St. Louis Vintage Market Days: If I Was Shopping...

In my past life, I was an event planner. One of my favorite events we did was an annual food and wine tasting. Food was presented by STL's top chefs. Amazing wine was served. The auction was always packed with goodies. Unfortunately, I was always too busy being bossy to truly enjoy it. I always said, "Someday, I'm going to be an attendee and not be so bossy." (Who am I kidding, I didn't say the bossy part.)

That's how I'm feeling about next weekend's St. Louis Vintage Market Days. We've been busy creating and collecting to stock our booth with handcrafted, restyled and found items. But, I wanna shop!

So, I thought I would put together a little list of things I would be looking for next weekend, if I was shopping. I've been stalking other vendor's Facebook pages and I know some of the stuff below will be there. Heck, we might even have some of it in our own booth.


Factory Cart Table

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I've loved this for a couple of years now. We are in desperate need of a coffee table in our loft. This would look awesome!

Vintage Books

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 A little stack of old, worn books looks so sweet on a side table or bookshelf.

Vintage Bottles

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These make cute vases...it's easy to build up a collection of these quickly. (Trust me, I know). I'm loving the old apothecary jars I've been seeing lately.

Large Letters/Numbers

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And small letters

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We have a couple of letterpress trays, but I would love some of the small letterpress letters. I've got the perfect spot on my mantle for a collection of them.

Gallery Wall Objects

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We're still working on collecting things for our gallery wall. We have a ton of great personal photos and objects from trips or other memories. I would love to toss in a couple of really off the wall items to spice it up a bit.

Editor's Note: We currently have a small bar cart like the one pictured in our house. Jeff hates it...I might end up bringing it to sell, if I can find something like this....

Large Trunk

LOVE this look. We do have a trunk similar to the one above that we will be bringing to sell. If someone doesn't snatch it up, it's going home with me for this exact use.

Vintage Grain Sack Pillows

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I"m always a sucker for vintage grain sacks. Pillows. Totes. Chair covers. It doesn't matter. Love it!

Boxwood Wreath

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My current one is looking a bit worn...it's time for a new one!

Vintage Camera

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Jeff and I both love photography...an old camera would be a great find to put on our bookshelf.

I think I better stop here...if I found all of this stuff, it would be quite a haul! If you will be attending, stop by our booth if you happen to spot anything on my shopping list (I'll be the bossy blonde by the red door).

Would You Rather...Mismatched Chairs

We've made some progress on our first Would You Rather... poll. This little guy just needs a piece of glass then he's ready for show! Thanks again for all of your feedback!

This week's Would You Rather...is a trend I am currently obsessed with: mismatched chairs in a dining area. Back in November, I offered tips on creating an eclectic dining room. And, I created this Etsy treasury of some of my favorite seats from Etsy sellers.

So, my question to you this week is a simple one: Would you rather have an eclectic mix of chairs around your favorite dining area? Or, do you prefer a matching set?

Head on over to Facebook and let us know (or leave a comment). To spice things up this week, I'll be doing a drawing from all those who vote and giveaway a pair of my favorite vintage wine hankie gift bags. You know you want one...

Latest Finds & Exciting New Project

So, we completely sat on our bums in January. Didn't lift a finger to do anything besides watch reruns of Honey Boo Boo Downton Abbey. And, here we are. Sprinting into February. Trying to finalize some custom orders AND get ready for our first show of 2013, Green with Indie.

Out of our minds, right? (I'm talking about the Honey Boo Boo part, not the procrastination).

So, now we're in crunch mode. In December, we launched a custom order program for our dining room tables, where the customer joins us as we hunt for their perfect table. I love the idea of customers being apart of the story of their table.

Last weekend, we headed out for the first time to meet our new customers at Fellenz Antiques in the Central West End. It's a huge warehouse packed to the roof with doors, spindles, old architectural findings, windows, mantles...you name it, he probably has it.

Fellenz Antiques in the CWE

The couple came to us wanting a shadow box coffee table. During the course of our search, we happened upon the doors below (forgive me for the bad iPhone pic). The first one has leaded glass and the second one is identical, but features a mirror instead.

The idea is to use both doors for the table -- one as a lower "shelf" and the other for the top. Some sturdy architectural legs were found to support it. It will be a truly unique piece and we're looking forward to getting started on it!

While we were there, I ran across this old cabinet door. I love the arch and it still has the original lock on the front -- it will make a really cute chalkboard menu board.

 Jeff spotted these old sewing machine legs. Just a little TLC and they will make great legs for a side table or sofa table.

Now that we are stocked up, it's time to get to work! Of course, all work and no play is no fun. We also got our first taste of snow last weekend. And we love to run in the snow!

Marley

Allie

Would You Rather...Wednesday

Jeff and I are always looking for feedback from friends and family on ideas (whether it's tables, paint colors, or finds we think are cool, but others are like "eh"), so, we're starting a new weekly series here at Behind the Red Door called Would You Rather...

Every Wednesday, we'll be asking for your input and feedback on projects we are working on. We'll give some of our thoughts on the blog, then ask you to head on over to our Facebook page to vote on your favorite idea. Of course, you're welcome to leave thoughts in the comments below. All feedback will be taken to heart - so, let's hear it!

First up....

I've been on the look out for months for vintage letterpress trays. Now don't get me wrong...they are all over the place. Unfortunately, sellers have picked up on their popularity and I don't want to pay a high price. I've seen them for upwards of $50. Some in bad shape for $30.

A few weeks ago I went to my first estate sale. I got there about an hour after it started, so most of the good stuff was gone. Everything was labeled...except for a lone letterpress tray, hanging on the wall. I snatched it up and brought it to check out. It's estimated value? $5. Sold!

Last weekend, I ran across another one for $25. It was in great condition and had the cutest little handle on the side, so I grabbed that one, too.

So, my questions is -- how would you use a vintage letterpress tray? We've got a few ideas we are kicking around. But, would you rather use it as a table?

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Or to display jewelry?

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Or display your favorite collection of small trinkets?

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Click here to head on over to our Facebook page and let us know how you would incorporate it in your decor!

Prepping for Artopy

So, here we are. A few days before our last show of 2012, Artropy. Our online sales have been a bit slow lately, even though it's the gift giving season...so, I was prepping myself with the idea that people don't give tables or home items as gifts.

Then the Monday AFTER Cyber Monday hit -- and we sold a ton of stuff. Depleting our Artropy stash!

No worries. We've been holding back on a bunch of stuff I'm excited to showcase this Saturday. And, we'll have some stuff that if I don't get rid of it now, I'll be using as gifts for my friends and family (you've been warned!)

Here's a peek at what we've been working on and what we'll be bringing with us.

Jeff has been working on a new table. It's a new style and finish and I'm really loving how it's turning out.

We sanded the top down to bare wood, leaving the middle panels the original color.

The original stain had a bit of a reddish tint and shine, so we sanded and distressed those slightly. It gave it a much worn look. Here it is without the trim around the door's edges.

The legs and skirt are stained a dark brown. Jeff trimmed out the edges of the door, giving it a more polished look. We'll be staining the bare wood a light color, so the table has some contrast. We'll also be placing glass in each of the panels.

I can't wait until it's finished!

I've been working on some glass ornaments. They are filled with carefully chosen creamy bits of antique books, music paper, glitter, vintage garland, glitter, old buttons and pearls. Each time you turn the glass the contents shift a bit and you see a different piece. They look so pretty on the tree.

Our wine bottle wall hangings have been very popular. We sold out at the Chandler Hill Winery event and a couple more this week. The only downside is that the more we sell, the more I have to drink (we like to use the same type of recycled bottle).

Which, I guess that isn't really a downside, is it? Would that make the wine a tax write-off?

Then, there's these little guys. I think they are the cutest in the world. Apparently I am the only one. We'll have these on-hand with some little holiday gift tags.

If you are in the St. Louis area on Saturday, stop out and see us. In addition to the dozens of amazing crafters, there's complimentary wine and beer and cats. Although, I don't think the cats are complimentary. Why don't you come on out and see for yourself?

Tips for an Eclectic Dining Room

I love the look of a mismatched dining area. I'm talking different styles and colors of chairs. Or, just pairing two different styles together. We've got that going on in our breakfast room, where we've paired matching chairs with a bench.

I really want to get some cushy chairs in here...but that will have to wait. Until then, I wanted to give you some ideas/tips on how you can create the mistmatched and eclectic look in your favorite dining area.

#1: Select your table. It will be much easier to find chairs to go around it than try and find a table that will be a good fit for your seating. Are you going with a round or rectangle table? Or square? Choosing your table first will make finding your chairs much easier!

#2: Pay attention to chair height. You don't want your guest at the end of the table sitting down lower than your other guests. It's not only uncomfortable having to peer up at the person sitting next to you, but it makes it awkward to eat! When shopping, know how tall your dining room table is so you don't end up buying a chair that is too low or too high. And, don't forget to test it out! If it's a cushy chair, do you sink down?

#3: Know your table's dimensions. This goes along with Tip #2 -- know your table like the back of your hand! How much room do you have on the sides? Are the ends wide enough to accommodate a chair? Our dining room table is very narrow...standard chairs don't fit on the ends. Bring measurements, a tape measure and a photo when you head out shopping. It will save you less headache in the end!

#4: Don't forget your style! What will work best for your home? Do you do a lot of entertaining? Have little ones running around? You might love the idea of having a couple of cozy white chairs flanking your table. But, if you have young kids, this might not be the best option for you right now (or, get something that is washable!). If you like to have guests over (think clients, the boss), you might want to look for chairs that are comfortable and steer clear of the industrial/metal chairs. Make sure your selection fits with your style and life.

#5: Select chairs with some corresponding elements. While I like the mismatched look, I still think it's important to have SOME cohesive elements. Whether it's sticking with a similar shade, chair style, matching cushions or picking two different matching sets, you can still get the eclectic look, and have it look more natural.

The rooms below do a great job of mixing things up, without going overboard.

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Etsy is a great resource for finding unique chairs. Here's a Treasury List of some of my favorite finds. Let me know your favorite!

Weekend Plans: Paint, Paint, Paint

I started this post as a way for you to take a look at what we've been working on for our last two shows of 2012. Now, it's become more of a to-do list of everything that needs to be done for next weekend's event: the Chandler Hill Annual Harvest & Holiday Market. This one is super close to our house and Chandler Hill is one of our favorite wineries. It will be a great place to meet some new people.

It's going to be a busy weekend, but here's what we'll be finishing up. We'll have alot of home decor items for this show. Chalkboards, mirrors, vintage frames. We've also put together a cute wall vase using recycled wine bottles.

Jeff's been working on a bar/buffet table that I'm really excited about. I'm looking forward to styling it next weekend. In the meantime, it will be getting a coat of paint on the legs. I'll be trying a new distressing technique and if I'll goes well, I'll share it next week!

If you are in the St. Louis area, come join us Saturday, Nov. 10th from 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There's a great line-up of vendors. As well as the usual picturesque atmosphere and fantastic wine!