Comrades in Blogging for #BlogTourNYC
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
I wanted to write a note to introduce you to my fellow comrades-in-blogging for this upcoming trip to NYC for #BlogTourNYC with the dazzling design blog Modenus.
- Stacey Sheppard – Stacey Sheppard’s Blog Stacey is a freelance writer, journalist, blogger and editor with an avid interest in the design world and residential interiors.
- Hannah Coleman – Dreamwall Style – Hannah is the founder of Dreamwall – - a specialist in imitation brick, slate, stone and contemporary wall coverings and her blog Dreamwall is a collective blog – a jam-packed ‘mish mash’ of all things stylish.
- Arianna Trapani – Arianna Interiors Arianna’s blog is a collective of all her inspiration for beautiful interiors from décor, art, fashion, latest trends and more.
- Cecy Brooks – CECY j CECY j is Cecy Brooks’ alter ego and her blog explores splendid interior design, travel ideas, parenting, style, food and inspiring quotes.
- Will Taylor – Bright Bazaar - Will has a thing for colour – when he’s not writing or styling for shelter magazines, he’s blogging at Bright Bazaar, kicking about in his favourite pair of blue Converse and having a bit of a natter about all things bright in interiors.
- David John – You Have Been Here Sometime David and his gorgeous blog create interior spaces that bring into focus the historical and contemporary connections between art + design.
- Emily Peck – ACHICA Living Emily writes a beautiful blog about ideas and inspirations for home, garden and lifestyle. Her experience includes writing and styling for Grand Designs, Stuff, Real Homes, Ideal Home, Woman&Home, Wired UK, C4 and the BBC.
- Kelly Morisseau – Kelly’s Kitchen Sync is second-generation CMKBD (Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer) and CID (Certified Interior Designer). She’s also an author, a member of Blogger19, and a writer for KBB Collective. She currently works for a residential design/build firm in Northern California.
- Marilyn Russell-Grant – Design Magnifique Marilyn is with Design Magnifique, an interior design firm in Orlando, Florida that provides an unforgettable design experience for its clients. She specializes in high-end residential design and commercial interior spaces that include small corporate offices, small medical facilities and small business owners
- Andrew Dunning – APD Interiors Andrew launched APD Interiors with one aim: to allow people to have their dream home at an affordable price. His blog is a collection of advice on cost effective ways of creating a beautiful stylish home.
- Katie Treggiden – Confessions of a Design Geek Katie is absolutely passionate about design and loves nothing more than writing about her favourite subject – as a result of the blog she became a full time design writer.
- Kate Baxter – The Fabric Of My Life Kate shares the fabric of her life: an inspiration blog, a place where she collates all her design ideas, passions, thoughts and musings into one big magpie’s nest.
- Pippa Jameson – Pippa Jameson Interiors Pippa has been an interior stylist working in TV, magazines, advertising, books and film.
- Carole King – Dear Designer Blog Carole is an Interior Designer, writer and design junkie. And in her blog she shares her inspiration and latest design infatuations and if she can share a few nuggets of wisdom along the way, well, that too!
- And ME! Toma Clark Haines – The Antiques Diva Author of a popular European Antique Shopping and Lifestyle blog as well as Chief Executive Diva of The Antiques Diva® & Co European Tours leading shopping tours in 6 countries – France, Belgium, England, Italy, Holland and Germany – working with a crew of stylistas.
Over this next month follow me and the whole bloggin’ crew along with Modenus as we blog, tweet, facebook and pinterest about the lineup of sensational sponsors including Architectural Digest Home Design Show, Big Ass Fans, BlogTourNYC, Miele, Modenus, Modern-Aire, Poggenpohl, Blanco, Samuel Heath, Scholtes, Spirit of Sports, Victoria & Albert Baths.
Read more on Modenus or stay tuned this month here at The Antiques Diva® blog!
Warm Regards,
The Antiques Diva®
Blog Tour NYC
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
In the sound track of my life, Sinatra plays heavily into the mix and this Spring old Blue Eyes has got my foot tapping again as I croon alongside him, “Start spreading the news….” One month from today I’m going to New York, New York! Yours truly has been selected for #BlogTourNYC! New York City? Get a rope! Because we’re going to lasso up some good times… Want to know who will be holding my hand in the Big Apple? I was one of 15 bloggers selected world-wide for this all-expense paid trip to the Big Apple and I can’t wait to meet the crew – the bloggers and the sponsors – plus the coordinators of this amazing opportunity!!
So who’s who in the world of #BlogTourNYC?
The first name you must know is Modenus Founder & CEO, Veronika Miller – she’s the brainchild behind BlogTourNYC (and other “BlogTour” trips to London, Paris, and Milan). These events grew out of her “desire to harness the online experience and bring it back to the real world”. For those of you who don’t know, Modenus is the mot-de-jour in the design world, and this website has become practically synonymous with great design and unique products. Veronika created BlogTour to bring her audience along as she and her selected bloggers scour the globe for great new design inspiration. Supported by sponsors in the design world and in the travel and hospitality industry, BlogTour is a wholly sponsored trip for those who win the competition – that means my trip to NYC is free, baby, and I’ve never been so excited in my life! Of course, they say there’s no such thing as a free lunch – so I’ll be singing for my supper… For the next month I’m going to be telling you what’s chic, what’s chock, what’s hot and what’s not as I scour the best NYC’s Design World has got on offer!!
As part of #BlogTourNYC we’ll be going to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show during New York City’s Design Week, entering the event for an advance viewing to give you the inside scoop!! I’m mad about Miele and they’re going to be hosting us for a design tour and dinner while Poggenpohl & Blanco have got brunch covered! Needless to say, we’re going to be eating well on this trip for the feast of my eyes is going to be enough to fill me up! Spirit of Sports is going to get us jazzed up for making man’s caves (and rumor has it they’re planning some sort of game during our days in NYC). Lest we work up a sweat, have no fear…. Victoria & Albert Baths is going to give us a royal bath and Big Ass Fans are going to be on hand for the cool down! We’ll open drawers and doors with Duverre Hardware and turn on faucets with Samuel Heath. Writing about Modern-Aire will be a breeze while I can’t wait to tell you all about a newcomer to the US market, Scholtes. These sponsors of #BlogTourNYC are going to make my March a dream come true!
So – that’s what I’m going to be doing this March 2012! I’m going to be stepping away from the antique table to take a look at what is new in the world of interior design and to examine how it influences the world in which we live. However, don’t fret, I’ll be taking all these great designs and sharing insider information on how we can combine them with The Antiques Diva® Lifestyle. Wouldn’t Poggenpohl’s clean lines look great with a Venetian mirror? Or a Victoria & Albert bath paired with some 17th C Cathedral candlesticks? What about a 18th C limestone fireplace surround inset above your Miele?
Stand back, ladies and gentlemen – I’m going to do New York – with Antiques Diva® Style!
See You in The Big Apple!
The Antiques Diva®
(seen below at Columbia University on my last trip to NYC)
The Dairy House English Antiques
9 Comments
The Dairy House near Shaftsebury, Dorset, England
Have you ever wished you could be a fly on the wall when I’m out and about on my antique shopping adventures? Well today I’m taking you with me on the a virtual tour to a trade source I visited recently with my English Diva Agent Gail McLeod.
Join me as we tour Dairy House Antiques, located nearby Shaftesbury England in Dorset. But you’d better pack your mittens and muffler!! Or perhaps pick up a vintage fur coat to keep your tootsies warm!
Dairy House Antiques is located in a former dairy and the original purpose of the building was to keep the milk cool before it set off on it’s journey to London. The charming building today is covered with beautiful black & white tiles and houses a gorgeous collection of flea market style English and continental vintage pieces and antiques at incredible prices!
Even the front porch of the old dairy was cosy and inviting… welcoming us with a plethora of pieces!
While the interior of the shop was surprisingly modern at times!
An array of English wooden English pieces filled the upstairs.
There were even a few French pieces that were pure perfection!
I loved their quaint collections of Blue & White pieces.
My biggest temptation? This selection of gorgeous crystal and cut glass decanters, all of which were smaller than you’d typically find in Europe.
Dairy House Antiques
Station Road, Semley, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 9AN
Telephone 01747 853317
www.dairyhouseantiques.co.uk
Open 7 days 10-5 Mon-Sat; 11-4 Sun
Of course – at the end of the day – what better to eat for dinner than home-cooked Steak & Ale Pie!!
Cheers from England!
The Antiques Diva®
Special Silver Vault Events – England 2012
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
Are you looking for bright ideas to add to your antique fun in England this year? Well look no further, the world famous London Silver Vaults, in the heart of London’s legal district and home to the world’s largest retail collection of fine antique silver, has got the better part of 2012 covered with some sensational upcoming special exhibitions. Due to its underground location, The Silver Vaults is often referred to as London’s best kept secret – but the cat’s out of the bag and the London Silver Vaults are ready to shine!!! Open every day during business hours, The Chancery Lane Safe Deposit first opened in 1876 and their strong rooms provided security for individuals who needed to safeguard their valuables. From a storage facility the building developed into an underground shopping mall of mostly silver but also silver plate, jewelry, and other works of art.
Behind the huge safe doors and within its vaulted walls, The Silver Vaults offer anything from silver champagne swizzle sticks to a full-sized silver armchair. But this Spring 2012 they’re going to shine the light on silver candlesticks!
February 4th – May 19th
Carrying the Flame: Silver Candlesticks of the Past Three Centuries.
A selling exhibition of lighting at The London Silver Vaults, the home of silver shopping.
VisitLondon.com describes this event
“The Spring selling exhibition at The London Silver Vaults – the home of silver shopping – will feature a beautiful variety of silver candlesticks and candelabra from the early 18th century to the contemporary. Flickering candlelight at the dining table sets the tone for the most stylish dinners, and the selection of antique and modern silver to be displayed will encompass all tastes from timeless Georgian elegance to avant garde contemporary. Whether you prefer a set of two or four traditional candlesticks, or a more mix and match approach combining candlesticks with a candelabra, these can be enhanced when displayed down the centre of a table with tea-lights below to set the silver off to its utmost sparkle. Candelabra will be shown with two-, three-, four-, and five-arm variations; many candelabra have removable arms for additional use as a single candlestick”
And then, just when you think the torch is blown out, The Silver Vault starts a new exhibition on Post War Winners.
May 28th – 29th September
Post-War Winners: 60 Years of British Silver
A selling exhibition featuring Stuart Devlin, Gerald Benney, Christopher Lawrence, Eric Clements among others, and mid-century modern works commissioned by leading retailers such as Garrard, Asprey, Mappin & Webb.
The London Silver Vaults
Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1QS
Happy Shopping,
The Antiques Diva®
The Daily Basics: A Tastemaker’s Take on Paris
3 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Myra Hoefer – Photo Credit House Beautiful
In my column in The Daily Basics this month I’ve interviewed top interior designer Myra Hoefer, asking this Francophile for her tips on where to antique shop in Paris, a place Hoefer kept a 2nd home for years. In the next few weeks I’ll post a few blogs showing some of my favorite Myra Hoefer Design projects – but for now, I’ll leave you drooling for more…. And whet your appetite with a little reading at The Daily Basics!
Happy Reading,
The Antiques Diva®
Vervoordt at BRAFA
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
When an invitation comes in the mail from Mr & Mrs Vervoordt for a private viewing at BRAFA – your heart makes a little pitter patter.
Axel Vervoordt is one of the world’s most respected antiques dealers, collectors and interior designers, and he works and lives in Belgium in an amazing 50 room castle near Antwerp. Last year I had the opportunity to shop with clients literally buying off his castle walls – so having tasted his décor in person I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see what he brought out for BRAFA – Brussels Fine Arts & Antiques Fair as I knew that at this chic event he’d be bringing the best of the best!
Needless to say, I was not disappointed. While it was nearly impossible to choose, perhaps my 3 favorite items he had for sale at BRAFA were a gorgeous oil on canvas of “a ruined Roman Basilica” dating to 1650, another painting by Raimund Girke from the 1960’s and another piece from the swinging 60’s – an amazing statue called the “The Shadow Figure”.
The Roman Basilica Ruin painting - though created in 1650 - feels somehow more modern in its composition. If the painting looks familiar, perhaps you’ve seen something similar in the Roman Pantheon for Vervoordt’s team believes the artist might have found his inspiration there.
Meanwhile Raimund Girke’s Kinetische Weiss is entirely modern and the perfect anecdote to an antique-filled room. I love nothing more than mixing contemporary art with pieces from the past.
Lastly “The Shadow Figure” cast in plaster by Marguerite Arp was actually a gift to Andre Mounier in 1968 – a gorgeous romantic composition, it peacefully punctuated Vervoordt’s display at BRAFA.
