains about lack of parts for repair.
Tussiemussies
2-26-13, 6:04pm
I'm a sucker for vintage linens, too, Ruffian. I have many pieces from my grandmother. I am going to attempt to insert a photo of something she embroidered that has always been a conversation-starter. I can't seem to bring myself to do anything with it. I think it would make a great pillow, though!
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1143&d=1361735423If anyone can interpret the saying, I'm all ears. I've never seen/heard it before or since.
agree with the other poster, it has to do with pipe dreams...and agree with Mrs.M too that a beautiful frame would be a better pick. As a pillow it probably would wear out quick since it is older fabric? Make sure if you do frame it to have them use acid-free backing, etc.
I love having things of my Grandmother, it makes me feel so connected to her...:)
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.