Upstairs Progress

Phew! Sorry for the long break in posts this week. My mother came down from Maine on Monday afternoon and we've spent the last few days finishing the plumbing for the newly installed bathroom upstairs. We now have a working toilet and sink. The shower is all plumbed but obviously won't be useable until our glass enclosure is installed and the tile is up. Here are some pictures. This is the last piece of the puzzle, and we've basically been working around the bathroom space, finishing all the other areas, until we could get the rough in complete. Now the end is truly in sight, and we'll have a real upstairs and not a construction site before summer! I've attached two pictures. One is of our vanity with working sink (!!) and the other a view from the master bedroom into the bathroom of the shower structure, with the toilet in the background. To go from only one bathroom to two in the house feels like such a luxury! We need to finish the walls and paint in the bathroom. The mirror over the vanity is just a little temporary one until we paint the walls and hang the big gilt framed one. I'll be finishing some furniture and hitting up the tag sales tomorrow, so I should have lots and lots to show you over the weekend. Happy Friday!

To the left of the vanity we're building a little wall that will enclose the plumbing. I built the vanity from a vintage hutch bottom, refinished the top, cut a hole for the sink and painted the base a cream color. The center drawer is faux now because the sink is behind it. 

We're doing classic black and white small octagonal tiles of the floor, all white small octagonal tiles on the interior walls of the enclosure. The exterior is all horizontal beadboard that will be painted white. From the half wall up will all be glass and there will be a glass door. The door behind the shower leads to the hallway. The door right next to the toilet leads to a large walk in closet.

New Acquisitions, the First Flea Market of the Season

The first flea market of the season was yesterday morning and it did not disappoint. Yes, it was pretty chilly, but everyone bundled up and managed to have a good time anyway. I scored some pretty sweet stuff including a vintage oil landscape painting (you know how I love those), and stunning antique c.1870 walnut sideboard, and something weird that you'll probably laugh at me for buying. Also pictured is a great vintage solid pine armoire that my husband picked up for me on Saturday.
 Happy Monday!

First and foremost, can we talk about this stunner? I really want to keep this for myself. It's just my kind of thing, but my house is, alas, full- so someone will need to give this beautiful piece a home eventually. Those drawer pulls are extraordinary. I think I'm going to refinish the piece rather than paint it. I rarely do that, but a piece of this caliber merits it. It's big too- something like 40 inches tall and 38 inches wide if I had to guess.

And here is my lovely oil on canvas landscape. It's vintage and signed "F.Wils" I looked him/her up on askart, but no dice. I really like the water lilies in the foreground. The frame was dingy and boring and I knew immediately that I would paint it gold.

Close up of the lovely scene.

Aaaaaaand here's my crazy thing. The guy I purchased it from (don't worry I didn't spend a lot) told me that it was an antique cooper's bench, probably from the mid 19th century. I would certainly agree with the age. I could tell the piece was very old. When I got home I did a little research and this is indeed what a cooper's bench looks like. I like it because of it's sculptural appeal. 

So that's my flea market haul. Pretty good for the first one I think.

As soon as I got home from work I repainted the frame gold. Just one coat. I've been using the same teensy can of gold paint for all my projects for about two months now. That little can is really *ahem* worth it's weight in gold.

It really makes a difference for the painting. Brightens it up and makes it seem much more important.

This is the pine armoire that my husband picked up. It looks big and dark right now, but with some fresh bright paint and new pulls, it can look very handsome indeed.

And finally, a little bit of hope for those of us who love Spring. These sweet little blue flowers are blossoming by the antique shop where I work. I think they're bluebells...? Either way it made me smile to see them!

I spotted these wonderful crocuses coming up in a friend's yard on Saturday. So Spring has arrived and it will just get warmer and more pleasant from here on out!

A Chestnut Barnboard Dining Table

This dining table found a new home on Friday night, but  I thought you'd like to see the pictures from the project. The table base is vintage. I picked it up last summer at a tag sale in Colchester, CT. The table was originally built by a local character named Ruby Cohen to be used as a poker table. I bought it straight from his house, where it had been stored in an old shed. Here's a little bio on Ruby. The top of the table was made of the most extraordinary salvaged chestnut barn boards. I'd say the barn boards were made no later than 1830. They're immensely heavy old growth with loads of character and great grain. I attached the top to the base and painted the base a more pleasing white (that pink was intense!).
Before and afters below.
This morning was the first flea market of the season and I snagged some cool stuff. I'll post pictures this evening!

Connecticut Spring Antiques Show Highlights Tour Part 2

I hope you all enjoyed the first portion of the highlights tour! Here is the second batch of photos of my top picks from the show floor at the 2013 Connecticut Spring Antiques Show.
Also- if you haven't noticed, I've added some new items to be inventory tab, and keep an eye on the blog as I'll have some more new projects available in the next couple days.
I'll hopefully get some new acquisitions on Sunday as well since it's the very first flea market of the season (Woooohooo!!!)

