housemartin

antique heaven

You enter into a meadow with tall grasses and wildflowers. Goats, chickens, and kittens run about. You come to a clearing and notice a collection of the most beautifully displayed antiques...painted wood, silver, white linen. Suddenly a woman in a white ruffled apron whisks by with an enormous silver bowl of frothy whipped cream. No, you are not in a dream...you are at the  Barnhouse flea in Battleground Washington! We had so much fun at the Barnhouse summer flea market last weekend! All of the 20+ vendors outdid themselves with gorgeous displays - you wanted to take EVERYTHING home! The vintage patina on every shelf, table, book, vase, and garment is alway so charming - a whitewashed pearly glow of goodies. I was so fortunate to meet the lovely and talented Heather Bullard - editor of Flea Market Style magazine. And they were serving up the best coconut cake I have ever had. You really can find an excuse to eat cake at 10am when it's THAT GOOD! Let's just say my Honda Element was full on the way home. Thanks Joe and Jermonne (the Barnhouse Boys) for making a beautiful event for everyone to enjoy! (Debbie and Laurie, the lovely ladies of Worthy Goods, have more pics of the event here).

 

 

the loot

After 4 days of waking at 4:30 am, eating several pounds of kettle corn, and more port-a-potty visits than you care to make in one week - we are home from Brimfield! We had a great time - just as amazing as ever. Even if you didn't buy anything it is fun. Great historical pieces to see and great people watching! I spent my budget, however, with some lovely finds. These pics are not anything I bought but just a slice of life at Brimfield - the largest antique show in the USA. I also ran into the fabulous gals of Design*Sponge - Grace Bonney and Amy Azzarito - what fun! You know this blogging community is kind and forgiving when they can see you at your worst - soaked to the bone from rain in a baseball cap and grubby tennies - but that is Brimfield! I contributed to their post on Brimfield so go read my input here and  here. Lots of other great tips and trends by other designers as well! I just never get tired of this show. Well maybe let me catch up on my sleep first before saying that!

 

 

our pilgrimage

We are off to the Brimfield Antique show again on Sunday! I am catching up on my sleep as we will be getting up at 4:30 in the morning to go get the best finds once we get there. It is always so much fun to see what is out there in those fields... great people watching too. Remember these 7 key tenants if you go:

1. It really doesnt work out so well to eat falafel 3 days in a row.

2. Similar note - fried dough does NOT fall into a food group.

3. Hand sanitizer is your FRIEND!

4. The early bird catches the Chippendale table

5. Cash is king!

6. Have a motto - mine is "NO PROJECTS!"

7. Elbowing competition is not lady-like.

You can read last year's posts about the antique fair here, here, and here. 

Wish us luck! (photo by Karen Marlene Larsen)

 

eclectic mood

Love all these fabulous vintage finds from Liza Sherman at 1st Dibs. Wouldn't they all be great in a tall loft space with wide-plank wood floors? Hmmm...what should the wall color be? Maybe pale dove grey or even the faintest hint of blush pink?

(clockwise from top: french tintop farm table, Egyptian hand-blown glass chandelier, 1920's Gees bend quilt, Alabama, 1950's vintage bus destination scrolls, French industrial pendant lights, Uzbekistan carnation embroidery, industrial metal console, recycled bicycle rim stools, pair of Hungarian bee skeps)

  

time worn

Gorgeous vintage tile floors in Portugal - photos by Rosa Pomar (blog link by Cafe Cartolina). I love these time-worn colors and mesmerizing patterns.

 
 

barn house online

Well the boys of Barn House have gone and done it again! I have written about their fabulous antique flea markets before here and here, but now they have launched an online marketplace - what fun! A treasure trove of primitive vintage goodies!

 

rustic luxury

I really liked this article on 1st Dibs about antiques dealer Ruth Gay of Chateau Domingue. I like her fearlessness as shop owner when dealing with those enormous pieces! It is wonderful to see some of this architectural salvage being put to good use and adding so much to a modern space.

 

 

cozy up

Would love to cozy up this weekend with my woobie blanket (that's what we call the thick fuzzy polar fleece one that is not so stylish but we have bonded with it anyway) and this bundle of Nancy Drew's from Little Byrd Vintage and a hot cocoa. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

antique dream

So a few weeks ago, early in the morning, I walked into a dream. Lovely antiques, beautifully displayed, handcrafted booths brimming with goodies...this is Barnhouse. Joe and Jermonne bring together some of the best antique dealers in the northwest themselves included (Tarte, Little Byrd vintage, Sparrow, Worthy Goods, and Willow Nest in August) to create a flea market which is nothing less than breathtaking. Go read their blog to see the calendar (August 15th anbd Sept 12th) and if you are anywhere within a 100 mile vicinity...go. Oh and when you go, sit yourself down with a slice of the BEST coconut cake I have ever had. Cake at 9 a.m. you say? It counts as breakfast - it has eggs and flour! And coconut is kind of a fruit? Just trust me on this one.

life in a barn

So last weekend we went to see Cindy of Tarte at her fabulous barn sale in Oregon City. Oregon City is a funny old town that time forgot with old factories along the river. You continue through the old town out into the country. The directions actually read "turn left when you come to the end of the white picket fence". So here were are out in the country at a barn sale - tarte has a wonderful collection of vintage finds. feast your eyes on all the details. And I must say the most delicious giant lemon cake I have ever tasted. Here is Cindy of Tarte with Jermonne of Barn House. The sister duo of Annie, Fannie, and Abigail were there too with their best goodies. If you are anywhere in the area of Portland, do check it out as there will be many more shows!