If you read my last blog you will know that I love buying vintage. This includes clothing, jewelry, home furnishings or interesting chachkas. These two items came from a great shop on the west side of Vancouver. The punchbowl, made of turquoise milk glass, is probably from the 30s but I have been told it could be a late as the 40’s or 50s.  The punch bowl has a grapevine pattern and comes with 10 matching cups. Although I am very drawn to the colour and shape of the bowl, I can’t justify paying the hefty $750 price tag. When I shop vintage I am looking for really good deals!
The chandelier has hanging crystal golf balls mixed with circular chrome details giving the light a modernist look. This light would definitely add some sparkle to any modern room. What do you think?
Had any interesting vintage buys lately? Â I’d love to hear about them!
One of Graham’s and my favourite things to do when we travel is to visit flea markets, vintage shops and thrift stores. We have visited these in Santa Barbara, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Seattle as well as many Canadian cities. In Europe, we have been to the famous Amsterdam flea market, the seemingly endless Portobello Road in London and riverside markets by the Seine in Paris, to name a few. You may well wonder WHY do we do this. Well, I think it is part of our tourist curiosity. It is part of really exploring a place in that it tells us something about the city we are visiting. There is something intimate and unique about looking through peoples discarded treasures. You learn something about the place and the people who live there that conventional retail just doesn’t offer. The Good Will in Santa Barbara was full of designer clothes and wet suits. I bought my favourite vase for $5.00 from here. Graham was not keen on traveling with glass but I told him I would put it in my carry on and would not leave the store without it. I use that vase regularly and always think about Santa Barbara and how I must get back to that Good Will soon.Â
We also bought a pair of beautiful oriental figurines from an antique store in Berkeley, California. They were $25.00 and I had to have them. I love these Kitschy Chinoiserie figurines from the late 50’s with their incredible verdigris green and gold colour combination. In Paris we bought vintage keys in a used building supply yard and old pocket watch faces in the riverside market in London.
Of course, the main reason we love vintage shopping is the treasure hunt. We secretly hope we are smarter than the average local and will cleverly discover an unrecognized, unappreciated treasure. Or, we imagine that others may find the activity unsavory yet we will sally forth and heroically find the treasure. At any rate, travel is not about consuming generic, prefab souvenirs (Did I get this at the Chicago or San Francisco Macy’s?) Authentic tourist-vintage-love is about bringing home a unique item that is specific to its place. Let’s face it, a chain store item can be found almost anywhere but a vintage piece from a quirky, backstreet shop is a one-of-a-kind memento.
It’s also a great way to meet interesting people, either shoppers or shopkeepers who share your interest in the unusual, esoteric world of vintage. They often have a sophisticated appreciation of a piece’s history and origins and this inevitably leads to a bit of local lore – sometimes even a touch of celebrity – like when we happened upon Leonard Cohen’s daughter’s shop in L.A. So next time you travel be bold and venture off the main drag. Look for that charming down-market area, with that dowdy/funky little shop to discover something unexpected, fun and most likely affordable. You’ll find yourself with a cool souvenir plus a great story to go with it.
Pati and her husband live in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.  The empty nesters have a modern home with a fabulous art collection.  We met Pati, an interior designer, in Vancouver and had the opportunity to see her wonderful home in L.A. when we were invited to attend her annual Hanukkah celebration. Click on images to enlarge.
Pati asked me if I knew what the metal art piece on the left was. She felt because I was an Architect  I would know. I spend a good deal of time trying to figure it out. I saw it as a series of city blocks and streets but I apparently was wrong. What do you think?  Any ideas?
Our trip to Wing Sang to see Amy Bessone and Thomas Houseago.
I am very fortuante to have a group of friends that meet once a month or so to share ideas and thoughts.  This month’s get together was to see the new art collection at Bob Rennie’s Wing Sang Gallery. The exhibition was of Los Angeles-based artists Thomas Houseago and Amy Bessone, who both deal with the figure and representations of the figure in a contemporary and insightful manner.
Amy Bessone’s work is evocative, and is described as often translating porcelain figurines into 2D. Many of the paintings on display reference the traditional female nude, both in her representations of porcelain figurines and in more recent paintings that simply allude to the nude. “Since her student days, she has been interested in the idea of a painting of a sculpture or a painting of a painting, much like the Shakespearean idea of a play within a play. She is influenced by the theatre, and the sculptors with whom she surrounds herself.”
Bessone applies paint thinly, allowing the white of the gesso’d canvas to show through to depict the highlights of the porcelain as the light falls over the figurine. The Narcissist (2007) is a classic example of this effect, creating a sense of both knowing what something is and not knowing – is it a portrait? Is it a still-life? Or is she a lifeless object, objectified for her sexuality? Her more recent paintings like 80s Life (2010) seems to remove this passive male objectification by swift and economic painting over the canvas, eschewing the gaudiness excessive paint can provide. Bessone has brought the female figure back to life through the act of painting.” (From the Wing Sang brochure)
Back to my evening with the girls;
As I revisit our tour of the show I realize there is a connection between Amy Bessone’s work and the rest of our evening. Â After our tour of Wing Sang we ended up around the corner at The Keefer. Â As the hours passed our numbers dwindled leaving only 4 of us for what turned out to be Burlesque night at the Keefer. Â What immediately struck me was the Zeitgeist of the evening; that is, the cultural connection between the Burlesque and Amy Bessone’s show at Wing Sang.
Both genres are evocative of the kitsch ‘pin-up’ girls of the past. Pin-up artwork, depicting idealized versions of particularly beautiful or attractive woman from a man’s perspective clearly parallels the sexualized vision of womanhood displayed in Burlesque.
In 2008, The New York Times noted that Burlesque had made a comeback in the city’s art performance scene.  Today Neo-Burlesque has taken many forms, but all have the common trait of honoring one or more of burlesque’s previous incarnations, with acts including striptease, expensive costumes, bawdy humor, cabaret and more.
Derived from literature and theatre, ‘burlesque’ is used in classical music to indicate a bright or high-spirited mood, sometimes as counterpoint to seriousness. In burlesque, performers, usually female, often create elaborate sets with lush, colorful costumes, mood-appropriate music, and dramatic lighting, and may even include novelty acts to enhance the impact of their performance. The striptease element of burlesque became subject to extensive local legislation, leading to a theatrical form that titillated without falling foul of censors.
Clearly the post modern descendants of Burlesque and Pin Up Art enjoy some of the same sensuality and titillation as their original forms, made that much more of a guilty pleasure in the current climate of political correctness. This same contrast also adds a layer of self-conscious, retro sophistication to these pieces where we simultaneously laugh at their relatively modest sexuality while yearning for the simpler times when a flash of skin was considered scandalous.
Like burlesque, girl’s night is a little more rich and complex than it used to be.
My friend Leslie has a home that must be seen. It is beautiful, and thoughtfully designed and appointed. Leslie’s poetic use of Indian sculpture and art, coupled with her husband Tim’s photography, make her place unlike anyone else’s. See for yourself.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the national airline of the Netherlands.  For nearly 60 years, KLM has handed out small ceramic replicas of historical Dutch houses filled with Dutch ‘genever’ to passengers in Business Class. Each Delft miniature depicts a real Dutch house, and the houses are made using the same glazing process as the famous blue tiles produced in the Dutch city of Delft. KLM has produced almost a hundred different models since 1952, and every year on October 7th the airline presents a new house to mark its anniversary. The houses have become a desirable collectors item and have generated a lively trade on websites such as eBay. KLM also recently launched a mobile app for iPhone and Android phones that lists all KLM houses, so passengers no longer have to bring crumpled notes with them in order to pick their favourite house.
Life Imitating Art Imitating Life: ‘Out of the Blue’
KLM’s Delft Blue miniature houses get a full-scale version in Amsterdam.
The KLM miniature houses have also been the source of inspiration for a series of full-scale houses recently built In the centre of Amsterdam. In 2009, Stadsherstel Amsterdam, an organization involved in urban restoration in Amsterdam, had been commissioned by the Municipality of Amsterdam to spruce up the ‘Oudezijds Armsteeg’, a badly run-down street in the city’s red-light district. The plan was to make the street attractive to tourists again by introducing business activities and giving it a real Amsterdam feeling.
A flight in KLM’s Business Class provided the inspiration for a life-size version of the airline’s iconic Delft Blue houses in a project called ‘Out of the Blue’. Says Jaap Hulscher, deputy director of Stadsherstel Amsterdam, “I was flying in KLM Business Class and received one of those little KLM houses. This made me start noticing them everywhere around the world, and I realized that this is the traditional image people in other countries may have of how we live in the Netherlands. At the same time, nobody in the Netherlands has got this image.â€
Stadsherstel asked an architect to design 6 houses inspired by the iconic white glazed bricks, wide bright blue frames and roofing tiles, and little stepped gavels of the KLM miniature houses. The local aesthetics’ committee in Amsterdam, who looks after the historic character of the inner city also gave their permission. The result are a row of white and blue houses with shops, including a local brewery, on the ground floor and rental apartments on the upper floors. KLM hasn’t been involved in the project, but has reacted enthusiastically. (From airlinetrends.com)
mailbox used in the kitchen for bills and paperwork.
Sculpture done by artist in Milan.