Bonne Shopping,
The Antiques Diva
Photo Credits – Laila McCubbin
The Aunt-iques Diva
3 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Nope that’s NOT a misspelling – today I’m the Aunt-iques Diva! You might have noticed I’ve been behind on blogging – not doing my normal 2 or 3 times per week postings. That’s because I’ve been on holiday, taking a gloriously long month in the USA to see my family and friends over Christmas and New Years. I set aside my Antiques Diva® hat to spend some time with nieces and nephew, being The Aunt-iques Diva! Of course, you can’t take the Antiques out of my name. I may have been stateside home on the range instead of shopping the flea markets of Europe as I normally do, but I still took my nieces & nephew out aunt-iquing.
What did we find? A slew of vintage clothes!
My niece Tessa with the pink hair looked so adorable in this green frock that I had to buy it for her – meanwhile I was sort of smitten with the pink hat on me!
Lizzy looked adorable in red – especially with that herringbone jacket!
Kyrra found an elegant gown for her upcoming trip to visit me in Europe this summer – we’re already planning where we’ll go so she can wear this dress in true diva style!
Of course sometimes you can’t decide what to buy!!! I also bought Kyrra a gorgeous red gown!
Though she decided to pass up on this poodle skirt wondering if she’d actually wear it or if it would merely be a costume?
Even my dad and nephew got in on the action! Dad loved the architectural salvage store I took him to while my nephew Gabriel picked up a handful of Hank Williams records – the perfect present for a budding musician who has just released his first CD!
After the holidays, I’m now back home in Europe with a wonderful winter agenda with The Antiques Diva® & Co.
Yours,
The Aunt-iques Diva
Celebrating New Year’s – Diva Style!
4 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Chez Diva it’s a celebration every day of the year – and so I’m always looking for fab ideas for celebrating with Diva Style! This New Year’s Eve, Roving Reporter Candid Kellogg has written in to The Antiques Diva® site sharing some sensational suggestions for setting a festive table, giving ideas for a memorable New Year’s Eve party! Kellogg suggests famed antiques dealer MS Rau Antiques for premier one-of-a-kind items that will get the party going!
If you need an excuse to dazzle your guests, or are looking for the ultimate party gift, look no further than MS Rau Antiques, America’s oldest and largest antiques and fine arts dealers located in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans. For close to one hundred years, MS Rau Antiques has been collecting and offering some of the rarest and most important antique and objet d’art pieces ever seen. From a pair of matching sterling silver Paul Storr wine coolers (circa 1810) with royal provenance, to a monumental Baccarat crystal chandelier (circa 1880), you will be dubbed the host or hostess with the mostest this season.
Even if your home doesn’t have a ballroom, you can set the scene and can turn any foyer or entry way into a dramatic entrance for your guests with this awe-inspiring 30-light crystal chandelier by Baccarat, one of the world’s most famous crystal houses in France and called the King of Crystal. Not only does this dazzling light source sport crystal prisms, but crystal beads and bronze doré branches complete the composition. Dating from 1880, Baccarat was already world renowned for its chandeliers and tableware that graced the royal homes of Louis XVIII, Charles X, Emperor Napoleon III, Czar Nicholas II, as well as the royal courts of India and the Middle East. This particular chandelier has been restored for electricity and is offered at $98,500.
Make your open bar a sight to behold with this pair of exquisite Regency period sterling silver wine coolers. Georgian silversmith Paul Storr, whose atelier crafted gracious and elegant silver works during the Regency period, created this matching pair of wine coolers for HRH Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They are in impeccable condition and exhibit exquisite detailing ($228,500).
Ratchet up your punch recipe by serving it in this rare Tiffany & Co. silver punch set inlaid with copper, circa 1906. Even if it’s used once a year, punch or even eggnog will take on a new meaning and have party guests coming back for more punch and swooning over the sheer size and weight of this service (weighs 335 ounces) that includes 12 cups, bowl, ladle, and plateau tray ($248,500).
After dinner drinks never looked so glamorous when served from this extraordinary ‘cavé liqueur’, a crystal enclosed cabinet in cut ruby crystal and accented in gilt bronze (circa 1870). Three liqueur bottles and 15 matching cordial glasses, all decorated with hand gilding, fit snugly inside this gorgeous Rococo style case, and are displayed on a mirrored glass tray that is removable from the circular case and has an intricately decorated lid. The workmanship is beyond exquisite and even for those who don’t make a habit out of serving after dinner drinks, this exceptional ‘cavé liqueur’ is something that get everyone talking.
This New Year’s Eve, celebrate with Diva Style with a little help from our friends at MS Rau in New Orleans.
Happy New Years,
The Antiques Diva®
Merry Christmas
1 CommentDear Diva Readers
You must have been really good this year – for this year for Christmas I’m giving you more and more of The Antiques Diva®! In addition to being able to read my own blog, you’ll also be able to find me as a contributing editor at The Daily Basics, an editorial blogazine created by Cynthia Bogart. If you’ve opened a copy of Better Homes & Gardens or Kitchen & Bath Ideas or Decorating Magazine, you might have seen the work of The DB editor, Cynthia Bogart, on those pages. Cynthia has been producing editorial articles for those magazines for years and has taken the opportunity to bring her experience for you to get some interesting, enriching articles to lighten up your day, five days a week.
Photo Courtesy of The Daily Basics
My article this Christmas eve shares the riveting tale of the origin of many of our modern-day Christmas traditions. Contrary to popular belief, our generation did not invent the feast of Christmas consumerism. Long before Charlie Brown’s struggle to find the meaning of Christmas, Martin Luther, an icon of the Protestant Reformation, was having his own internal holiday debate! Read the entire article I wrote for The Daily Basics – and learn how where Santa Claus comes from, why we decorate for the hoidays with a Christmas tree and why we give presents!
From my house to yours this holiday season – Merry Christmas.
The Antiques Diva®
Glaedelig Lille Julaften
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Did you know that in Norway on the day before Christmas Eve there is a holiday? It’s called Lille Julaften – Little Christmas Eve. When I asked a Norwegian friend to explain this holiday her response was simple, “It’s the day we celebrate the start of the celebration!” To me that sounded like a brilliant excuse for a party and so I’ve decided in my house we’ll start the celebration here early too!
Traditionally this was the day when Norwegians finalized their preparations for Christmas Eve. Families decorate their Christmas trees with handmade paper Christmas baskets called Julekurv which are woven together with red and green paper and then filled with fruits, candy, and nuts. Intrigued by the idea, I decided it was the perfect tradition to learn to do with my nieces and nephews – so this year we’re making our own Christmas baskets with this easy step-by-step primer.
We’ll then take our home-made baskets and use them to decorate my sister’s Christmas tree!
Speaking of Norwegian traditions, did you know that the famous Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square has been an annual gift to the people of London by the city of Oslo each year since 1947 as a token of gratitude for British support of Norway during the Second World War? What a wonderful way to celebrate a friendship!
Photograph above courtesy of Livin’ Sponge blog
Glaedelig Lille Julaften!
The Antiques Diva®
How To Make Money From Antiques
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
One of the best things about my job is I get the inside scoop when anything new is happening in the antiques realm… and a great new book is coming out! I wanted to share with you the Press Release for “How to Make Money From Antiques”….
How to Make Money from Antiques:
Revealing the Secrets of the Trade
Written by Fiona Shoop
Published by Golden Guides Press
Available in eBook format only, priced £9.99
You might not have the title (or the staff) but you can certainly add a touch of golden-age Downton Abbey-style grandeur to your home. Antiques expert Fiona Shoop provides the tools and tips to profitably embrace elegance and style, travel the world and surround yourself with beautiful objects. Richly illustrated for the first time, best-selling antiques book How to Make Money from Antiques is now uniquely available as an eBook. Akin to having a portable personal expert with you wherever you go, the information deemed “astonishingly thorough” by the Antiques Trade Gazette is available on your mobile phone or eReading device.
Author Fiona Shoop is a leading antiques expert and The Lady antiques columnist. Utilising almost thirty years of experiences in the antiques trade, Fiona reveals insider tips and tricks gleaned from years of practice – from checking for hidden scratches, cracks, concealed lots and surprise fakeries to which words will get you a bigger discount…and, perhaps most importantly, how to spot that hidden bargain. This essential eBook even incorporates a special section detailing everything you need to succeed on eBay and other websites so you can make money in your own time.
This is a must-buy book for everyone interested in antiques, vintage and interior design. Full of must-know information for anyone buying and selling antiques and collectables as a hobby, a part-time job or even, with the help of this book, to turn your hobby into a full-time career and add a touch of grandeur to your home.
For Fiona’s ‘Sixty seconds in: Antiques dealing’ piece from The Guardian, please click here or search Fiona Shoop on www.guardian.co.uk.
For more information on Golden Guide Press please visit www.goldenguidespress.com
About the author:
Having started collecting antiques at the age of just 6 and dealing when she was 10, this is a world which Fiona Shoop knows better than most. She has written over 4,000 articles and numerous books about antiques. A broadcasting regular, Fiona has worked in TV and Radio as an expert, given hundreds of live, on-air valuations, and has even worked as an “Expert’s Expert” and consultant. Fiona is available for interviews and features, including focusing on the latest trends from Downton Abbey chic to Mad Men sixties style.
Happy Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
Coming Home to Fontaine
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Every once in a while you step into an antique store and feel like you’re coming home. It doesn’t matter that the store is on the other side of the globe located in a coastal England town a hop skip and a jump from the chunnel crossing from France to England and nowhere near your home town. They ship – and I always say, “if there’s a ship there’s a way.” This feeling of coming home is created when the shop you’re entering has an aesthetic that feels just right – like the home you would create if you had access to an eclectic collection of great decorative antiques, object d’art and had a lifetime to trawl the treasures of France in your spare time.
This was my experience when I walked in the doors of Stuart’s and Kiel’s shop Fontaine in Margate, Kent England. To say I was smitten is an understatement. These chic boys had me hook, line and sinker.
If their collection feels collected over a life time, it’s because it is. One summer 17 years ago they set off in their Fiat Punto on an adventure to France with a couple hundred pounds in their pockets and spent it all at their first street ‘brocante’ in Pas de Calais. Since then, they haven’t looked back and their customers haven’t stopped shopping chez them. Over the years Kiel and Stuart have increased their purchasing budget and bought from hundreds of different brocantes, antiques markets and auctions all over France, developing their knowledge of French decorative antiques and collecting quite possibly the best collection of French antiques seen outside of the Marche Paul Bert in the famous Paris flea market – and at a fraction of the famous Paris flea markets prices.
What’s in store? Anything diverse and unique that catches their eye, from naive 18th Century through to contemporary 20th Century.
I’ve learned that when shopping at Fontaine you’ve got to act fast. Buyers bounce into this seaside town and buy faster than anywhere else I know. When my Diva Agent Gail McLeod who leads our English Diva Tours took me to their store last month she confessed that each time walking through their doors is a new experience as frequent visits reveal an amazing turnover in inventory. Fortunately as fast as clients buy up their inventory, Kiel & Stuart take regular buying trips to meet their client’s demands each time adding more gorgeous inventory to their sprawling store. The building where their chic shop is housed was once Margate’s town laundry and later became a community center. As you can imagine it looked pretty different then, but Kiel and Stuart have invested in restoring the building with complete Antiques Diva style!
The town of Margate where the shop is located is interesting in its own right. It’s been the subject of a huge regeneration project and Stuart and Kiel are working hard with the council to raise awareness of the charms and facilities in the town.
Just last month The Queen of England and Duke of Edinburgh visited the town of Margate, stopping by local stores and seeing the regeneration work that had taken place in the Old Town. Satisfying her sweet tooth the Queen even visited The Cup Cake Cafe as part of her tour around Margate’s Old Town. The royal party then moved on to the Turner Contemporary art gallery – the new £17m art gallery which was opened in April – where they met with local artist Tracey Emin.
With interesting luxury boutique B&B’s such as The Reading Room opening in the area and Turner Contemporary Art Gallery drawing huge crowds since its opening I’m predicting that Margate will soon experience what I like to call “The Bilbao Effect” – the same revival that took Bilbao, Spain by storm after Frank Gehry designed The Guggenheim Museum. In the meantime, the people of the town are operating on the belief “If we build it, they will come…” and Kiel & Stuart are two of the smart vendors around town who took a gamble on opening a store off the beaten path. This shop and others opening nearby happen to be one of England’s best kept secrets… and clients pay to take our tours because we can take them to places they wouldn’t necessarily go on their own. The town of Margate might not yet make your bucket list, but trust me when I say that shopping at Fontaine should.
Bonne Shopping,
The Antiques Diva®
The Antiques Diva & Co Does Lucca, Italy
6 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Today we’re taking a mental voyage to Lucca, one of the jewels in the shining crown of Tuscany! It has retained its elegance, story and splendor. Its history dates way back to even before the Romans. Much of the city’s wealth however was built upon silk production and leather tanning. Lucca was able to remain independent of Tuscany at a time when the region was being otherwise conquered and turned into a united Tuscan state. The relative immense wealth and the walls surrounding Lucca led to power brokers in Florence actually having to deal with the powerful merchants and leaders of Lucca – it was the only town in Tuscany not conquered by Florence and remains much unchanged since the medieval period.