Handsome landscape painting of a tree. Sigh, it just makes me miss Summer.

This antique peanut box was something like 28 inches tall- So cool and graphic.

Stunning antique sheet metal deer weathervane.

I think this antique sign was only a few hundred dollars, which for an antique sign is an excellent deal. Would be perfect for a real estate agent!

A phenomenal collection of butter molds of every shape and size!

A very fine Connecticut shelf clock. I believe this one was done in the shop of Eli Terry.

I really really wanted this miniature chest. It was about 20 inches tall and cute as a button. At $300 it was over my price range though, and when I went back to look again, it had already sold.

Incredible piece of architectural salvage!

Fabulous antique trade sign. One of my favorite I've seen in a long time.

How cute is this little folk art panda!

I'm such a sucker for these impressionist landscapes. I want to buy them all. 

Antique hotel trade sign.

This is a cute and early tavern table. It's lost some of the height from its feet though.

I adored this pair of antique watercolors. Even their frames are cool.

This antique continuous arm Windsor chair was made in the shop of Ebenezer Tracy of Lisbon, CT.

This is such a cool antique sign. What was especially neat was that the lettering was raised up from the rest of the sign because the paint had protected the wood below it from the erosion that the unpainted wood surfaces had suffered over many years. This is always a good indicator that a sign is authentic. It's not often as clear as it was on this sign though.

Adorable little make do dry sink. Mid 19th century.

This oil on canvas theorem was monumental and incredibly beautiful. I stood and admired it for a long time.

This antique blanket chest had the loveliest early powder blue paint.

A wonderful assemblage of beautiful antique objects. My favorite in the vignette is the mustard colored hooked rug.

Such a sweet weathervane in a rare Irish Setter form.

And another handsome weathervane- Rooster with a directional arrow.

Can you imagine if you had the world's best at-home bar and this was hanging over it. You would win at life.

Very pretty federal mirror.

And another naive landscape. It reminds me a lot of the lake near our house.

Connecticut Spring Antiques Show- Highlights Tour Part One

On Sunday I worked for my day job at our booth at the Connecticut Spring Antiques Show in Hartford. The firm I work with is one of only a handful that has done the show for the full 40 years that it's been open. This year the show moved back to the spectacular Hartford Armory building for the first time in a decade. The best part of the Armory is that the soaring ceiling (it must be 60 feet up) is all glass skylights, so it's like seeing the antiques in full natural daylight- what a thrill!
          When I told my mom that I was planning to go early to take pictures for the blog she requested that I photograph lots of different stuff, and not just my favorites- so I tried to get a good mix of the best from a lot of different categories. In the end, my biases probably won out, though, because as I flip through my pictures I see more than a fair amount of antique signs, weathervanes, and landscape paintings- but oh well. I tried!
         I've divided the pictures up into two posts because I took soooo many pictures. Do you have any favorites? My favorite is the large banner weathervane.

"Along the Ridge" - George Glenn Newell (1870-1947)

Sweet little pair of antique watercolor botanical studies.

Set of six matching fatback Windsor chairs branded on the underside of the eat "E. Tracy" and made in the shop of Ebenezer Tracy of Lisbon, CT.

Fantastic architectural eagle in old white paint.

I always like antique sign letters. They're so appealing.

Because there's nothing worse than an exploding lamp!

Stunning Jeweler's trade sign, Late 19th or early 20th century.

Adorable paint decorated highchair- mid 19th century.

Intricately painted fireboard, made to look like delft tile.

Incredibly intricate salvaged Federal mantle.

Handsome 19th century side table in a beautiful mustard paint.

Nice miniature watercolor profile.

I love this multicolored rooster weathervane. What a statement! The original gilding probably wore off in the first 25 years or so, and around 1900 someone took it upon themselves to re-paint the rooster with these great bright colors.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought this guy was pretty cute.

Amazing 18th century door in the tradition of French architecture, and probably from Quebec.

The art of cut paper, also known as scherenschnitte. It was popular in the early to mid 19th century, and especially in the Mid Atlantic states. This is a particularly fine example.

An outstanding painted blanket chest.

Massive cutting board. Would look great hanging on the wall in a country kitchen.

Early 19th century corner cupboard in a wonderful rich mustard color.

I really liked this grocer trade sign. Nice big size and everything. The horse weathervane though, looks like the horse is on it's last leg...

This outstanding bedspread has the most delicate and delightful floral embellishment

My pick of the show- this gooooorgeous banner weathervane.

18th century blanket chest in a wonderful duck egg blue.

A mourning picture, likely done by a young lady in school between 1800-1825. This one is notably bright colored and detailed. 

Antique needlework sampler is excellent condition.

Fascinating collection of small ivory household objects- most dating from the mid 19th century.

Needlework sampler, also completed by a young lady while in school. This one is dated to 1801.