I Love Pickin' and I Love being Inspired... and since I'm preparing to open my own Showroom I've been deeply immersed in both... Pickin' and finding all of the things that Inspire me or I'd like to include in the Styling of the Showroom... both Online and in my recent Junquing Adventures.
I've been on a major Pickin' Spree in fact, since now I can consider larger items and Light Fixtures... and that really broadens my Horizons and is so Liberating during the Thrill of the Hunt. I Hate Limitations to a Vision, don't you? Hard to Expand a Vision that must have Limits, too confining for me, I prefer unlimited Possibilities. I Love Upcyling, Repurposing and Creating... so I'm also drawn to those things that Kindred Spirits have Styled with. Vintage Industrial and Agricultural Chic are very Appealing to me and I personally like to mix them up with Bohemian & Faded Oppulence Styling, the Juxtaposition is unexpected and Quirky, but Fun.
I've seen the Repurposing of Globes for Light Fixtures and I really dig it. I Love Old Globes anyway and they Sell well, but often you come across damaged ones and having something they can be made into makes Salvaging any you find worthwhile.
I think I will want some of these in my Showroom with the Vintage Schoolhouse Inventory I've already 'Picked' for the Showroom.
What Items do you Enjoy Upcycling, Repurposing or seeing through Fresh Eyes? I must admit that after Discovering 'Pinterest' and enlarging my Pinterest Inspiration Boards I now have an abundance of Inspiration and Ideas for Saving Found Treasures and Salvage that are damaged or obsolete, but can be made Fresh and Purposed again... and I'm excited about the Possibilities.
In fact, I can Wander for Hours just soaking in the Inspiration during my Junquing Forrays and 'Picks'... even if I don't yet have the Budget to Source everything I'd like to right now.
Didn't have much 'Seed' Money Saved to Invest in Sourcing Treasures to fill the Showroom with... so Creativity and Improvisation will have to suffice until I build up a substantial 'Pickin' Fund'. *Smiles* Necessity is the Mother of Invention, and so it will Challenge me to be as Creative and Resourceful as I can... and that's rather exciting too... I Love a good Challenge! And Creativity Flourishes when you must rely solely upon it, you begin to see everything and anything with Possibilities and through Fresh, Hungry Eyes! *Winks*
Though to be sure I'm also Saving up for a few Items that really would be Ideal as they are... like this Turkish Light Fixture, which was very reasonably priced actually... so if it's still around on Payday... might hafta go back for that one to put in a Hanging Light Grouping in the Showroom.
I'm also checking out Color Palettes and Distressing Techniques that Interest or Appeal to me... since I do Plan to Paint and Refinish a lot of things I 'Score' that have good bones but definitely need a Make-Over.
Old Frames are always so much Fun to Repurpose... the Possibilities are practically endless to make something out of them and they can always be had for a Bargain.
And if The Man, The Son and G-Kid Force don't think I've totally lost my Mind I really would like to 'Score' this Awesome Deconstructed By Time Chair... I fell in Love with it 'As Is'...
And the Details were Fabulous... Duck Head Arms and Duck Feet on the front legs...
The Seller told me she Plans to re-upholster it *Gasp ~ insert me clutching my chest*... but hasn't gotten around to it *Whew!*. So I might just have to Save it before that happens and just do my Gypsy Style Vintage Crazy Quilt Patchwork to repair it 'just enough' to be Functional again, but without destroying the Decrepid Style I Adore. I know, most think I'm Mad for Preferring such things... I could tell by her face that the Seller did when I told her I preferred it as it was! *LOL* She probably thought, "Crazy Lady now leaving the Shop?!?" with a sigh of Relief?! *Winks* But I'll be back... and Hopefully said Chair hasn't been whisked away to the Upholsterer yet? It just wouldn't have the same Character or as much of a 'Story' if it were re-done.
And I'm a Sucka' for Vintage Demijohns... I liked this one a lot because it is so Time Worn and Battered.
And you know how I feel about Vintage Industrial & Commercial oversized Signage and Letters! I've been accumulating a stash so that I have some to Sell and make Showroom Vignettes with as well as Style with at Home.
Look at the Patina and Awesome Hues of this Vintage Mexican Carved piece of Architecture... Fabulous!!!
And I really feel that an Inviting and Intriguing Entrance is important... so I'm Hoping what I've come up with translates well in Reality for the Entrance to my Showroom, with the Vision I had in my Head !? *Smiles* This Entrance was really well done... as was the Inventory that lay within.
Old Doors... now there's something I have a virtual Hoard of at Home but I'm just not quite ready to part with yet... The Man is Hopeful though, that once I start Selling and gain Momentum with the Showroom Inventory I want to offer, that eventually some of the vast Old Door Collection will make their way there? Yeah, it could happen... give me some time... and if I languish too long ya'll could get together and do an "Old Door Intervention" like they have on those Reality Series where they're trying to Coax a Collector of a Collection that has gone too far into Letting Go. *Smiles*
But I don't think I'll need an Intervention of the Victorian Tin Stash I have since I could always refinish some of my Showroom Walls using that. Initially we were going to hang a lot of my Victorian Ceiling Tin Collection on the exterior side of this Old House that faces where the Outside Tubroom is... but we didn't want it to Rust or be destroyed by Weather so we never acted upon that Vision. Too much of it is too Lovely to risk that and most of it is well over 100 years old and very Ornate. Now these already Rusted Sheets of Victorian Tin might do for a Project like that, the raised Designs aren't bad.
And Good Lord I wanted to buy ALL of this Motherlode of Old Industrial Casters so that I could Create my own Vintage Industrial Style Furniture! I really must go back and get at least some of those after Payday!
Vintage Farm Equipment has really been 'Calling' to me lately too... and since we live in a once flourishing Farm and Agricultural Community I might have to pay some of the Old Farmers and Ranchers a 'Pickin' Visit to see if they want to part with any of it? The Man already has many Friends and Hunting Buddies in the Farming and Ranching Community, so it would give him something Fun to do Sourcing those types of Inventory for me.
I think that's the part I most look forward to... the Junquing... the Salvaging... the Negotiating... the Gypsy Trades... and Haggling... it's in my Blood, I was BORN to do it! *Winks* In fact I just did a Gypsy Negotiation with my Friend Rick for a Large Loving Cup Today that he wanted to Sell me. He Loves the Art Of The Deal as much as I do so we always have such Fun with our Trades and Negotiations. I told him he's an Honorary Gypsy Trader, 'cause it's obviously in his Bloodline too! *Smiles*
This Huge Butterscotch Fabric Antique Trunk was an Awesome Deal, I've never seen the Striped Ones I Love so much in such a massive Size... it had Condition Issues, but it was a perfect size to Repurpose as a Coffee Table. Alas, not within this Month's Sourcing Budget... damn!
And how Cool is this 1930's Seafoam Green piece... really Unique and that Hue is my all time Vintage Fav.
And here is a most Awesome Potting Shed Table in the exact same Hue... OMG, I was having a Lustfest. I've got some Potting Sheds on our Property that for the moment are not being utilized as Potting Sheds... but I Hope by the end of this Winter to empty them out and make Potting Sheds of them once again. That's the Grand Plan anyway... you know how that is... not enough Hours in the Day for all the Plans I have! *Winks*
This was the Motherlode of Stained Glass, Slag Glass and Salvage Farm Style Windows... Lord how I Love Architectural Salvage... that's definitely high on my 'Pickin' List.
Well... less than 48 Hours left before I can Move in to my Showroom and get started... I'm quivering with Excitement and Anticipation, even though it's gonna be a lot of Work!!!
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian