Flea Market Finds

This sunday we took my husband's parents, who were in town from Toronto, to Pasadena. They had never visited this adorable little town complete with its beautiful tree-lined streets, gorgeous old houses, and fun FLEA MARKETS!

Unfortunately, they aren't in town next weekend for the huge Rose Bowl Flea Market, so we tried out the Pasadena City College Flea Market. Although it was smaller and lacked the charm of being held around the famous Rose Bowl, this flea market was still lots of fun and had great treasures to be found!

Us ladies were in our element...

There was so much stuff to look at! I have been into stone lamps lately and the one on the right was beautiful, but too big for my place. Oh, and I had just got a new alabaster lamp two days before (hehe)...

{Cute eggplant painting}

{Vintage faux bamboo dining chairs}

{Amazing strands of beads...so many ideas for these!}

The only thing I bought (scratch that, I also bought vintage alphabets blocks to spell R-A-E-L) were two Dorothy Thorpe glass and silver trays. I wasn't familiar with Dorothy Thorpe but these pieces caught my eye with their textured glass bottoms and sparkly silver and gold patterns. The vendor explained who they were designed by, and I realized they had more of a history than I had originally thought. 

Dorothy Thorpe was a Los Angeles- based glassware designer in the 30s. She is well-known for painting silver on glassware - trays, bowls, glasses, etc. I really liked that these pieces had an LA design history and snapped up the large oval platter, and one of the square trays (not visible in this picture). I'm kicking myself for not buying the small bowl too! After some googling and browsing on eBay I discovered that my pieces were part of the Atomic Silver Explosion collection. I love that I learned so much from this flea market stroll!

{Dorothy Thorpe glassware, all silver except the far right which is gold}

I was worried about how these would blend in my living room and dining room, but they mix surprisingly well - once I decide where these are going I'll take a picture to share. And what a fun way to take some LA design history with me when I eventually move back to Canada!

What's your favorite flea market find?

Picture Picture On The Wall...

Family photos and sentimental artwork can really make your house a home. Instead of hanging pieces alone, give your photos and/or artwork a bit more oomph by displaying them in clusters. Try varying your arrangements by number, size, frame style or color - the combinations are endless!

For those who crave a neat and orderly look, try arranging pieces in a GRID. It can be as simple as an arrangement following a straight horizontal or vertical line, or you may opt to design a tight grid creating the illusion of moulding or wallpaper.

A more whimsical grouping, similar to the way old-master pieces were displayed years ago during art shows, is the SALON-STYLE arrangement. Salon-style clusters work great when you have many pieces that are different sizes, or when your walls are an odd shape. Create an eclectic feel by using multiple frame styles and/or colors, or keep things slightly more cohesive by using frames in only one color.

An alternative to hanging all-together is the PICTURE RAIL. This option works well for both symmetrical arrangements and more casual, layered groupings. Use your mantel as a single picture rail, or hang multiple rails on one wall.

When there is little flat wall available, still hang! Here are a few examples of artwork hung over exposed framing or bookshelves. This LAYERED arrangement adds a nice 3-dimensional element to the walls.

This last look is unique as it includes many of the above ideas in one. We love the linear symmetry, the whimsical selection of frames, and the depth created by the layered design. Can't wait to try this out!