What's (not so) New in the Shop

The thing about buying vintage is that, along with the piece itself, you are buying a bit of history. A vintage lamp has lived its own life, or several lives, long before coming into yours. Of course, old stuff is not for everyone. Not for new-house people, for instance. I was watching a t.v. show a few days ago in which the viewer follows the adventures of a couple looking for a house to buy. My husband, by the by, thinks I'm slightly nuts for spending a half-hour watching complete strangers tour houses, but it's one of those things with an appeal that you just can't explain to people for whom watching such a show would be akin to being poked in the eye. Anyway, this home-buyer was insistent on only looking at new builds. The prospect of taking a bath in a tub in which another human being had already bathed was so repulsive she wouldn't even consider it. Wow. She, and all her fellow lovers of the newly-manufactured, will clearly never be a customer of this store, but that just leaves more old stuff for the rest of us. Incidentally, the venerable NY Times has officially recognized buying vintage as a bona fide trend. You can read about it and view a slideshow here - very interesting to see what yard sale & flea market decorating looks like when maneuvered by the hands of the urbane.

I have a couple of new old charts in the store this week. One of these charts features geographical terms with great graphics. You can even write on it & clean it off with a wax pencil.

The other chart features botanical terms. I have a detailed photo of it here, highlighting Boston Ivy in honor of the Massachusetts connection.


An aqua bureau for a shot of summer color year-round.

New View of an Old Map

A few years ago I acquired a great old French map of western Europe, with bright, saturated colors. I wanted to get it reproduced in a cost-effective way so that the whole world could enjoy this map. And if not the whole world, than at least the few souls who come into the store or shop online. Lo and behold, I finally have reproduced the map in all its glory, and it can now be yours as well as mine. The colors are still bright and beautiful and it is actually a little more wall-friendly, as I reproduced the map in a smaller size than the original, which demanded more wall space than most of us have.

You might want to consider making this map your own. You and your distinguished dinner guests or uninvited neighbors can examine it and reflect on all the places you've been or the places you might want to go...Or you can use it to cover up that giant hole you made in your drywall in your misguided attempt to hang a shelf with a hammer and a couple of 4-inch nails. It's up to you, really. Map measures 25" x 19"