Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

City adventures

So last Sunday … as part of my birthday weekend… (it always nice when you can extend the celebration beyond one day) my three men indulged me in a trip into the city for the first weekend of the Randolph Street Market Festival which is open the last weekend of each month through October. 
I love, love, love this street fair and try to make it down at least a couple times a summer. To me, it’s like an adult treasure hunt. And someone was even smart enough to take that idea and extend it to the kids.
Each kiddo is given …
… their own treasure map of things to find at the various booths.  When they do, the vendor initials it, and if they fill up their map, they get to pick their own “treasure” out of a chest at the end.
It’s tucked inside here …
Bubbles. Chalk. Crayon. Map. Pretty cute.
But first … there was breakfast at Orange.
Probably our favorite brunch place ever.
That’s Kyle drinking his freshly squeezed watermelon mango juice.  Yeah, you can pick your fruits, mix and match. Into the juicer. Yum. Best juice ever.
Just waiting for our fruishi to arrive.
(Fruit + Sushi = Fruishi)
It’s kind of a breakfast appetizer.
Thoroughly stuffed, we were ready to roll

Just steps inside I spotted these cool old baskets filled with … antlers!  Interesting centerpiece.  I also like the antlers individually resting on a coffee table or mantel.

There was a lot of what I like to call “industrial chic” which is a trend I’m kind of loving myself … especially when a more industrial piece is paired with something softer or feminine like this antique mirror.
Awesome butcher block table …

I loved the patina on this zinc tub … would make a nice planter. Oooh … there’s a nice demijohn jug too.
I love these blue mason jars to use as vases, and I actually bought a couple more to have on hand.  They’re also pretty inside a glass front kitchen cabinet.

Great candlesticks, glass jars, old tins, vintage lamp to the left … wait … what’s that under the lamp? Um, yeah. I think it is.  “Biology chart” for your bedroom anyone?
Ok … so this is not a good picture … it was starting to sprinkle … but these mercury glass vases with an emblem on the front made me swoon.  I really, really wanted them but ….

Within minutes we went from sprinkles to monsoon.

We took cover under one of the vendors tents, waiting for it to pass, or even let up, but it never did.  The water was coming so fast even the tents looked like they might collapse under the weight of the water. We had to make a run for it … our car was at least 3 blocks away.
We made it.
It is pretty fun to run in the rain.
 
I am wondering if those mercury glass bottles will still be there next month.

My favorite vintage finds … Part One

I love looking for little vintage treasures … not so much large antique furniture, but fun little things that look like they have a story to tell.

Even if your decor is more contemporary, try sprinkling in a few vintage pieces here and there.  I guarantee you’ll get compliments. They are conversation starters; the things that make people say “Wow, where did you get that?” They are the things no one else has or seen in all the stores.

Here’s a few of my favorites:

I picked this up shortly after we moved into our house when I realized we lived a couple minutes away from Old Plank Road … one of Nate Berkus’ favorite shops.  (Sadly, they have recently relocated to the city, but I am dying to go down and see their new space.)
Anyway … Swoon! Since then, I’ve seen other ones in NapaStyle or even Pottery Barn. But they  aren’t as curvy and don’t have the cool vintage label.

I’ve also collected an assortment of vintage copper cookware that I have hanging over our kitchen island. I have loved finding different sizes and shapes. How cute is that little butter warmer in the front?

It’s just a little thing, but I love this book!  If you’re an avid reader of home decor magazines you’ve likely seen it in numerous tablescapes of well-styled living rooms. It makes an exotic addition to any stack of books, don’t you think?

I move mine around the house periodically. I bought it at one of the stands at our local outdoor “French Market” (kind of a Farmer’s market).  Doesn’t every husband want his wife to have a book called “I Married Adventure?” I once saw one on ebay selling for $90 dollars!  I just checked again and there is currently one for $23 … go snatch it up now if you can. (Then please come back and keep reading!)
I love this little chair I found at a local store called Vintage Charm. I wasn’t crazy about the fabric so I recovered the seat with a remnant I found in the sale bin at one of favorite fabric stores, Les Tissus Colbert, which sadly has also closed up shop.
It’s really weathered and, well, it just made me swoon. It may get moved around the house over the years as well. I can just change out the fabric.

Also in my bedroom is this old Gardener’s toolbox.

It is perfect for holding large earrings and chunky bangle bracelets.
It would also be great in a kids room to store craft supplies, Lego’s, race cars, or other trinkets.

I love these old tins I found at the Randolph Antiques Market that’s held the last weekend of every month from May to October in the West Loop of Chicago.  The big one is an old hot cocoa tin. I usually put it away come spring and bring it out again right around the time you want to start drinking cocoa in late fall. The other three are say cloves, ginger and mustard. I love the pop of color they give to this shelf in my kitchen. They were very inexpensive, too!

Do you have some favorite vintage pieces in your home?  Where are your favorite places to go “hunting”?

Stay tuned for more of my favorites, as well as some online sources for vintage goodies!