It dawned on me today, as I visited my fifth or six Arthur Swallows decorative salvage show, that I no longer like shops with normal floors. Instead I like grass: lush emerald in colour, damp underfoot from our British ‘summer’ and infinitely preferable to a hard surface. Decorative wares spread for yards and yards across open fields is simply the way to go and those pesky developers who keep building concrete and steel retail parks should immediately be made to cease and desist.
We were unusually late to the party, not making it to the Friday trade day but only getting there on Saturday morning. It made me smile that Mr M had a touch of the salvage-stresses, worrying all the ‘best stuff’ would be gone. It really doesn’t work like that though does it? One man or woman’s trash is another’s treasure and generally speaking the things I swoon over, everyone else ignores. And so it came to pass…..
Introducing my new kitchen cabinet – an apple store! A rather spectacular find and larger than anything I’d ever bought at a salvage fair but I completely love it and have *just* the place for it in the new Moregeous kitchen. He thought this was potty. Not so potty when we got it home and he saw how neatly wine bottles fit in there…. 😉
Not only that but the cutest little mini Royal Dolton basin from a demolished school chemistry block and perfect for my downstairs loo. Small enough to fit in the littlest room but still chunky & deep enough to properly wash your hands. It knocks the socks off so many modern day mini-sinks which don’t even fit hands under the tap. And looking all the nicer surrounded by greenery!
It’s rare to find anything in series at these fairs, but I chanced upon Sara’s stall, Bridgemont Vintage (you can find her here) where there was a larger version of a cool metal cabinet I’d bought last year. We’re Instagram pals so it was brilliant to meet in real life and talk antiques, cats & renovations 🙂
I could have spent a fortune there but had pretty much blown my budget by then, luckily having just enough left for the cream metal cab. I don’t know what it would have originally been for, with it’s lockable door and ventilated sides. Anyone?
So what else did I spot?
Mirrored window frames are quite the thing for 2016, I’m expecting to see these coming to a Pinterest page near you throughout 2017 too.
Still lots of light industrial items and letters, though much less that last year. Hat moulds were all over, along with cigar moulds, though double the price of the ones I bought in 2015. It’s fascinating to see the changes in the ‘hot’ items of the day, then watch the dwindling stocks of such items creep up in price as they get snapped up.
I totally wanted more hexagon cast iron pieces but was reminded by him that we haven’t actually bought the boiler or a kitchen yet, so this purchase was forbidden #sadface
Kicking myself now I’ve downloaded these images that I didn’t buy these brass weights!
Not everything is old, mind you. These newly upholstered chairs with sketched hares and foxes were very cute…
I found two friends of mine lusting over the stall above, a treasure trove of beautifully crafted pieces using natural timber and furniture in unusual ways. Very clever and very well executed. Find them here.
All in all another great day’s furniture & ‘bit n bobs’ day out. My cabinets & sink, plus light, shelf and plants (not photographed!). Totally unique finds and a world away from those pieces, god help us, which Kanye will create if he has his way at Ikea. I adored this Twitter mock up version of what he might ‘design’ #naughty 😉
Find the list of fairs and shows HERE