Its maze of little streets and alleys brings many surprises from the wonderful artisan shops, galleries and stores to stunning architectural marvels such as the lively piazza San Michele, the old Roman forum. It remains the heart of Lucca, where children play and the men of Lucca can be found discussing soccer and Italian politics.
The gorgeous church of San Michele, with its elegant Pisan – Romanesque façade, rich in marble inlays – exudes a mysterious Arabian Aura. Some particularly stunning features are the ancient ramparts that ring the old city that are still intact. The inhabitants built these brick walls in the 16th century for defense.
On The Antiques Diva® & Co Tuscan Tours you will have the opportunity to walk around the city on the wide, shaded walkways atop the walls… don’t worry it’s not as scary as it sounds! If that doesn’t tire you out, climb up the Torre Guinigi – the 130 ft. tower even has an ancient oak tree on top! Lucca was also home to one of Italy’s greatest composers; Giacomo Puccini, creator of operas such as: “Madama Butterfly”, “La Bohème”, “The Girl of the golden west”, “Turandot”. In the Piazza Cittadella you can see the statue dedicated to him.
Of course no tour would be complete without a stroll down Via del Battistero and this quarter of the city is known for its antique furniture shops – a message of elegance and style from the voice of our past. Plan your trip to Lucca at the right time of year – the third weekend of the month – and rain or shine you’ll find the monthly antiques flea market with over 250 stalls to peruse. We will spend the afternoon meandering through the stalls to find treasures for you to bring back home!
Join us for Special Tours during the Lucca flea market – the 3rd weekend of each month! 2012 dates include:
January 21 & 22
February 18 & 19
March 17 & 18
April 21 & 22
May 19 & 20
June 17 & 18
July 21 & 22
August 19 & 20
September 15 & 16
October 20 & 21
November 17 & 18
December 15 & 16
The Antiques Diva®
Newark, Newark….
4 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
I’m leaving today,
I want to be a part of it….
Newark, Newark…..
These vagabond shoes
They are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
Newark, Newark…..
I want to wake up in that city
That doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill
Top of the heap
My little town blues
They are melting away
I’m gonna make a brand new start of it
In old Newark………”
I’m utterly convinced old Blue Eyes got it wrong. He didn’t mean to say New York – he meant to say NEWARK!!! Not New Jersey, but England Baby!!! I just got my fair calendar in for next year’s Newark and I am dying of anticipation.
What’s Newark, you ask? The Newark International Antiques and Collectors Fair – the largest event of its kind in Europe – a world-wide phenomenon, a shopping experience that deserves its own song written by Frank Sinatra. This is one event that needs to be experienced to be believed!
Held at the Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground on an enormous 84 acre site, up to 4,000 stands attract thousands of dealers and buyers from around the globe every other month. With its vast number of stands, choice of product is never an issue – there is quite possibly every item you could imagine. From chandeliers and rugs, to sports memorabilia and paintings, not to mention the finest of antique furniture – the possibilities are endless! Antique fairs can be big and small, but only one can hold the ‘Europe’s largest’ crown – and that’s Newark.
Come one – come all, and come with The Antiques Diva® & Co to Newark. Join us on special Newark Tours!!!
When?
2nd and 3rd of February, 2012
12th and 13 th of April, 2012
21st and 22nd of June, 2012
23rd and 24th of August, 2012
4th and 5th of October, 2012
6th and 7th of December, 2012
Visit the IACF website for more information or our friends at Antiques News & Fairs to see what else is on during your travel dates!!
Start spreading the news….. and don’t forget to email The Antiques Diva® & Co to find out details on how you can book one of our English Antique Shopping Tours! Email toma@antiquesdiva.com
The Antiques Diva®
Guest Blog: All I want for Christmas is Vintage
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
While I’m in Houston speaking on Antique Shopping in Europe – we’ve got a SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER at The Antiques Diva® & Co. The absolutely affable antiques dealer Mr George Johnson of Lady Kentmores is a jolly good chap from Scotland who’s objective is to make antiques and collectibles the “new rock and roll.” A man after my own heart, this well-known Scottish retro dealer and I were recently chatting via Twitter about our favorite Christmas presents and he mentioned that he always gives antiques as presents whether for the holidays or a birthday, wedding, etc. Needless to say I needed to know more about his gift-giving trends, thinking his idea of antiques as presents was just my style! The next thing George knew he was writing a guest blog for The Antiques Diva® & Co. You never know what might happen when you engage me on Twitter or Facebook!
Happy Shopping Readers, so Ta Ta from Me – The Antiques Diva – and
Hello from George Johnson of Lady Kentmore Antiques
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Guest Blog – A Vintage Christmas
I am just back from a trip to the local city with my wife and I’m always amazed about how many people go crazy this time of year buying bags full of gifts for friends and relatives. How many of these items do we even remember the next year?As a family we have always tried to avoid this ourselves, as we give each other vintage gifts for Christmas and indeed for other occasions, when we have family wedding we always give an antique item or even a small gold coin as these are gifts that have a history and also can be a investment for the future for the couple getting hitched.
Christmas is a time for families and a lot of people are gifting family heirlooms - this might be in part due to the current financial climate but also it might be because people are realising that massed produced store bought goods don’t really stand the test of time. Most of my own treasured possessions are items that once belonged to my great grandparents and grandparents that have been passed down to me, not only do these items look fabulous in my home they also give the house a sense of history and belonging.
I have been having a look around the web to see what vintage gifts I could find for a traditional family and the range of antique and vintage good available is astounding and can suit every taste and budget. For each family member I will choose a budget and a luxury item.
For a fabulous sixty-something mother I have found these wonderful items.
How about this fabulous Victorian Blue Opal & 1.40ct Diamond Pendant, it is a stunning example of high quality Victorian jewellery and would make any mother very happy on Christmas morning. It is for sale on the www.laurelleantiquejewellery.co.uk website for £3,275.00.
If your budget doesn’t stretch that far there are still lots of more pocket friendly items out there like this vintage Enid Collins jewelled owl ‘Wise Guy Box Bag’ from 1962, it is in unused condition and would be a fabulous and unusual present, these bags are becoming very collectable but you could pick up this very fine example from www.lovelysvintageemporium.com for £285 which is a great price for this desirable item.
For the 30-something daughter Vintage items are a brilliant buy and can have much more style and glamour than their high street bought equivalents. If budget is not an issue this William Comyns Silver & Tortoiseshell Box would look great on any dressing table and would be very useful to keep her best jewellery in. The Tortoiseshell Jewellery Box, with applied Stirling silver swags and beautiful roped edged borders, stands on four tortoiseshell bun feet. It is hallmarked for 1904 and is for sale on the www.hamptonantiques.co.uk website for £ 3,750.00.
A girl can never have enough handbags and vintage bags can be wonderful presents as they are very functional and can also be great investments, this fabulous vintage orange Chanel handbag dates from the 1980’s and has never been used it oozes style and glamour and would bring a smile to any girl’s face when she unwraps it on Christmas morning, it is for sale on www.lovelysvintageemporium.com for only £799.
Buying for a sixty-something Father is always a hard one as they seem to have everything they need but I have managed to find two items that would make any dad happy on Christmas morning.
My Luxury present choice would be this stunning Chinoiserie Long case Clock by William Harris of Chippenham, this fine example of a British long case clock dates to circa 1775 and is a rare provincial quarter striking and musical clock. It is for sale by P.A Oxley clocks on their website www.british-antiqueclocks.com for £17,500 and it would be a gift that would remain in the family for generations to come.
If that is a bit too rich for you this Elegant Coromandel Tantalus that was made by retailers Benetfink Cheapside has a silver-plated carrying handle and silver-plated decoration on the sides and front. It’s a wonderful gift that would get years of use it dates from circa 1880 and contains three superb full cut Hobnail decanters with faceted stoppers & star-cut bases – all contained in a satinwood surround within the coromandel frame. It is for sale on www.hamptonantiques.co.uk for £995 and I am sure it would get a lot of use over the holidays.
So what vintage Gifts could you find for the thirty-something Son, I have decided to go down the quirky route as these kinds of collectables can be the most fun and are great for the person who has everything. The luxury item I would choose would be Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 training suit, signed by the man himself, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned moon landing in history. In July 1969 he became the second person to ever step on the moon’s surface and how fabulous would it be to have one of the his signed training suits framed in your office. Well if you fancy making someone’s Christmas you can buy this from www.paulfrasercollectibles.com for the grand price of £75,000.
This might not be in most people’s budget but this is and it is one of the most fun items I’ve seen, who wouldn’t laugh when they unwrap a Piano Playing taxidermy Frog. Standing at 17cms high this little bullfrog is sure to create a fun atmosphere on Christmas morning and he is for sale at www.skinnerandhyde.co.uk for £85.
So as you can see there is plenty of choice if you fancy giving vintage gifts and in a lot of cases the presents that you find can be a lot more personal and fun.
Happy Holidays from the Divo of the Day,
George Johnson of Lady Kentmores Antiques
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George Johnson writes about antiques and quirky collectibles for national magazines and publications including Antique Info Magazine and Antiques News.
George owns Lady Kentmores antique & collectable shop in Callander, Scotland. It is very different from the majority antique shops that you might come across. But what else could you expect from someone who has a mission to make antiques and collectables “The New Rock’n'Roll”?
His life goal is to inject the antiques trade with a shot of fun and quirkiness. He started trading in antiques from an early age and has knowledge in the traditional aspects of the market. But it’s the quirky side that he finds really interesting. From 1970s platform shoes to 15th Century Pirate chests, he loves anything different.
George is from a travelling showman background and this is a heritage he is very proud of, he can trace his families’ funfair & circus roots back through both sides of his parents. This lets him bring a bit of the Victorian fairground showmanship & entertainment into the antique industry.
If you would like to find out more about George visit www.ladykentmores.com or on twitter at www.twitter.com/LadyKentmores
Christmas Shopping at Parisien Salon
2 CommentsYou must have been very, very good this year… for Santa has some great things in store for you! Parisien Salon, one of my favorite French websites chocked full of great articles on la vie Parisian, has opened an online boutique and they’re having a Grand Opening Sale! And you’re invited to partake in the fab Parisian goodies!
What better to buy the loved ones on your list than something from Paris? Better yet, you don’t have to save space in your luggage toting it home from Paris when you can order online and have it shipped to all the people on your Christmas list! Want to know what my friends and family will be getting for Christmas this year? (Shhh… don’t tell!)
My cousin will be the recipient of some Paris dish towels. What better graphic punch than La Tour Eiffel to brighten up her kitchen?
My aunt definitely needs these enamel door plates to Frenchify her home! I love how you can label the rooms in your house in French – listing the bedroom, guest room, kitchen, bathroom, powder room and there’s even a plate for labeling the basement door.
My gal pal Lisa will get to relive Parisian memories of our times spent wandering the rues of Paris together with this gorgeous photograph of the Passage St Paul nearby where she used to live in Paris. The photo was actually taken by Parisien Salon founder Linda Donahue and is done with gallery-quality metallic paper using archival inks
What better gift for newlywed friends? Monsieur et Madame napkin rings – so dinner time every day is a French occasion!
My sister will LOVE this Kasia Dietz hand-painted reversible canvas tote. You can choose from Rive Gauche or Rive Droit, but for me there’s really no choice at all…. It’s Rive Gauche all the way!
For my dear mom I cannot decide – she’s certain to love the Jules Pansu pillows… but with such great designs which one should I choose??
Should it be the jacquard weaved “I love Paris”?
Or is one of the dog pillows more her style?
And for my friend the blogger of ShesShoppingNow – it’s clearly got to be Fleur de Sel. My friend and I have toured the salt field of Ile de Re together and so we always buy each other special salt from all our travels!
Whatever you buy from Parisien Salon’s new online boutique it is sure to be Paris-Perfect. Make sure to check out Parisien Salon’s online magazine – a “Virtual Paris”. As the HiP Paris blog explains, Parisien Salon “transports readers to the city and offers resources for those planning actual journeys” giving “a true insider’s view of Paris.”
Bonne Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
The House Directory
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
My colleague in England, Gail McLeod of Antiques News & Fairs who leads our English Antiques Diva Tours, has the best resources up her sleeve, so it shouldn’t surprise me that she turned me onto perhaps the best website I’ve discovered in years!
Welcome to The House Directory – the ultimate sourcebook for interior and garden decoration. I absolutely had to share this site with you for I knew that, like me, you’d be bowled over by the vast array of chic information and addresses available with the click of your mouse.
Founded by the same dynamic duo responsible for www.houseandgardenaddresses.co.uk , Nicolette Le Pelley and Cheryl Knorr are journalists with a background in interior décor. Nicolette is a former deputy editor of The World of Interiors while Cheryl is an interior designer. They put the answers to the most frequently asked decorating questions into their famous sourcebook starting in 2001 and today The House Directory serves as a fast, free and user-friendly website with no tedious log-in procedures, covering every sector of English interior and garden design and decoration, listing over 3,500 companies.
