Bloomsbury meets tribal

Such is the theme of my latest display at the Gloucester Quays Antiques Centre which mixes a number of modern, vintage, hand made and upcycled objects with a rather refreshing result, making for a room setting that is cool and airy yet with pools of concentrated pattern. An interesting combination of early and mid century/retro influences, this is one for lovers of abstract and stylized motifs.

The whole setting was inspired by the central piece, painted by the artist Caroline Jaine, a decorative restoration titled "ceci n'est pas un placard" (This is not a cupboard).
Caroline currently exhibits at the Antiques Centre, and you can see more of her work here. The painted chair and abstract painting next to it that you can see by scrolling further down are also by her.

Mid century Briglin pottery, I particularly like the textured glaze of the teapot, and the swirly pattern on the other pieces perfectly compliments Caroline's furniture.

I have to say I really quite like this piece and I was stricken from the beginning by the Bloomsbury meets tribal (with a hint of flower power) vibe that I got from it. So I enhanced that by pairing it with further tribal inspired prints. What do you think?

Perhaps you recognize Lacoona's lampshade from a previous post? Aptly named "Tribe of me", and perfectly at home in this setting, this is available for purchase in my etsy store, together with its cousin "The Bolt" displayed on the window sill. Even better, if you are in the area visit the Antiques Centre and see the display for yourself; the most expensive thing here is only £250, so you can buy into this look without breaking the bank!

Eggs!

  

The Orthodox Easter has just gone this past weekend, I thought I'd share some samples of the eggs I dyed this year, an Easter custom we retain in Romania. These eggs are leaf decorated and hand dyed in red cabbage and onion skins. Here is a link to my eggs from last year (my first cabbage dying adventure).

 

Lamping - The painted shades

The Beehive Lamp 

A converted Art Deco biscuit barrel with a custom painted lamp shade, available here

It is a wonderful feeling to bring something old back to life, and alongside refurbishing, the re-purposing of the bases and painting of the lamp shades certainly appeals to my creative side, although it is process fraught with anxiety and doubt. At the end of the day, the mere fact that I, insignificant, regular me, can produce anything with my hands, is a fact of wonder. I have come to the conclusion that, whether we are talented or not, the creative impulse is an inherent part of our human condition, and there is nothing more satisfying than giving it course. 

Let's see what you think of the result.

The Bolt

An Edwardian Pullman lamp with a hand painted abstract lamp shade, available here

Tribe of Me 

A hand painted lamp shade in an abstract, geometric pattern, available here

Flower Tile

A pair of hand painted lamp shades in a stylized pattern, available here

The Shells

A pair of WWI Trench Art vases with custom painted textured lamp shades, available here

Rhytisma

An early 20th century lamp with a naturalistic, fungus inspired lamp shade design, available here

The Secret Garden

An antique Pullman lamp with a hand painted Chinoiserie design, available here

The Shire Lamp

An Arts and Crafts lamp with a Barum Pottery base and hand painted shade, available here

The Indian Summer Lamp

A Kashmir lacquered barley twist base with a custom painted lamp shade, available here

I have now a lighting section in my etsy store where you can find all these lamps with more details and photos.Should you by any chance wish to purchase any of them, don't be alarmed by the shipping restriction to UK only, convo me on etsy and I will work out a cost for posting abroad. But for now, I'd love to learn your thoughts!

Note: I retain the exclusive intellectual property for my creations, inclusive of  painted or refurbished designs and the photographs showing them. Please contact me for permission before you use my photos and make sure you credit me and my store in the process. Thank you .

Lamping - The Modernist Adventure

Circa 1920s anodized copper lamps, SOLD

Carrying on from the previous post, some of the most treasured lamping adventures are those that end up with this kind of finds. Sometimes one is blessed with a double take! 

The hard part is parting with the things that you cherish and have put a lot of hours in researching, cleaning, refurbishing etc. To speak only of a detail, trying to source the right lampshades for the lamps above took me a few fruitless months, at the end of which I concluded that the only workable solution was to go for these large, vintage style decorative filament bulbs, which look splendid and eliminate the need for shades altogether. When all of the work was finally done, the worst part of the process began, saying goodby.

These were sold recently and I hope the new owner loves them as much as I have. They will surely need to put some elbow grease in keeping that copper bright!

Early flexible goose neck lamp with Art Nouveau details, kept this one

So sleek! Modernist circa 1930s Bauhaus lamp, copper and chrome plated, SOLD

1930s American Eagle goose neck lamp. Lovely speckled finish! Coming up in my store!

TO BE CONTINUED

Lamping - an introduction

There is one reason I have been scarce on the blog post Christmas, and it is that I have been otherwise engaged. Cheesy as it may sound, I most certainly speak of a love affair. Like many, it started with a basic attraction, but a few months down the line I am hoping there is a long term potential. Suffice to say I am prepared to give it a real chance. Time to say what I'm talking about. So then, lamping it is, according to my colleague Harry, but not in the sense of hunting down at night a poor, terrified animal, nor does it imply any kind of violence whatsoever. Still, far from chilling out either, here I am, busying myself with a second daily shift after my regular employment, doing just that. Lamping.

Seems that I've found a way to marry my interests in antiques and interiors, by refurbishing period lighting and when necessary or opportune, creating contemporary shades to compliment antique or vintage bases. 

It is hard work especially for a beginner in such matters, only the English terms for all the electrical components give me a headache already. Luckily hubby does the technical work, but I'm not spared the research.

Here is the first lamp we refurbished and sold, an Edwardian fringed beauty. I displayed this on an Aesthetic Movement ebonized table, covered in a green velvet, and the two looked marvelous together. So much so that they were bought together, by the same customer. I am sorry I did not take any photos of that set up.

 Edwardian glass fringe lamp, SOLD

This large, imposing turn of the century brass lamp has a mix of classical and Art Nouveau features (see the beautiful gallery). Coming up in my store!

1930s Ikora WMF enamel on metal lamp, this baby has found a home on my bamboo bookcase

Early 20th century French lyre lamp in Neoclassical style, coming up in my store!

A circa 1920s French brass lamp with a yellow frilled glass lampshade, now available in my store!

TO BE CONTINUED

The aesthetic fantesy

Speaking about amazing places to visit,  Wightwick Manor is one my top favourites, heartily recommended to anyone with an interest in the late Victorian era, with its exquisite collection of pre-Raphelite paintings, Arts and Crafts tiles and wallpapers, stunning stained  glass, Aesthetic furniture and breathtaking textiles. More so, this place has an identity and a feel that goes beyond the sum of its contents, and I have never set foot in more poetic and romantic building. No pics from the inside, you can find images on line, but this is a place to experience in person if you can. It is like stepping into a fairytale, and I never wanted to leave.