Proper Hunt: August 2009

Okaaaay, I am taking a slight detour from the family room dilemma to share with you a fabulous new shop that I was lucky to find out about. My good friend, Lindsey, invited a few of us to a jewelry trunk show yesterday afternoon and it offered some of the best antique jewelry I have ever seen. It was the first jewelry trunk show in our area and hopefully not the last. I felt like a little kid in a candy store and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one feeling the same way.

Ooh right, it might help you guys out if I gave you the name of the store - Village Antiques and Collectibles in Sussex County, New Jersey and is owned by the lovely Debbie Lauda. Us girls had the pleasure of meeting Debbie while shopping around at the trunk show. She told us that her shop features items from 15 dealers all offering a variety of antiques, collectibles, furniture, jewelry, and clothing. I REALLY want to take a trip up there so I'm going to try to convince my husband to go this coming weekend as an anniversary present (our first wedding anniversary is already upon us! crazy!~). It's a long shot but I'm going to lobby for it :)

A few goodies that I was able to snag at the jewelry trunk show:

Mirrored Tray for $25. It would've been at least double the price somewhere else.

Spanish Pill Box for $12!

A beautiful bracelet that I can wear with anything since the stones are all different colors - only $18.

A great pendant necklace for $15.

And the pièce de résistance is this beautiful pear-shaped blue stone ring for, get this, only $12!!!

I know, I know the only thing I purchased that has anything to do with home furnishings is the mirrored tray but if you take a look at the Village Antiques and Collectibles website they offer dressers, mirrors, chairs, tables, armoires ... all sorts of amazing things!

A sneak peek at some of the photos from their website to tempt you with:

Mirrors galore! Love it!

I could probably spend hours in this shop. So much to look at!

Umm, I'll take EVERYTHING here please.

As you can see, this shop is packed with all sorts of goodies so go check out their website and if you're ever in New Jersey, please go see for yourself. The shop also offers a great Wish List service. Just let them know what you are looking for and they will do their best to find it for you.

Little Black Book - Monday, August 31, 2009

New Favorite - Village Antiques and Collectibles

Okaaaay, I am taking a slight detour from the family room dilemma to share with you a fabulous new shop that I was lucky to find out about. ...

- Friday, August 28, 2009

Finally back in the States!

I'm back!!! Kenya was AMAZING! We had the best time out there and are still sad that our time there had to end. We made some incredible...

I've got a problem, albeit, it's not a bad problem to have. But with the recent upgrades to the family room, it has now presented us with a new problem and that is the slight lack of seating. We could get on fine with what we have, but I wouldn't want to have half of my guests sitting on the rug for an extended period of time.

So, the question now is do we get a new sectional sofa (with chaise) OR do we just get a new comfy chair to go adjacent to the current sofa? Well, the problem isn't deciding between the two because I am fine with either one. The problem lies in deciding what chair to get OR what sectional sofa to get because there are so many choices out there making it hard to pick just one!

Since I'm not very good at multitasking (most of the time anyways), I can only put my efforts into finding one type of item at a time. At least when it comes to something I am not 100% sure I know what I want. Which is why I am only hunting out the chair choices for now. Once I find the chair I like I will hunt for the sectional and then my husband and I can battle out which one should go in the room. Sounds like a good plan, no? I'll let you know how it ends but in the meantime check out what I've found so far.

Serena Mineral Accent Chair at Overstock.com for $1,299.99.
Yes, the price on this chair is a bit high but the shape is more along the lines of what I am looking for in my family room. The space in the room for the chair is not very large, so I need to be mindful of the dimensions and this one fits the bill!

One thing I should mention, which might help you better understand exactly what the heck I am looking for is, this chair needs to be comfy yet small. Sounds a bit contradictory but that's what it needs to be. It's going to go in our tv room so it needs to be a great place for tv/movie watching.

So, if the chairs that I am showing you seem a bit on the smaller side, now you know why.

Oasis Chair at Crate and Barrel.com for $1,199.00.
This is definitely at the top of my list for being one of the most comfy looking chairs I've seen! The exposed edges give it that shabby chic casual vibe that would be perfect for the family room. It looks like you could just sink into it and never want to get up. That's what I'm talking about!

Carmel Chair and a Half at Crate and Barrel.com for $1,299.00.
Okay, okay I know. This one is just a tad too big and you're right but I couldn't help but post it up because it just looks absolutely comfortable.