I’m particularly fond of The House Mag Blog, finding myself pouring through their site gaining interior design inspiration and checking out British design fairs and adding dates to my calendars, planning my travels around the events in their sourcebook. Clients often ask me where I learn the information I share on my tours – and I must confess – this website is at the top of my online “favorites list” as it’s a one-stop resource for the Home and Garden – English Diva Style!
Since my colleague in England introduced me to this site, I’ve literally wasted hours (er, I mean studiously studied the site in the name of hard-core research) scouring the pages of their site and clicking link after link, touring England virtually with one design shop after another. Lest there be readers Stateside who are lamenting that these addresses don’t apply to them – take heart – many, if not most, of the stores and sites recommended in their sourcebook have online stores and ship internationally, letting you bring English Diva Style home across the pond!
With a press clipping portfolio filled with quotes by heavy hitters, I think Vanity Fair hit the nail on the head when they described The House Directory on their A List as “the simple answer to my prayers… I would never decorate without it.”
The Antiques Diva®
The Elizabeth Taylor Online Auction at Christies Dec 3-17
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
I’m starting to hyperventilate… breathing is becoming difficult and I feel all sweaty. In just a few short days the Elizabeth Taylor collection is coming up at auction! Christie’s is offering a special ONLINE ONLY sale December 3 – 17, 2011. More than 2,000 items, estimated between $100 and $10,000, are up for grabs in the online sale. The only real question is what to choose? When Taylor was asked what she would tell someone to buy if they could only own three pieces of jewelry, she said: “Start with a glamorous ring and earrings, I’d say. They are the basics for me. A pair of long, drippy chandelier earrings…diamond, of course. A beautiful pin is an add-on…or a necklace. Oh God, I also love bracelets!”
Since 2006, Christie’s has offered its clients the convenience of bidding online in real-time in all of its auctions worldwide, but the upcoming sales mark the first time that the storied auction house will host an exclusively online addition to a private collection.
The online sale complements four days of back-to-back live auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor that begin on December 13 with the film star’s most iconic jewels, and continues through December 16 with additional auctions of fine jewelry, fashion, accessories, decorative arts and film memorabilia.
Given the incredible depth of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection – dubbed “The Crown Jewels of Hollywood” – Christie’s has hand-selected over 500 pieces of fine and costume jewelry for the online-only sale, including exceptional Art Deco-era jewelry, and an array of signed jewels by Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Ruser, among others. This vast selection is reflective of Elizabeth Taylor’s lifelong love affair with jewelry in all its forms. Her most iconic of jewels will be featured in the live auctions on December 13 and 14 and the online sale will be comprised her many cherished “everyday” adornments of designer and costume earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, and brooches.
Of course, what Elizabeth Taylor considered everyday might be a little different than what you and I deem “day wear”! Did you know Elizabeth Taylor swam in a vintage diamond tiara? Legend has it that 3 months into her marriage to Michael Todd, the producer came home to the villa they’d rented outside Monte Carlo to discover Elizabeth swimming laps while wearing a tiara her third husband had given saying, “You’re my queen”.
And if the thought of having access to Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry is not enough… fashion will also be for sale!
More than 400 pieces from the houses of Chanel, Dior, Halston, Hermès, Oscar de la Renta, Tiziani, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent will be available. Fashionistas and fans alike will be delighted by the scores of meticulously-maintained designer handbags, including 22 spectacular bags by Dior and Valentino and a range of luxury accessories by Cartier, Christian Louboutin, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik and Prada, among others.
Enough writing about the sale, I’m off to browse the Christie’s websites for their Online Elizabeth Taylor Sale!
Bonne Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
Special Antiques Diva Event in Houston December 9
7 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Do you live in or near Houston or know someone who does? Then you’d better SAVE THE DATE – Dec 9th for a Special Event in Houston Texas!!! I’ll be pulling on my cowboy boots and speaking on The Paris Flea Market – Texas Style at an event held in conjunction with the antiques goddess Jackie Sharbrough of The Urban Market Houston Antique Show!
This December 9th in Houston you can hear me share the story behind the story of Les Puce de Paris – The Paris Flea Market – telling you how the world’s first (and most famous) flea market came into existence and then telling you the best time to swoop into Paris to score some French finery at the best prices. I’ll share a few insider tips on other markets worth hitting in France and unveil the mystery behind international shipping, explaining how you can shop abroad just like the dealers do! Last but not least, I will tango with the Louis’ (XV, XVI and XVII) with a Parisian Furniture Primer and will confess why I often leave Paris behind and head north for better Belgium prices!
Friday, December 9, 2011
10:00am-12:00pm
Of course every chic speaking engagement needs a chic locale for holding the engagement! Where else would I speak other than Houston’s most sensational shop?
Antiques & Interiors on Dunlavy
3845 Dunlavy @ West Alabama
Houston, Texas 77006
Antiques & Interiors on Dunlavy is dedicated to providing a one-stop-shop for interior designers and antique enthusiasts. This is what prompted the owner, Mona Dees, to open this store 12 years ago. As the original high-end, multi-dealer shop, Antiques & Interiors on Dunlavy has focused on providing the highest quality merchandise to fill the design needs of its diverse clientele. 40+ dealers fill over 12,000 f2 in extraordinary merchandise including antiques, home furnishings, fine art, fine accessories, lighting, and rugs and carpets.
RSVP for December 9th with The Antiques Diva® in Houston: Jackie Sharbrough—Jackie@TheUrbanMarketHouston.com
Hope to see you in Houston!
The Antiques Diva®
Joyeux Thanksgiving
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
From my house to yours this holiday season I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving – er, make that un Joyeux Thanksgiving, for today we’re celebrating with French style! I tend to cook almost exclusively French cuisine (blame all those years of cooking classes at Le Ritz Escoffier and Le Cordon Bleu) so I tend to celebrate this American holiday à la française!
As an American living in Europe celebrating holidays abroad tends to take a slightly different tone than the way we celebrated back at home in the States. My husband does not have a day off from work on Thanksgiving (after all it’s not a holiday where we live) so our celebration waits til the end of the day when he comes home after a day at the office. Owning my own company – The Antiques Diva® & Co European Tours – allows me to exercise some control in my schedule and we close shop for the day in honor of the holiday as I hang up my flea market hat in exchange for the gorgeous apron my step-mother made for me a few years ago!
Today I’m making some great French Thanksgiving-style recipes from Saveur to accompany the Truffle-Scented Cornish Game Hens with Prosciutto & Wild Mushrooms recipe I found on FineCooking.com.
I always find it interesting how other expats (foreigners living outside their home countries) celebrate their home countries holidays. As my husband and I are both Americans, we share the history of Thanksgiving, but what about those Americans who’ve moved overseas and have gone native by marrying a local? My good friends Stephanie & Allison – authors of the blog La Mom – have both married Frenchmen and in their popular blog talk about what it’s like to live in France, sharing anecdotes and revealing insider information on what it’s really like to be a Parisian. Last year for Thanksgiving they were featured on French television to share how they celebrate Thanksgiving as American’s living in France. I thought you’d enjoy watching Les Americans in Paris! I’m utterly convinced these girls are going to get a TV show someday – but for now, this short video will have to suffice!In the meantime, I’ll have to love you and leave you – I’ve got a date with a bird!! For the recipe I’m using this year… keep reading!
The Antiques Diva®
(seen below with the authors of La Mom!)
Truffle-Scented Cornish Game Hens with Prosciutto & Wild Mushrooms
Recipe by Joanne Weir courtesy of Fine Cooking
Earthy mushrooms and rich, heady truffle oil make this dish a holiday standout. For the wild mushrooms, I like to use a mix of chanterelles, porcini, and morels. Serves six.
6 Cornish game hens neck and giblets removed and discarded or saved for-stock, hens rinsed and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
3/4 lb. fresh wild mushrooms, finely chopped
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 thin slices prosciutto (2 oz. total) cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 Tbs. white truffle oil
Season the cavity of each hen with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and the juices have evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Stir in the prosciutto and truffle oil.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Insert your fingertips at the wing end of the breast and gently loosen the skin over the breast and around the legs, being careful not to tear the skin. Divide the stuffing into six equal portions of about 2 Tbs. each. Place one portion of the stuffing under the skin and with your fingers, distribute it evenly over the breast and thigh. With kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Tuck the wings underneath. Repeat with each hen.
Arrange the birds breast side up on a wire rack set in a shallow roasting pan (or two). Melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter and use half to brush over the hens. Season each hen with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes and brush with the remaining melted butter. Roast until the juices run clear when you prick the thickest part of the thigh and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170°F, another 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the hens to a platter, tent with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
PAN Amsterdam
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Antiques Diva® Belgium & Holland Tour Guide Lucretia Hunsucker is our Roving Reporter today, sharing her discoveries this week at PAN Amsterdam!
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One of the delights of the winter in the Netherlands is the antiques fair PAN, held every November in Amsterdam RAI. For the lucky ones with an eye for beauty and deep pockets, it’s an Eldorado.
It’s as if you visit the Rijksmuseum and everything would be for sale. Saturday was the opening, a society event where the rich and famous have the privilege of first choice out of an endless array of antiques from the Egyptian era to the very hip, with everything in between. Collectors can go straight to their field of interest to add an item to their collection, generalists can just browse, till lightning strikes and they fall in love with an object. The dealers are keen on telling you all you would like to know about their treasures, don’t be shy to ask, they are very friendly! Never think you ask a stupid question. Thus I was surprised to hear from Dolf van Omme, who had both a small early painting and a pencil drawing by Mondrian for sale, that the drawing was more expensive than the painting, because it was rarer.
Another eye opener for me: 17th century art is more affordable now than more recent artworks. Also in antiques there’s the law of supply and demand, and of what’s trendy at the moment in Interior Decoration. But fashion changes all the time, don’t let it dictate what you should personally like or eventually buy.
Just imagine I win the lottery tomorrow, what would I spend it on? Probably my first choice would be something of silver, because I trust the intrinsic value of the material (the price of silver is rising constantly, as is gold), but also because it seems so indestructible. No chance of breaking it in a moment of clumsiness, which means you can use the silverware to give an extra shine to your little parties at home. You don’t even have to be a great cook to impress your guests! A simple soup would look scrumptious when served in that beautiful 18th century tureen in Louis XVI style, , which I saw in the stand of Jacob Roosjen, formerly the silver expert at Sotheby’s Amsterdam. Your bread rolls would taste divine in the solid silver (never a plated object to be found in the PAN) basket in a delightful rococo style, from 1774, made in the residence of the court The Hague.
If you’re even lazier and give only cocktail parties, what a smashing eye catcher would the huge wine cooler be, nearly 6 kg in silver, 61 cm wide, big enough to keep 6 bottles of champagne or white wine cold! It is the biggest wine cooler in this Louis XV style on the market, the dealer told me, and the Rijksmuseum has a very similar one.
Now these silver objects don’t come cheap, you could buy a small apartment in the centre of Amsterdam for the price of that wine cooler, but if my pockets were still not empty, I would certainly buy some 18th century furniture, so refined and elegant in its lines and decor. This French commode in Louis XVI style, of course ” d’epoque” (which means no reproduction of the 19th century), would come in very handy in my living room, and I wouldn’t say no to the painting of that pretty lady by Largillierre to complete the look, thanks to antique dealer Mischo van Kollenburg. I would also take that marquetterie secretaire I saw at Theo Daatselaar, fit evenly for writing romantic letters with a feather or sending a message from your laptop.
For my bedroom I would go for the Empire style, of about 1800, also one of my favorites.
I love the warm shine of mahogany with the typical gilded brass decorations you always see in this furniture of Napoleon’s days. A good mirror is a girl’s best friend, can’t live without them. My choice would be the enormous French “psyche”, as it is called, from Limburg Antiquairs. It is more than life-size, must have been made for a giant. They also offered this empire commode, made for the Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, what a pretty ensemble that would make!
Enough dreaming, alas! For those of you readers who have euros to spend before they evaporate, I would say: go! The fair is still open all week until Sunday the 27th of November.
Happy Antiquing,
Antiques Diva Tour Guide Lucretia
(seen below in Amsterdam on an Antiques Diva Tour)
Diva’s Only Sleep with Belvivere
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
I married a diva, er make that a divo. It goes to reason that a diva is drawn to their own kind, so I fear it was inevitable I ended up with someone who has equally impressive champagne tastes. My husband is particular. He is very particular. You might just say he is picky. And the quality of the linens we buy matters more to him than virtually any other decision we make in our household décor.
Over the years my husband has driven me to the brink of insanity in the bedroom. For 15 years of marriage he has disliked our sheets, duvets, bedroom linens. I tend to be a form over function kind of girl and have always bought first for look and style. To me, the sheets and duvet covers I’ve bought were comfortable enough – I was buying high thread counts and they felt fine. To my husband they were torture in the bedroom. My husband has growled, complained and nagged about everything from the weight of the duvet being too heavy to the texture of the sheets being too scratchy to a bedspread feeling sticky because it was too silky. We’ve changed our bedroom décor nearly twice annually as I tried to satisfy his particular tastes!
A couple of years ago I discovered a brand that has changed my marriage!! I discovered Belvivere! My husband feels so passionately about their luxury Italian linens that he actually wrote CEO Jay C Conti a testimonial to be included on the Belvivere website. My husband wrote…
“Okay, I admit it. I am a guy who likes good quality sheets. Over the years my wife has brought home set after set of sheets only to have me frown as I crawled into bed. No matter how much she spent or where she shopped, they never passed my comfort test. They were either too itchy, too stiff or too silky. My wife says she married ‘the princess and the pea’. Discovering Belvivere changed all that and sliding under their cotton sateen 700 thread count sheets transformed my bedtime ritual into a daily luxury. My search for the perfect sheet is over. Thank you Belvivere!”
If you’re married to “The Princess and The Pea”, I’ve got a tip that’s guaranteed to save your marriage. Buy Belvivere! And remember – Diva’s only sleep with Belvivere!
Good Night!!
The Antiques Diva® & husband seen below dining in Florence last May with Belvivere CEO Jay C Conti and his lovely wife
2 Favorite French Blogs
1 CommentI’m making the rounds this week… and would like to give un très gros merci to 2 of my favorite French bloggers for giving The Antiques Diva & Co a shout out on their uber-hip blogs recently!!
The Antiques Diva & La Mom bloggers
My friends Stephanie & Allison, the authors of La Mom blog, are doing a sensational new series titled VIP – Very Interesting Parisians where they interview everyone from author Elaine Sciolino of La Séduction to the French journalist William Réjault (a man so interesting he even has his own Wikipedia entry). Somehow in the midst of all these très intéressant Parisians, I managed to get interviewed for the series. I’m still not sure how that happened – but think that having friends in high places (er, thanks Stephanie & Allison) might have helped secure me one of the coveted slots on La Mom blog!
In my interview they asked hard-hitting questions, getting me to reveal answers to questions on my favorite French stores, restaurants, meals, drinks and more…. Not only will you learn a little about me in this interview but you’ll also learn some great addresses for shopping in the city along the Seine. Merci La Mom for including me in your VIP List!
If you’re not already reading La Mom, you’ll want to add her to your blog roll – La Mom is actually Les Moms! Stephanie and Allison are two best friends in Paris blogging about what the tourists don’t see and “La Mom” is the character they’ve created who lives out an amalgam of Stephanie and Allison’s everyday (but extraordinary!) experiences raising Franco-American families in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Another great French blog to follow is The Carams blog, another joint venture between amies who happen to share a passion for photography. Carina and Amanda’s blog allows you to follow their oh-so-picturesque French life through the lens of their cameras! And – as I DO write a shopping blog – I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that their site also allows incredible opportunities to buy handmade cards, photo’s d’art.
In addition to having a guest appearance on La Mom blog last month I was delighted to discover that Carams also gave me a shout out on their blog last month in an article title Brocantes – The Ultimate French Treasure Hunt. Following is just one of Carina’s gorgeous photos of her recent trip to Lille. If I know you like I think I do, I’m certain you’ll enjoy the great tips Carina gives on where to stop, shop and drop some dough at the brocantes and flea markets of France!
Merci Ladies for telling your readers about The Antiques Diva® & Co’s European antique shopping tours!
Au Revoir!
The Antiques Diva®
Guest Blog: Paris Travel Tips
11 CommentsAntiques Diva® Paris Tour Guide Jennifer is our special Guest Blogger today at The Antiques Diva® & Co!
The daughter of an antiques dealer, Jennifer’s love of all things old started at a young age. Her earliest memories are of spending long days at auctions with her father. From the Boston area originally, preppy is in her blood and though Jennifer met the (French) man of her dreams, marrying and moving to Paris a decade ago, she can’t shake that blue-blood style! Though she admits, shifting from life as an insurance professional and Junior League member during her previous life stateside to maman and femme au foyer (a fancy word for French housewife) in Paris has come as naturally to her as if she were to the chateau born! Not only does Jennifer bring great Bostonian style to Paris but she also brings bits of Paris back home to Boston. For the last decade during her spare time Jen could be found scouting Les Puces de Paris, shopping for inventory for her family antique business. Her particular favorite thing to shop for are boule d’escalier en verre (that glass ball that sits on newel posts). When Jen decided to return to work after having children, she decided that Paris was much too glamorous to continue her insurance career so she turned her passion for antiques into employment and is now a member of our Paris Antiques Diva team!
One of the many things Jen is particularly good at is sharing Paris Travel Tips with our clients. Since a lot of our Diva Readers & Clients are coming to The City of Light for the first time, Jen thought it would be a great idea to share some of her top tips – though she starts off by confessing a caveat: “not all of these tips are totally Diva-esque! Jen’s the first to recognize that sometimes even Divas are practical when traveling!”
Jen’s Paris Travel Tips
- Buy a Paris Museum Pass. Even if you are planning to visit just a few museums, consider getting a two-day pass (http://en.parismuseumpass.com/). Time is money and not wasting two hours in line at the Louvre is worth it! Don’t forget that Paris has a plethora of museums; be sure to check out some of the lesser known ones (http://www.parisnotes.com/museums/parismuseums.html).
- Buy your metro tickets in packs of ten (à l’unité vs en carnet). Always keep your ticket until you exit the metro in case you are controlled.
- If possible, don’t bring your laptop and/or activate your smart phone in France. Enjoy Paris! Do you really want your office to be able to reach you day and night or to waste your time surfing the internet when you could be sipping a kir (white wine and crème de cassis) on the banks of the Seine? Do your “friends” need a status update every time you cross the street in Paris? Trust me, we all survived before Twitter. Of course, if you’re on an Antiques Diva® Tour you might not be able to help yourself but to tweet about your fab find to make all your friends back home jealous!
- Skip your hotel’s continental breakfast; it can translate to $40 a person. Consider exploring your neighborhood and having coffee/croissants at a local boulangerie or patisserie: many have little tables. TIP: if you have your coffee standing up at the bar area of a restaurant instead of sitting at a table, your coffee usually costs less.
- Speaking of coffee, if you want milk in your coffee order a “café crème” and not “café au lait” like tourists do. The French don’t drink milk in their coffee after breakfast, so if you order a coffee at lunch or dinner it will be an espresso (ask for a café). It is always served as a separate course i.e., after dessert. Slow down and enjoy your meals like the French do. Often you will have to ask for your check, not because of bad service but because restaurants encourage people to linger over their meals.
- Bone up on military time as the 24-hour clock is still big here. I still get confused and forget that 16h is 4:00 pm and not 6:00 pm.
- Learn the names of offal in French. Might not sound important, but wait till you order “ris de veau” and your veal roast turns out to be sweetbreads! Pronunciation counts too when ordering. I’ll never forget the time I ordered Lillet (an apéritif ) and got a glass of le lait (milk).
- Carry an umbrella and sunglasses at all times because the weather can fluctuate between rainy and sunny all day long. The Antiques Diva takes this a step further and also packs a hat!
- Face it, unless you plan to launder large amounts of cash overseas, leave the money belt at home. Do carry your wallet in a safe place, such as an inside zippered pocket in your purse. Another dead give away: NO WHITE SNEAKERS! Converse and Pumas maybe, but black shoes or boots will get you further. And everybody really does wear scarves over here, even in the summer. DIVA TIP: French people even sleep with their scarf on if they feel a cold coming on!
- Leave the lipstick and hairbrush in your purse as personal grooming in public is considered gauche, but, if you’re a smoker, do get out the Marlboro Lights. It is still chic to smoke here, although you can no longer smoke in most bars and restaurants.
- Most people think to notify their credit card company that they will be traveling abroad, but if you will be buying a lot of antiques, cash is king and consider asking your bank to increase your daily cash withdrawal limit as well.
- Make sure to find out your PIN # for your credit card before you travel as many places only accept credit cards with PIN.
- It is always a good idea to look nice when visiting Paris, but leave your gems at home. The French are not blatant with their bling and it is never a good idea to flaunt your Rolex on the metro. TIP: When antique shopping at “Les Puces”, dressing stylishly yet discretely is always a good bargaining tool.
- A coffee might be 5€ in a café, but think of it as renting space for the afternoon. You won’t be bothered as you write your postcards. Better yet, order a glass of wine. It is often cheaper than soda.
- Travel with a copy of your passport, not just for security reasons but also to detaxe (partial refund on the VAT: http://www.detaxe.com/ ).
- Paying 600€ plus for dinner gets old, fast. Most of the 3 star Michelin restaurants have fantastic lunch deals (http://www.paris-best-restaurants.com/restaurants/michelin-3-star-paris-restaurants.php ) and if you inquire about our Concierge Services at jennifer@antiquesdiva.com we’re happy to help you book a table or make restro recommendations. Don’t forget to check out some of the smaller restaurants, and if you see a menu in English, RUN! TIP: Ordering “le menu” (two or three courses for a set price, usually with choices) off “la carte” is usually your best option.
- The French don’t hate Americans, just rudeness in general as they define it. It is a more formal culture and some basic knowledge of French etiquette such as “bonjour monsieur /merci au revoir/bonne journée” goes a long way.
- With a few exceptions, most of the French stores can be found in larger US cities and often with better prices. Skip the chain stores! Yes Petit Bateau has a better selection and cheaper prices in France, but did you really come here to hang at the mall? The chain “Monoprix” (like a small Target with food) is a good source for baby and children’s clothes at great prices. Just tell everybody back home that it is like a trendier Bon Point (high-end children’s boutique).
- Toilets are always plural here, even if there is just one. So always ask “Ou sont les toilettes?” and never “Ou est la toilette?”. The public cubicle-style toilets that you find on some sidewalks are now free.
- And finally, consider one of the Antiques Diva’s exciting tours by emailing info@antiquesdiva.com or customized itineraries to make your stay even more enjoyable. Only the most privileged can brag about exploring Paris Diva-style!
Bon Voyage,
Paris Diva Guide Jennifer
Mrs Wheel Barrow Goes to Paris with The Washington Post and The Antiques Diva
6 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
While this blog could begin with an “Extra, Extra, Read All About It” announcement that The Antiques Diva® was in The Washington Post blog, the story starts much further back than that. It all started when Haven in Paris wrote an article on their blog “HipParis” on The Antiques Diva & Co, giving a review of our Paris Antiques Tours.
Cathy Barrow, famous for her blog Mrs Wheel Barrow, read the HipParis article and left a comment saying “I need to do this tour!” Having long been a fan of Cathy’s writing and wonderful recipes and food discussions I jumped on the chance to meet her, emailing “Cathy we’d love to offer you an Antiques Diva tour next time you’re in Paris!” Well, bim, bam, boom… it just so happened Cathy Barrows was coming to Paris only a week or so later. With some last minute juggling of schedules we rendezvoused in the city of light! She had a tight schedule and less than 24 hours to do Paris (don’t worry – this must have been her 30th trip to Paris so she was well-versed in what she considered the highlights to hit – primarily gourmet food, shopping for gourmet food, Hermes, the flea markets and more gourmet food – you can see why I like her so). Our goal was to maximize her time soaking in all the quintessential Parisian experiences…. and to do a slew of flea marketing while she was at it, all the while power chatting over shared interests and common bonds.
The Paris trip was an afterthought in Mrs Wheel Barrow’s French Countryside excursion – for Cathy knew she couldn’t come to France and not spend some time (even if only a day) in Paris. Her real reason for coming to France was Les Grrls Meat Camp with Kate Hill’s Gascon Kitchen and Cathy had been tapped by The Washington Post to write about her week at this French cooking school for their blog. Since she was meeting me in Paris she decided that our Paris Antiques Tour was equally Washington Post blog worthy and gave some great coverage of our day!
We started the day with a chat over a Café Crème at Les Deux Magots as it turned out to be both our favorite Parisian coffee haunts. Knowing that Cathy has an incredible collection of Hermes scarves and knows not only the pattern names but also Hermes’ various artists, I’d organized a special event in her honor! I’d called ahead to Les Trois Marche de Catherine B – unquestionably the BEST source for vintage Hermes in Paris – and asked the affable and charming Catherine if they’d open early for us to view their collection in private before we dashed to the Porte de Vanves flea market and then on to another traveling one-weekend-only brocante later in the day.
Catherine greeted us with an effervescent smile and while Cathy tried on Hermes scarf after Hermes scarf, draping herself in luxury, I lovingly sported one vintage Chanel bag for the entire time I was in the shop. I’ve fallen in love with this particular purse (which sadly I didn’t photograph) but should my darling husband happen to be reading this post…(hint, hint) Catherine knows which bag I want! Can you say “DREAM CHRISTMAS PRESENT”?
Invigorated by that luxury shopping we hopped on the metro ready to conquer the day. First official Flea Market stop of the day? The Porte de Vanves flea market. Cathy had told me she was looking for less expensive items, perfectly packables and anything to do with French cuisine. She honed in on some café au lait bowls, some darling French menu cards and an array of French cutlery.
Cathy wrote in her Washington Post article about the Porte de Vanves experience, “The whirlwind shopping day never could have happened without Toma’s help. She came well-prepared and rapidly sensed what I was looking to find. I appreciated her well-trained eye and her advice about how to bargain.”
Famished from all that shopping, we decided lunch was in order! But not before we met a friend. If meeting famous blogger Cathy Barrow was NOT enough excitement for me, Cathy had arranged for us to meet up with a friend of hers for the afternoon – Author Kari Underly of “The Art of Meat Cutting”. Kari was fresh off the plane, arriving Paris only hours before we met for lunch, and would be joining Cathy at Meat Camp in Gascony. Kari had spent the last few days in NYC doing appearances on the Today Show, and meeting with Food & Wine magazine among others and burst into Paris ready to rumble!
With our stomachs rumbling we rounded the corner from Kari’s hotel and took a seat at the famous French café Le Dome. With two “Meat Camp” gals by my side I was certain they’d order entrocote, but when we saw the fish of the day go by we all three decided Poisson was in order!
From Le Dome, it was time to conquer our 2nd market of the day. Cathy wanted to get off the beaten path so rather than visiting the traditional flea market at St Ouen we visited a traveling brocante in town for only that weekend. This was Kari’s first trip to Paris – and she was a flea market virgin – so with appropriate fanfare our afternoon shopping began!
You’d never guess what the girls gravitated towards at the brocante….. ANTIQUE KNIVES!!!
After whiling away the afternoon flea marketing, we made our way back across the Seine for a little shopping and site-seeing in St Germain des Pres!
Cathy had one “must do” on her Diva Antiques Tour in Paris – she had to take time to stop at her favorite shop in Paris, L’Huilierie LeBlanc on Rue Jacob, to buy incredible olive oils and vinaigrettes. This was the one thing she couldn’t miss on her trip to Paris. Coincidentally I’d lived literally around the corner from that shop for five years and had spent my fair share of Euros in this boutique over the years – we agreed it was simply the best olive oil shop in town!
With olive oils and vinegars purchased, our arms laden with our antiques we decided the perfect way to cap off the day would be Laduree! Enjoying champagne & macaroons, we curled into a booth to meet The Antiques Diva & Co Paris team as well as the famous French blogger La Mom for a final farewell to the day. All in all, Cathy Barrow might have only had 24 hours in Paris but I’d say we made the most of her time, helping her Tour Paris, Antiques Diva Style!
To find out more about our Paris Tours email info@antiquesdiva.com – all tours are private one-on-one experiences fit for your French fancy.
The Antiques Diva
(with 2 of the 4 Parisian Diva Guides – Franca & Jen – at Laduree)
Blogs I’m Reading
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
While I’m away shopping in London, the Cotswolds and Bath on an Antiques Diva® England Tour I didn’t want to leave you all alone, so I’ve gathered a few friends to keep you company. In case you’re not already familiar with these bloggers I want to introduce you to some of the chicest addresses in the blogosphere!
Blog’s I’m Reading:
Design*Sponge is a design blog run by Brooklyn-based writer, Grace Bonney. Launched in August of 2004, the site updates between 6-8 times per day and was declared a “Martha Stewart Living for the Millennials” by the New York Times.
As a stylish, young, interior designer living and working in New York City, blogger Heather Clawson is constantly surrounded by habitually chic people, places and things and she muses on art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, books, events, and everything else habitually chic!
The SourceBook for the Modern Home, Remodelista is written by a group of friends who share eerily similar design sensibilities; a collective design DNA and who care – a lot – about interiors. They’re known to wake up in the middle of the night to bid on Thonet dining chairs and in an entirely selfless manner – merely for the benefit of their readers – they wade through stacks and stacks of gorgeous design magazines every month!
With a tag line that reads “saving the world one room at a time”, Apartment Therapy helps their readers make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.
Chic Tip is a daily design blog dedicated to the art of interior design, residential architecture, stores, hotels and restaurant design featuring stores, products, artists, reviews, sales, contest announcements, trends-in-the-make and more. And it’s not just a blog; it’s a community – for designers seeking inspiration and for amateur design enthusiasts. ChicTip.com is edited and published by Michelle & Keren, both professional designers with an addiction to modern and mid-century design.
Written by Los Angeles Interior Designer Brooke Giannetti, Velvet and Linen is a blog about Brooke’s life with her Architect husband. As a California-based interior decorator, her projects often incorporate Belgian and Swedish antiques paired with industrial and outdoor elements. Brooke frequently collaborates with her husband, architect Steve Giannetti, on projects as well as their home store Giannetti Home.
Inspiring Interiors is a simply gorgeous blog, where its author painstakingly chooses some of the most inspiring interiors to give inspiration to her readers. She looks at every detail in a photo, attempting to concoct ways to copy the chicest ideas.
Happy Reading,
The Antiques Diva®
27th Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze
1 Comment
Dear Diva Readers,
My Antiques Diva Guide in Tuscany, Susan P, did it again… she honed in on a fabulous antiques fair to tell our readers all about! Susan, in the role of roving reporter, writes from Florence sharing exclusive coverage of the 27th Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze.
So Ciao Ciao from me, The Antiques Diva
And Buongiorno from La Dolce Diva, Susan P
GUEST BLOG
This October the 27th Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze took place in the wonderful Palazzo Corsini which sits on the banks of the Arno in the heart of Florence, just a stones throw from the Uffizzi. It was a spectacular location for such an important event.
The ‘Biennale’ antiques fair is the oldest in Italy and one of the most important and prestigious of its kind in the world, inaugurated in 1959 at the Palazzo Strozzi as the idea of Luigi Bellini Sr, a member of the illustrious family of Florentine antiquarians. It became a cultural and social event that could not be missed, to the extent that the Florentine Fair was visited both by the members of the international jet set and by a crowd avid for curiosities, knowledge and marvels and still remains so today… an event where everyone knows everyone.
Definitely not for the casual collector; but a treat to have the privilege to view what in effect is a private museum. Termed ‘rooms’ rather than stands, each elegantly decorated and of course tastefully displayed, items having been carefully selected for the occasion. To find so much under one roof was almost overwhelming; fine and rare pieces (fearful to ask the price of most) spanning from Roman busts to 20th century art.
Names such as Canaletto (of which there were seven drawings from a private collection) and Carriera seemed the norm. 88 exhibitors, of which 14 were foreign dealers, showcased a dazzling array of over 3,000 objects which included paintings, sculpture, furniture, books and rugs… with contemporary jewellery and art to complete the picture (excuse the pun).
My favourite piece was ‘Noah’s Ark on the Mount Ararat’ by Simon de Myle, a signed and dated panel of 1570 exhibited by the Paris Gallery of De Jonckheere Paris, which I discovered was sold late spring at Sotheby’s in Paris for over euro 1,000,000, way over its estimate but is the only known piece by this artist. I could definitely find a place for this at home!
Having said that, I couldn’t help but be drawn to two paintings displayed by Robilant & Voena, who have galleries in both London and Milan.
View of the Arno
View of Piazza della Signoria
Recently rediscovered works by Thomas Patch (1725-1782) entitled, ‘View of the Arno with the Santa Trinita Bridge’ and ‘View of Piazza della Signoria’, have been conserved for over half a century in a German private collection. Patch himself was an interesting character with quite a story; he was one of the many who embarked on the grand tour of Europe, struck by Stendhal’s syndrome perhaps other enticements remained in Florence till his death, making his living undertaking commissions from rich young British men on the grand tour. His paintings today are in the Royal Collection in London and various museums.
There were also fabulous pieces of furniture and sculptures, Italian furniture. On the stand of Piva & Cie, Milan was a pair of turned and carved 17th-century tables in walnut with tops of Verona marble. But I was distracted by a magnificent, elaborately decorated 18th-century Venetian mirror, heavily gilded with inserts in mother-of-pearl (Gallo Antiquariato, Milan).
A pleasant surprise and interlude was the Diana Vreeland Gallery which specializes in jewellery from 1900 to 1970. Fabulous pieces that conjures up images of society parties in the 50′s an 60′s from great names such as Boucheron and Webb to name just two.
There were also dealers from north to south of Italy, including Naples which of course included a display of an authentic 18th century Neapolitan nativity scene.
Although out of reach for many of us, everything is for sale though destined to become part of private and public collections. Each piece is carefully vetted by two committees; the Florence export office and officials from the ministry of culture in Rome, having been authenticated and verified they are given an export license, unless it is one of the four or five items in every fair that have been considered to be of great importance to the heritage of Italy and are therefore only tradable within Italy
The location for the fair is just as spectacular: the imposing Palazzo Corsini, which sits right along the Arno not too far from the Uffizzi Museum, has hosted the Biennale since 1997. It was apparently built as a ‘casino’; no, not for gambling but the diminutive for a house (casa) in Italian. This ‘little’ house was apparently surrounded by gardens and fields – hard to believe today. The palace has hosted great personalities from the nobility of the renaissance and politicians of every epoca to Greta Garbo, Giorgio De Chirico and John Houston. The Palazzo Corsini in its subdued Baroque style with 18th-century flair is truly an amazing building and a sight to see in itself. Externally it gives little clue as to what lies inside. The imposing reception rooms designed for every occasion painstakingly stuccoed and decorated. Even a Grotto on the ground floor resplendent with encrusted shells and coral.
Lunch catering by one of my favourite, Convivium, to end the day as we took a moment to reflect; sipping prosecco on the open ‘Loggia’ terrace looking down to the Arno and up to Piazza Michelangelo and sigh, Stendahl’s syndrome perhaps?
With Love from Italy -
Susan P – La Dolce Diva
P.S. If you enjoyed this blog post about this great antique fair in Italy, you might consider booking an Italian Antiques Tour with La Dolce Diva Susan P, shopping from Florence to Arezzo, Sienna, and throughout the Tuscan borders.
Bastille Brocante 2011
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
There’s still time for you to book an Antiques Diva® Tour during one of our favorite French Antique Fairs SALON D’ANTIQUITES BROCANTE at the PLACE DE LA BASTILLE . Held from 4 – 13 NOVEMBER 2011 some of our favorite upscale vendors will be setting up shop alongside the Seine!
This traditional fair first occurred in 1969 and has become over time a Parisian institution with undeniable French charm owing to it’s location in the heart of Paris and it’s exclusive antique atmosphere boasting over 350 French vendors!
The theme of this years event is “MINIATURE AND SMALL OBJECTS OF VERTU” so many of the vendors will specialize in offering unusual and tiny miniature precious curiosities!
LOCATION
PARIS – Place de la Bastille
ACCESS
Metro: lines 1, 5 or 8 – station: Bastille
HOURS
Daily from 11 am to 19 pm
ENTRY FEE
8 Euros
To read a past blog post about this sensational antiques fair and to see some of Paris Parfait’s photos -
click here.
For information on Antiques Diva Special Tours of the Bastille Brocante:
contact info@antiquesdiva.com
Bonne Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
Save the Date for a French Brocante Tour March 2012
4 Comments
Photo Credit: NY Times Monika Höfler
Dear Diva Readers,
Who doesn’t love Paris in the Spring? From March 9 -18, 2012 we’ll celebrate the start of the flea market season with La Foire Nationale à la Brocante et aux Jambons – the French National Fair of the Flea Market and Ham – offering tours that combine cooking lessons at the Ritz with antiquing excursions to Renoir’s painting paradise on the Ile de Chatou! With options to book one-day or multi-day French flea market tours it’s time to go “Hog Wild” in Paris by booking a special tour!
But don’t just take my word for it, take The New York Times!
The Antiques Diva & Co was delighted to get a mention in a recent New York Times Style Magazine in an article titled Pigs & a Blanket covering this delightful Ham and Antiques Fair!
For March 2012 Tour queries – or for info on any of our antique shopping tours in 6 different countries – email toma@antiquesdiva.com
Bonne Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
(Seen below with Antiques Diva Paris Guide Kim)
La Bella Italia
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
One of my favorite Boutique and Luxury Hotel Booking Specialists – Mr & Mrs Smith - has just published a new book on La Bella Italia for Signore and Signora Smiths everywhere. The Mr & Mrs Smith team has slept their way across Italy, testing the most luxurious boutique hotels in the big boot from top to toe, South Tyrol to Sicily. This book features 32 hand-picked of the country’s most stylish boutique hotels: from contemporary city slickers and baroque palazzi to shabby-chic farmhouses and coastal villa retreats.
Taste olive oil in Puglia, hunt truffles in Umbria, admire art in Venice: they give the insider lowdown in what to get up to in each destination featured, and include up-to-date restaurant recommendations, advice on the best times to visit, where to go and what to pack, as well as insider tips on everything from gourmet delis to little-known festivals and vineyards.
Of course, while you’re sleeping in those best boutique hotels in Italy you’ll naturally want to book an Antiques Diva Italy Tour in Tuscany or Florence!
Take a sneak peek into this divalicious book!
Sogni d’ oro – Sweet Dreams!