Last night I had an incredible Indian dinner at the home of my friends Barbara and Andrea.  I found myself spending a good part of the night snapping photos of their home on my iphone. Barbara and Andrea, originally from Italy, are in the process of becoming Canadians.  Andrea is an award winning Physicist and Researcher, and Barbara, who re-defined herself, left her former career as a lawyer, and is now a very successful Graphic Designer.  The two of them have an amazing sense of design manifested in their numerous, artfully displayed collections.  Many of the vintage toys and furniture are Andrea’s from childhood, brought over from Italy, others are from their students days living in Holland the US. They share their beautiful Kitsilano home with their two boys.  Enjoy the pictures.
self portrait by Luca
Rubber duck collection
Andrea bought this vintage screen from his mother and then had a metal worker repair the frame.
This bookcase was custom made to fit the stairs.
Birdie's Nest Light by Ingo Maurer
painting by Graham Smith
Heart sconce
Andrea's collection of vintage ships, all under 4" long.
When I was 12 I received an orange and yellow fine georgette silk scarf, from an adult American family friend, for Christmas. At the time I thought it was pretty but a really weird gift to give a kid. As a self conscious 12 year old there was no way I was going to wear that scarf, but strangely, I have kept it to this day. Even then I could appreciate the quality and beauty of the piece. Little did I know that this little scarf would turn me into a scarf collector; not systematically, like many collectors, but rather from a simple fundamental attraction when I see one that speaks to me.
My fascination of these scarves led to me to join a number of ‘by invitation only’ on-line Hermes scarf collecting clubs. Who knew they even existed? I found myself learning about the designs, how to detect a counterfeit scarf, and the definition of colourway. I also learned that collecting Hermes scarves is an obsession for thousands of women and many men. These collectors, from all over the world, meet regularly in New York, Paris and Toronto. They team up and hit the rare Hermes scarf sales in Paris and they have formed incredible friendships over their shared love of Hermes. Some of these women are lawyers, doctors, and businesswomen, but all, regardless of origin or profession, are simply drawn to the feel, the beauty and artistry of these magnificent pieces of art. I entered a world few people even know exist.
My collection of Hermes scarves has grown to around 15 including a few duplications of some designs in different colourways. Most of my scarves are pre-loved, with only a few of them brand new because they are so expensive, even the vintage ones. The good news is that they seem to retain their value. This sentiment is echoed by one of my Hermes ‘Scarfie’ friends, Jan Goode, who was interviewed by The New York Times.
Shoppers, turned out in droves on West 18th Street for a Hermès sample sale (from The New YorkTimes.)
“I used to buy Sirius stock to keep myself from buying more Hermès scarves,†said Jan Goode, who was wearing a coral one and carrying a tote she had made to showcase another one. Ms. Goode, who is in her 50s, considers herself a serious collector of Hermès scarves, but stopping just short of considering herself someone with a serious problem. It turns out her addiction proved more profitable then her ‘sensible’ purchases: “Now my Hermès holdings are much more valuable than my Sirius stock,†she said. “Sirius is at 90 cents a share. I should have been buying scarves all along.â€
It is not hard to justify the price when you think of each scarf as a beautiful piece of art, carefully crafted and executed. The only difference being that they are to adorn oneself instead of a wall.
I have passed down my love of scarves to my daughters who will one day enjoy my collection. Are scarves just for old ladies? What an absurd notion. Just try one on at any age and you’re in love.  Let me know if you are, or might become a ‘Scarfie’.
Martha Stewart on a “Winnipeg Chair’, from Design Exchange
My husband, Graham, and I have always had an affinity for chair collecting.  Over the years we have found and gone through many chairs.  Usually we think we will recover them but often we don’t.  Eventually we give them away or ‘store’ them in friends’ cabins. Graham found this chair at our local ‘Sellution’ consignment store.  He was immediately drawn to its design.  We did some research and found out it had a name and a very interesting history.
The ‘Winnipeg Chair’, also known as, the Canadian Coconut Chair, was designed by an Architect by the name of A.J. Donahue. Â A.J. studied at Harvard with Marcel Breuer in the 1940s and explored techniques of bent wood furniture construction. After Harvard, Donahue settled in Winnipeg to teach architecture. Donahue developed his lounge chair, according to Rachel Gottlieb’s book Design in Canada (Design Exchange, 2001), in the late 1940’s in his basement with the assistance of his students. Donahue only produced about 200 examples of the chairs and we happen to have one of them.
The Winnipeg chair bears some resemblance to George Nelson’s Coconut chair—which actually wasn’t introduced until much later, in 1955.  According to Tim Borys, founder of the new furniture company HutJ, which is reissuing the Winnipeg chair, “That’s a classic Canadian story. Here’s a great design that gets swept under the rug and then it gets knocked off five years later,†Borys says, before remembering his Canadian manners. “I’ll be careful where I push that story. I don’t want to offend anyone.â€