Lounge Chair and a Half at Crate and Barrel.com for $1,299.00.
Anything with "Chair and a Half" is going to be too large for this space but hey I really like this one! And you will too. Go sit in it at Crate and Barrel and you'll know why I just had to post it up regardless of me getting it or not.

Regent Chair at Target.com for $499.99.
Going in a slightly different direction is this Regency style chair with it's velvet-like fabric.

Devin Sunflower Chair at Arhaus Furniture for $699.00.
Armless chairs are another great option since you can find them in a bunch of different sizes.

Bloom Floral Upholstered Chair-Mirage Gray at Target.com for $299.99.
Another armless chair but a little smaller this time around. Might be a bit too formal for the tv room but a great chair at a great price! This chair comes in lots of different fabrics, so go check it out to find the one that's right for you!

Baldwin Club Chair at Ballard Designs from $621.00 - $1,073.00.

A classic design that will never fail.

Sasha Chair at Macy's for $899.00.

Hogan Chair at Macy's for $549.00.

Tyler Velvet Matching Chair at Macy's for $599.00.

Macy's got some really comfy looking chairs, don't they?

Well, I've got a bit of narrowing down to do as you can see. Lots to choose from and I like them all! If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to leave comments. I check them frequently so don't think that they'll go unnoticed.

This will probably be my last post until I return from Kenya (Aug. 25th). If I get internet access out there I will definitely post up some findings that I think will get you inspired. Til then, Kwaheri! (Swahili for goodbye)

chairs - Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Too Many Chairs to Choose From

I've got a problem, albeit, it's not a bad problem to have. But with the recent upgrades to the family room, it has now presented u...

- Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Sorry for the Hiatus!

My apologies for such a long and unexpected hiatus! Things have been a bit busy and stressful with our upcoming trip to Kenya quickly approa...

A few years back, one of the very first local hunts I discovered while trying to find the "perfect" chair was Urban Retreat Furniture Warehouse in Reston, Virginia. It is not like my usual local hunts that offers dirt cheap deals, but rather it is the very best alternative you could possibly have when compared to Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel.

This is the chair that we purchased from Urban Retreat a
few years ago.

Their whole spiel is offering "low-cost, custom made residential furniture," with a multitude of fabrics and finishes to choose from. I can tell you from personal experience that they are great. Truly helpful and really give you your space while you're shopping.

I don't know about you, but I absolutely HATE it when sales people are hawking me while I'm walking around. It's bad enough getting sensory overload when going into a store, but to have to have someone watching and asking you questions is just really annoying. I like to take my time and shop and when someone is asking me questions about what I'm looking for and how they can help me and what new promotions are going on, I just want to hurry and get the heck out of there!

So rest assured, this place is one for the books!

A few of their furniture samples from their site:

For those of you who are looking for a modern and fresh take on the recliner, here is a perfect example.

I am loving both of these tables!

The website doesn't have shopping cart capability nor does it have prices. But like I said before, they are really helpful so just give them a call or send them an email if you want to inquiry about a particular item from the site. That's exactly what I did and they gave me a price range on my chair since it's the fabric grade that you choose which determines the price.

If you are in the market for something a bit more vintage-y and shabby chic, then this next locale is the place for you. Primitive & Proper is located in Severna Park, Maryland and offers home furnishings that have been refurbished giving it a shabby chic uniqueness. Not only are you getting a one-of-a-kind piece, but you are also getting incredible deals from them. Just see the prices below and you'll know what I mean.

They were also featured on Daily Candy yesterday (8/3/2009). Check it out!

Take a glance at some of their goodies:

Aqua & Chocolate Empire Dresser for $180.00

Black Vintage Liquor Cabinet for $130.00

Classic White Hall Table for $65.00
I can see a beautiful capiz shell mirror hanging above this table. Can't you?

And the following items are Custom Orders that clients have asked Primitive & Proper for, so they are not available for purchase. But this should give you ideas if you cannot seem to find exactly what you're looking for.

Baby Clark's Dresser/Changing Table

Reiker's Table
I would love to get my hands on this table but maybe in black or even red!

Emily's Gorgeous French Vanity
I absolutely NEED this! Or at least one like it.

Emily's Blue Pedestal Table
What a great accent table and in such a pretty blue too. This Emily person sure does have good taste!

Green Sideboard
This green provides a nice punch of color - it will freshen up any room!

All of these images better have stirred up your shabby chic side!