The Antiques Diva®
(Seen Hiding under a Sun Hat in an Olive Grove in the Cinque Terre below)
Haven in Paris
4 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Recently I wrote to you telling about the article our friends at Haven in Paris shared on their HiP Paris blog. This week I want to share with you an inside glimpse at the fun & funky Parisian apartment of Haven in Paris owner Erica B.
Earlier this year Erica and I had a chance to meet in person and I was absolutely smitten with not only Erica but the view from her Montmartre pied-a-terre as well as her divine French kitchen décor!
Above the door to Erica’s quirky kitchen hangs a giant Patisserie sign purchased at one of my favorite flea markets in the south of France.
Erica happens to be a flea market maven and one day while shopping in Ville Neuve Les Avignons she honed in on the biggest bargain at the market. This sign was going for a song and knowing she had a good deal on her hands she snagged this sign and before she left the market other vendors were coming up and trying to buy it off of her!
In fact, I suspect this happens to her a lot for she has a great eye for French Flea Market finds and when I walked into her apartment my flea market mouth went into action! Though I normally try to contain myself from trying to buy items off my friend’s walls, I immediately put in an offer saying, “If you ever want to sell that sign…” and she cut me off at the chase saying “Not going to happen!”
I appeased myself by playing with her cat and laughed when Erica agreed with me that “A True Diva always has to try when they find something they want!”
Erica happily showed me around her apartment and in getting to know her and seeing her fun French style of décor I could understand why her company – Haven in Paris – has become so popular. She chooses apartments with personality – that show the French joie de vivre and style of décor. Her commitment to excellence in quality guarantees the apartments in her selection are top quality. Plus – you may not know this – but when Erica is at her other home in Italy she rents out her Bourgeois Bohemian partment as part of the Haven in Paris line up of sensational places to stay in Paris.
Make sure to visit Erica’s blog – HiP Paris – and check out Haven in Paris apartment rentals on your next stay in the city of light (or in her other locales in Tuscany and Provence).
Au Revior,
The Antiques Diva®
Can’t Get Enough of Saxon Henry
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
I’m writing today to give a special Grazie Mille to one of my favorite bloggers: Saxon Henry of Roaming by Design!
Saxon Henry
This month Saxon shared the news on her fab blog announcing to her readers that The Antiques Diva® & Co is now offering Italian Tours! If you didn’t catch Saxon’s article on Antiques Diva Italian Tours make sure to do so now!
While I love Saxon’s blog Roaming by Design, I’m also a fan of all Saxon’s work (and Saxon in general as she’s one of my favorite travel companions and client-turned-friend). Did you know that she publishes a number of blogs, including her life story - The Road To Promise? She’s also turned her passion for social media into a career – her new Social Media consultancy firm, Adroyt, founded with the dazzling Richard Holschuh, is now in full swing!
I simply can’t get enough of Saxon Henry! Make sure to visit both these sites for more Saxon Henry fun!!
The Antiques Diva®
Guest Blog – Paper Marbling in Florence
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
Today’s blog comes to you from Tuscany and your Antiques Diva Guide Susan P as she shares details on her recent Paper Marbling Workshop in Florence! This workshop is just one of the insider’s tips on Italy that we offer access to on our Antiques Diva Italian Tours!
So ta ta from me and Buongiorno from La Dolce Diva Guide – Susan P
The Antiques Diva®
Diva Guide Susan P
Just a stone’s throw from the famous Boboli gardens and the Pitti Palace, not far from the hustle and bustle of Santo Spirito, tucked almost anonymously in one of those many narrow Florentine streets is the workshop of Omero Benvenuti, bookbinder since 1967. From outside a dusty window front reveals little of what jewels are held within. A small but impressive display of beautifully hand-worked, leather-bound books and a mirage of coloured Florentine marbled paper pieces from letter racks to pencil holders, little boxes for stamps to carefully displayed papers, all of which he has created himself.
We had come to try our hand at making Florentine marbled paper under the watchful but auspicious eye of Omero (his name a wonder in itself meaning Homer). A passionate and gentle soul, a true Florentine artisan, more concerned with his craft than commerce, choosing only the best quality natural leather, colours and glues and following traditions passed down through generations. He proudly displays his inherited antique embossing tools and demonstrates their use using fine gold leaf. Whilst we are there one of his ‘regular’ clients came to collect a 19th copy of Dante’s ‘Inferno’ that he had rebound and covered.
He guided us to the back of the single room store. There he mixed for us five acrylic-based colours with water in little pots carefully lining them. Alongside was a large tray into which he poured a liquid which he had prepared the day before that must be left for at least 12 hours to rest. Of course each artisan has his own secrets… but Omero did share his incredible recipe; the ingredients were mind boggling; algae, water, Arabic gum, the yolk of an egg, a sachet of icing sugar all boiled up together. We noticed some rather dangerous looking medieval tools, which turned out to be his homemade combs.
We were given free reign to choose and apply the paints as we wished which was great fun! Colours are applied to the surface of the oily water in splatters using a paint brush, Best results are obtained using no more than six colours – one colour after another starting with the darker shades and then the lighter ones to create a dense pattern of several colors, which slowly expand. At this point you can lay the paper directly on the surface of the liquid, which we did try and came out with more contemporary designs, but more often motifs are created stirring the colour spots with a thin stick and the metal combs: first a comb with straight and narrow teeth and then a comb with triangular teeth. Each artisan uses his own-developed combs, enabling him to obtain unique motifs. Even the same comb produces very different decorations used in different ways.
Now a paper sheet is carefully laid down on the water, paying attention to avoid that no air bubbles remain between the paper and the water surface, as this would result in black patches … Omero didn’t quite trust us to do this so we left it in his capable hands. He dragged the sheet of paper over a rod to draw off the excess liquid… we waited with baited breath, feeling sure it was all going to smudge… . But what a wonderful surprise the final results, the colors being so much more vibrant than they appeared in the tray… it was hard to believe that it really was we who had created them!
Bellissimo!
Susan P – Your Dolce Diva – Leading Antique Shopping Tours in Tuscany
HiP Paris Antiques Tour
5 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
I am absolutely delighted to announce that Haven in Paris – with their short term luxury apartment rentals in Paris, Provence and Tuscany – has chosen my company The Antiques Diva & Co European Tours to be included in their list of recommended services! While many companies provide links to a variety of services, Haven in Paris personally verifies all their service providers, really screening the services they recommend so they can give them the HiP Paris Seal of Approval! They test shopped our company recently and then they wrote about their Paris Flea Market Tour on their uber-popular blog HiP Paris.
Paris Diva Guide – Franca
They shopped with one of my Paris Diva Guides – Franca – and my favorite line of the article reads, “After experiencing a guided {Paris Flea Market} tour, though, we couldn’t imagine a serious antique-buying spree without our lovely Franca there to guide us to the real gems and ease away our fears with her expert bargaining.”
Photo Courtesy of HiP Paris
Franca is an absolute gem and simply an expert antique shopper and I must tell you that I consider myself down-right lucky and honored to work with 4 lovely ladies in Paris – they help me guide Paris Antiques Diva Tours when one of the other 6 countries where we offer tours has me away from the city of light and I’m not able to lead tours myself! I’ve gathered a team of professional stylistas who know Paris like the back of their hand to guide Diva Clients through the Paris Fleas… and whether you’re shopping with Franca, Kim, Jennifer or Laila this statement from HiP Paris holds true!
Each time a client takes a tour they tend to write me the nicest notes, thanking me for introducing them to their new best friend in Paris – saying “I couldn’t imagine shopping the Paris Flea Market without The Antiques Diva & Co by my side”.
On Antiques Diva Tours, we don’t just shop with you – we share our life! We’re like your interior decorator, personal shopper and best friend combined and it just so happens we have an incredibly chic little black book of the best addresses in town and it’s our goal to match our contacts with your shopping desires to help you find that perfect souvenir from Paris! Don’t forget that in French “souvenir” means memories – and our goal is to help you buy memories so you can bring them home and put them on your mantle!
Sincere thanks to Erica, Ariel and Andrea and the whole Haven in Paris Team for our Paris Flea Market Tour review – make sure to read the article here and to check all their other great tips on the Haven in Paris blog!!!
The Antiques Diva®
(seen below with 2 of my Diva Guides recently in Paris)
The Marionette Kings
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
While my Antiques Diva Guide in Italy – Susan – and I were out shopping in Tuscany recently doing hard-core research for an upcoming Antiques Diva Tour I snapped a photo of some incredibly charming, toy-like crowns in the window of an antique and vintage shop. A month later while sorting through the photos they caught my eye again and I jotted Susan a quick email, asking her to refresh my middle-aged memory as to what these cute crowns were… alas, I fear it’s time to face the inevitable, I’m creeping into middle age and my memory has gone down the toilet! “Susan,” I wrote, “What are these and Where did we find them!! I love them!” Susan’s reply had me spell-bound and I had to share with you the story that unfolded leaving me utterly intrigued.
Susan wrote, “We found these in that little courtyard just off Via Di Fossi in Florence – this courtyard is just one of the little surprises you find in Tuscany if you know where to poke your nose. You spied these at the very back of the long tiny narrow shop and I think you took this photo as we peered thru’ the glass and saw an Aladdin’s cave packed with curiosities. On a table lay a stack of tin crowns… they were almost full-size but not quite and they were placed far away from their owners who lingered in the corner with beady eyes staring out at us”.
This was sounding ominous… I’m often snapping photos and being yelled at after-the-fact as many a vendor in foreign locales doesn’t like you taking pictures of their inventory. But I didn’t remember being yelled at by an Italian dealer and I usually remember the good tongue lashings. As I read on, I discovered the crowns in-animate owners hung on strings in the back of the shop.
Susan explained, “Tucked away in the corner there hung several Sicilian Marionettes, finely chiseled faces, curved mustaches, long dark hair, plumbed hats and headdresses, though covered with dust they still possessed their arrogant and haughty air.”
These crowns I adored belonged to the famous Sicilian Marionettes – known as Pupil Sicilians! And then Susan went on, enthusiastic in her reply, “But these are so much more than mere puppets! They can stand 1.20 meter in height fully (nearly 4 feet) regaled in elaborate period costumes, finely crafted coats of arms, velvet cloaks, brocade dresses… and crowns! I know how you like the crowns, dear diva” and I could almost hear her chuckling as she typed.
Photo from Flickr –
These puppets were not only for the story telling – they offered the people of Sicily so much more than we could imagine! Susan explained, “When many folk were illiterate or books were only for the elite, way before the age of television, when transport was by mule or horse, little theatres would travel from town to town, re-enacting and telling historic epilogues of battles, chivalry and heroism, where honour always prevailed, stories based on local folklore and comedy, the spirit of rebellion and idealism of the Sicilian working classes of the XIX century gave honour and hope. Scenes were highly animated with wonderful theatrical effects, played vivaciously in Sicilian dialect. Typically, the marionettes and their theatre depicted medieval characters and legendary events based loosely on history. There’s Orlando (Roland), one of Charlemagne’s knights, and the Norman knights of King Roger of Sicily. And Saracens (Moors). Baroque paladins, really, since their costumes are often more reminiscent of sixteenth century decoration than medieval armour and clothes. More recently, the puppeteers adapted stories of the Sicilian aristocracy (such as “The Baroness of Carini”) to their tiny stages. As folk art, the productions are typically expressions of the popular perception of personages and events rather than faithful chronicles of history and literature. That was always the idea of this kind of entertainment. It wasn’t meant to be informative so much as inspirational”.
photo from Italy Beyond the Obvious
“Inspirational?” I pondered, but leave it to Susan to explain before I’d even had a chance to write my query, “Inspirational in the sense that spectators might in some way compare the stories or characters to their own lives. Puppet theatre sometimes provided an innocent alternative to the passion plays of the Church. It could even be mildly revolutionary, though most themes served to idealize the nobility which controlled Sicily, reinforcing the strictures of a feudal society that existed in the countryside. While it eventually became a popular entertainment for children, it appealed to adults, too. Though with the advent of TV, computer games and other distractions, the poor ’pupi’ have been forgotten but there are still some places where you can see them today.”
Palmero
Utterly enchanted with my Antiques Diva Italian Guide’s tale of these Marionettes I’m having buyer’s remorse that I didn’t purchase a crown or two! But now I’ve a new obsession – I want to go see a Sicilian Marionette Show! Back to Susan I queried, “Where oh where can I pursue this new interest?” And without a moment’s hesitance she responded with a Diva-Worthy List of Marionette Details:
Palermo – the capital of Sicily hosts the Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino (the Pasqualino family are Sicilian puppeteers still active today) and the Museo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè. A Sicilian puppeteer still active today is Mimmo Cuticchio, who also appeared in the film The Godfather: part III
Messina – in this Sicilian city, an active puppeteers family are the Garganos
Catania – there is a theatre, called Teatro Stabile dell’Opera dei Pupi, in the cultural centre ‘Le Ciminiere’.
