Gone fishin' ...
Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12 Comments We are waiting for the contract to go unconditional and then just a few more weeks after that and we move. (Time frame is sometime in November.) In the meantime I'm doing what I always do when I have downtime. I shop. Here are my recent finds.
Yes that really is a fish diorama. Yes it is quite large and no I'm not stark raving mad. It's for Kelvin's office. I'm going for a gentleman's club meets vintage industrial meets artist look.This will add just a little kitsch to the mix. Really dark walls ... thinking inky blue, Oreo biscuit brown or even black (although I want the bedroom to be black), vintage metal desk, leather wing chair, divan upholstered in old kilims, big old silky oak and glass bookcase, lots of found objects, art and the fish. I need a name for him I think. I found him in my new favourite shop a few weeks ago. If I tell you it is called The Vintage Advantage and is owned by Glen Smith who is a worse hoarder collector than I am then you have to promise me that you won't rush to 185 Brisbane St, Ipswich and plunder all the good stuff before I can get back. Kelvin goes there a couple of times a week to keep me up to date on what's in. A few shots to whet your appetite. It's stuffed full of treasure and junk and must haves and oddities and don't get me started on the prices ... so cheap compared to Brisbane. OK I'm going to have to kill you now that I've let the secret out.
Love my new Bay Keramik viking boat vase from Glen and how about that West German pottery floor vase?! Still salivating over it weeks later. I also won an old bench/pew on ebay from the lovely Katherine. A good clean, sand, oil and wax and it is waiting for its new home as a book bench/shelf/seat/lamp table along a long wall in either my office or the living room or perhaps the sunroom. Don't know yet. (OMG my grass is dead after winter. No sun in that part of the courtyard.)
before after
Thrift shops have been a bit hit and miss lately. Actually more miss than anything. A Wegdewood Pennine coffee pot for $4 and a Crown Lynn (New Zealand) dinner set for not a lot more. I'm hoping to do a rustic aged timber, black, brick and white kitchen and I'm on the hunt for crockery etc in rustic browns, wood and creamware for the open shelves. A pretty Italian handpainted vase. Unusual shape. Picked up a couple of iron and glass lanterns at Lifeline for a few dollars and they will be great for the outdoor area. My other great find lately was a set of 6 beaten brass bowls. Beautiful patina. Lovely footed Indian silver bowl too. Oh the purple West German vase is from Glen. He knows now that I'm a sucker for vintage WG pottery. Help me! I already have over 50 pieces. I'm an addict! Last but not least my spy Ron (Hi Ron!) found me a metal medical cabinet. Beaten up, rusty and just perfect! Mickey likes it too.
Time to go. My latest eBay buy has been delivered (seller's pic above) and I have a lot of sanding ahead of me. I paid too much for this old stationery cupboard but it will make a great linen cupboard for my new bathroom ... in the house I haven't settled on yet. Wait till I'm done with it. You won't recognise it!
Reader Comments (12)
Great finds! You do really have a wonderful taste and eye for style. Wish you success to transform your new(but not yet settled in) home! :D Can't wait to see the results. Xoxo, Courtney.
Ahhhh happiness is a well stocked second hand shop! Well done :)
Jo, I love all your finds. They'll look fantastic in your new place. A Wedgewood Pennine dinner set is sitting unused and unwanted in my mother-in-law's place but I'll have to check if it's still there.xx
We are waiting in great anticipation to see what you will do when you finally do get that house, I'm sure it will be fantastic.. In the meanwhile, will you share some more shopping secrets, where do you find all theses great thing in Brisbane?? Any particular shops in city that's a must see ??
Love the fish, your plans for the house, and of course the WG pottery! Iv'e snagged quite a few WG floor vases at flea markets here over the last few months, but am sloowly starting to run out of corners for them.
Thanks Courtney. I'll be glad to move in and spread out. I have everything crammed in a 2 bedroom unit, a small garage and a small storage shed at the moment.
Annika that's a good idea about secret sources. I'll have to see what I can put together. Or maybe we can start a discussion here in a new post where we can all share our favourite shops.
Anita go and snap up that Pennine dinner set.
Charlotte I have been following your growing collection. Love your Carstens floor vase :)
Sammy come visit next time your over the pond in Oz. We can go secondhand shopping.
Be still my heart.....that floor vase...the colours, the textures, Kelvin told me this guy had good stuff but that is Devine! Love that liitle cabinet too, Can't wait till you move and I can invite myself over for a close perv! Did I just type that, ha ha oh and the pew looks fantastic and it will look fab in your kitchen, cheers katherine
I can't wait till we move in too. Building inspection is fine, finance is approved, all is well and now we just have to wait 4 to 5 weeks. It's a given that you and Anita will be over as soon as possible. I have so much sh*t sorry "things" that I have stuffed in storage that I won't remember what I have until I unpack. I'm thinking that I'll take heaps of photos of us going through it and then send them to Kim so she can see what I have been "hiding" all these years. I don't think I have seen my art glass collection for 2 years. It's in boxes somewhere :)
I'm salivating as I type this Jo - art glass in storage? And good news about building and finance. Don't envy you doing the move though. x
Jo, the fish gives me a chuckle every time I see it. I am in Alabama, USA. Nuff said.
Hey Deedy there ain't nuffin wrong with that fish ;) High end interior design!!
OMG. You have me going crazy here. Was in Ipswich a couple of weeks ago on a hunting and gathering expedition. How did i not find this???!!!! I'm surfing blogs at mo and have come across you - crikey it's almost 11pm - so tired - so worth it. Love your style!