Acireale – in this Sicilian town, in the Catania province, there are the Museo dell’Opera dei Pupi Mario
Grasso and the Theatre ‘Teatro dell’Opera dei Pupi’ dedicated to Emanuele Macrì
Caltagirone – this town, in the Catania province, hosts a theatre which is also a museum: Teatro-museo dei Pupi Siciliani
Randazzo – a small village on the Etna, in the province of Catania, Sicily, displays a collection of ‘pupi’ in the Museo Civico Vagliasindi.
Ciao Bella,
The Antiques Diva®
With a little help from your Italian Diva Guide, Susan P
Antique Shopping in Sussex England
No Comments
Dear Diva Readers,
A true diva is only as good as her contacts…. And I must confess my little black book is bulging with great names and addresses! The success of my company – The Antiques Diva & Co European Tours – depends entirely upon the contacts my Diva Guides & I make in the field. After all, it’s our job to take you to the best antique, vintage and flea market shopping on this side of the pond! Recently I’d posted a comment on Facebook about our English Antiques Diva Tours and a Facebook Fan wrote me a note sharing a few addresses she thought I should check out in the UK. As Julia and I chatted back and forth I gave her my email address and asked – “Would you mind sending me an email with your favorite places to antique shop in England?” Expecting only a few lines, I was delighted by Julia’s response! She wrote,
Dear Diva,
| If you are planning to come south in England on any of your antique trails, I can recommend Sussex as a great spot to visit. Ardingly Antiques Fair is a good starting point – I am sure you know it, but if not it has around 1,000 stalls and runs over two days on a Tues/Weds.
Stable Antiques is in Storrington which is a pretty village at the foot of the South Downs. The building is literally an old stable complete with flagstones, cobbled floors and is packed with items. There are around 30 plus dealers in there and we get visits from the trade, shippers and the general public. It’s open every day from 10am-6pm, except Bank Holidays when it opens from 11am-5pm. Stock changes all the time but includes painted furniture, garden and home items, vintage items, French antiques, pretty china, glass, silver, jewellery – pretty much anything!
Close by is the village of Pulborough where you’ll find a very pretty shop called The Corn Store which is next to a bridge over the River Arun. Again, it has a lovely mix of dealers and also a lovely little tea shop. But take note, they do not open on Mondays and their hours are 10am-5pm during the week and shorter on a Sunday.
From Storrington, it is a short trip to Arundel which is a stunning small town with a castle and cathedral. The iconic Spencer Swaffer has a shop on the main street in a gorgeous Georgian building – and they have 4 floors packed with wonderful, eclectic items. You could spend half a day in there quite easily. There are lots of little shops in Tarrant St, some are antiques shops and others are more craft oriented.
The town of Petworth is another well known antiques destination – you’ll find higher prices than elsewhere, but if someone has the budget, it’s definitely worth a look. The town has one antiques centre and quite a few individual shops, plus tea shops etc. There are also great boot sales on a Thursday and Saturday at Ford – the old airfield, near Ford prison. A huge amount of people sell here, including house clearance and antiques and come from all over England to do so. It is a real dealers’ market, very hectic and aggressive. Not for the faint hearted – but bargains abound. Other places of interest include: Denmans Gardens – good cafe and a lovely nursery to visit near Chichester Architectural Plants – nursery specialising in unusual, tropical and other plants
Petworth House – National Trust owned property with lovely old kitchens – often have events running there as well Back into the heart of Sussex, some friends have opened a vintage shop in an old country barn – Swallows Brick Barn, near Shipley. They are on Facebook and have lots of painted furniture, vintage clothes, pretty china etc. Open Thurs-Sunday but if you Facebooked them they may open for you on another day! Another market which I sell at is Sunbury Antiques on Kempton racecourse – again, I am sure you know this well but it is a fantastic place to visit and is held twice a month on a Tuesday. I hope the information is useful. I would love to come on one of your French tours someday – I love your blog and hope to see you in Sussex some day soon! Regards Julia
|
Julia trades as Gazehound Vintage at Stable Antiques situated in Storrington, W Sussex, UK. Please visit Gazehound Vintage on Facebook or follow @tatmeister on Twitter for more information.
Happy Shopping in England!
The Antiques Diva®
Britain’s Best Antique Shops Competition
3 CommentsMark Your Calendars: National Antiques Week 14th – 21st November 2011
Dear Diva Readers,
Could you be Britain’s best antique shop? To celebrate this year’s National Antiques Week (14th-21st November), Homes & Antiques magazine and Antiques News & Fairs (the organizers of National Antiques Week) have joined together to find Britain’s best antiques shops and auction houses.
From early October until the end of November, the public will be invited to nominate their favourite antiques destinations in five categories:
- best antiques shop
- best antiques centre
- best specialist shop
- best mid-century/vintage shop
- best auction house
Nominators can win one of ten great prizes, each with a value of at least £200, but the prizes for the winning venues are far greater. Not only will they be able to claim to be ‘Britain’s best’ (with all the media opportunities that presents); they will also receive a feature in the May issue of Homes & Antiques!
Kirstie Allsopp
The winning businesses will be announced by TV celebrity Kirstie Allsopp at the Bath Decorative Antiques Fair on 8th March 2012.
‘Too many people are afraid of buying antiques or think they’re expensive,’ says TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp. ‘The message that needs to be sung from the rooftops is this: this is the right way to buy – antiques hold their value in a way that modern furniture simply does not. This initiative is the perfect opportunity for the trade to reach out to new customers.’
Mark Hill
‘The antiques and vintage industry is unique in its ability to adapt and provide true quality, value for money, and quirky individuality,’ says author and Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill. ‘We hope that this campaign and competition will raise the profile of the entire industry at a time when buying vintage or antique is both desirable and fashionable. We have so much to offer, so let’s shout about it.’
If you are an Antiques Shop in the UK – and you want to get involved – take notice!!!
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Simply display one of the postcards (distributed in ATG in late September and available to download from the websites below) and encourage your customers to nominate you!
Nominations take place on www.homesandantiques.com and www.nationalantiquesweek.co.uk
For more details visit www.homesandantiques.com or www.nationantiquesweek.co.uk
TIMELINE:
Late Sept/Early Oct – Campaign announced in the national press – voting starts on www.homesandantiques.com and www.nationalantiquesweek.co.uk
14th – 21st November - National Antiques Week – to be launched by Kirstie Allsopp at the Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia. We’re hoping for lots of coverage in daily/weekly national/regional press and radio
30th November – voting ends
1st March – shortlisted winners announced in Homes & Antiques
8th March – winners announced by Kirstie Allsopp at Bath Decorative Antiques Fair and opportunities for more national/regional/local coverage
Early April – feature on winners in Homes & Antiques
Now – even if you’re NOT an antiques dealer in the UK this blog post relates to you! You simply MUST follow National Antiques Week on Twitter and Facebook so you can GAIN ACCESS to all sorts of insider knowledge, letting you in on the best of the best dealers in Britain!
Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/NatAntiquesWeek
Facebook – www.facebook.com/NationalAntiquesWeek
Good Luck to all the Fabulous British Competitors in this year’s Britain’s Best Antique Shops Competition!
The Antiques Diva®
P.S. Special thanks to my Diva Colleague Gail McLeod of Antiques News & Fairs for turning me onto this fabulous competition which is co-coordinating with BBC Home & Antiques!!
Battersea – Roderic Haugh
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
A few days ago I mentioned that Becca Gauldie was going to be at the Decorative Antiques & Textile Fair in London’s Battersea Park and today I want to introduce you to another sensational dealer – Roderic Haugh who trades regularly at Core One Antiques. In addition to selling in this Fulham antiques collective, Roderic also takes clients by appointment in London or Norwich where he has his workshops. In addition to selling art and antiques, he offers a restoration service for all types of antique furniture.
Today I want to share with you a few fun finds on the Roderic Haugh Antiques website (his site is chocked full of interesting finds) to whet your appetite before you attend next week’s London Fair! Get ready to shop til you drop because I promise you Battersea is going to be good this Fall!
September 27 – October 2nd – Decorative Antiques & Textile Fair – Battersea Park
This 1920’s Still Life is a Bargain at £590 – I’m utterly smitten by the colors and composition!
Anything Chinoserie is swoon-worthy in my mind and this George I Chinoserie Chest on a Stand for £3,600 is no exception. Propping this in your living room says DIVA!
This French Country Refectory Table (circa 1870) £2,600 is exceptionally wide and would make a great dining table for a casual country kitchen. I’ve been looking for something similar for years… and the price on this one is just right.
Rats! I was too slow in pulling my buying trigger – this Pair of Italian Giltwood Consol Tables is SOLD! Tant pis pour moi!
What a gorgeous collection for great decorative appeal – 4 Bottles for £690
This collection of vintage Horticultural trays, priced each at £18, could be positively darling decorating a a sunroom or enclosed back porch
These are just a few of Roderic Haugh Antiques fun finds! A decorative dealer since 1963 dealing in 18th, 19th and 20th Century furniture and objects with a difference, Roderic Haugh is one of the dazzling dealers at London’s famous Core One (one of my favorite stops in London). This antiques collective has 9 dealers, each with their own unique style, selling beautiful furniture and objects available to both private clients and trade! This year at Battersea Core One Antiques will have a good showing of dealers exhibiting at Battersea! In addition to Roderic Haugh, you’ll find Annabella Rothery and Christophe Edwards.
Don’t forget to visit Roderic Haugh at The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, Battersea this September 27 to October 2, 2011.
Happy Shopping,
The Antiques Diva®
You’re Invited To The Decorative Fair London
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Make sure to print your personal invitation to join antique dealer Becca Gauldie and all the other sensational vendors this September 2 7 to October 2, 2011 at The Decorative Fair in London’s Battersea Park! This ticket gives you FREE ENTRANCE to one of my favorite antique fairs in the UK!
The Decorative Fair is a thrice-yearly specialist event for the discerning decorator looking to source unusual English and European antiques, original 20th century designs and works of art from all periods to the present day. From opulent show-stoppers to useful furniture, around 140 exhibitors offer a broad range of both fine quality and affordable pieces for inspired interiors, in the relaxed surroundings of leafy Battersea Park – just over the River Thames from Sloane Square and Knightsbridge. The Fair is fun, fashionable and particularly well-known as an excellent source of painted furniture, Gustavian & Swedish design, 20th century design, lighting, accessories and named-design furniture, and excellent mirrors. Its worldwide reputation, established over 25 years, entices international trade and retail buyers, interior designers, and private customers seeking unique and unusual furnishings and quirky accessories for decorating schemes.
While we’re discussing The Decorative Fair, you might want to go ahead and MARK YOUR CALENDAR for 2012. If you’re planning a trip to England next year, why not schedule your trip when The Decorative Fair is going on?
2012 Decorative Fair Dates
January 24-29, 2012
April 24 – 29, 2012
October 2-7, 2012
As always, remember you can book an Antiques Diva Tour in England during these fair dates to GAIN SPECIAL ACCESS to behind the scenes events and fetes – or book an Antiques Diva English Tour any time of the year!
Happy Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
Guest Blog: Diva’s Don’t Do Dishes
7 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Today we’ve got the fabulous Nancy Stuckwisch of Silver Magpies joining us on The Antiques Diva® Blog and she is here to share some hints & tips on Silver!
Silver Magpie’s Advice on Silver Reads:
Divas also keep the silver handy. Who has time to dig it out? Keep it nearby so you can just use it.
Divas don’t do dishes
Does it matter why divas don’t do dishes? Of course it does…it matters not because they are divas but because they possess a secret that the rest of us have been locked out of for far to long!
Dishing about silver’s secrets
That’s what dishwashers were invented for! Silver is much more durable than it’s given credit for. Every day my family uses 250 year old spoons. I guarantee that they have not been lovingly hand polished by a kid-glove wearing butler each time they have been used. For most of their long existence it’s more likely they’ve been dumped in a sink and left for the scullery maid to scrub.
In our house, once we are done using them, into the dishwasher they go. And throughout all of this the silver has not been worn away or damaged. It doesn’t have a mirror bright finish, but that’s because it’s not meant to!
John Bly author of Miller’s Silver and Sheffield Plate Marks laments overzealous polishing. One of the many charms of silver is it’s living finish, that lovely grey sheen – patina or skin – indicative of use. Collectors prize patina.
Cleaning and polishing are distinctly different things
Let’s get this straight. Polishing should only be an occasional event. Tarnish builds up on silver as it reacts to sulfur in the air. Regular use and handling ensure that tarnish never gets a chance to build up. It’s only once tarnish has had a couple of years to get nice and dark that it is a real task to polish off.
Please believe me when I say polishing is not my idea of fun. I do so much of it when getting items prepared for sale the last thing I want to do is polish my own. But I do want to use it…every day.
Cleaning is what you do after having used a fork at dinner time. There are a couple of common sense guidelines, but my favorite way to clean silver is in the dishwasher! Every so often (and we’re talking year long intervals here) I do give it a light going over. My particular preference is to use a polish designed to be washed rather than buffed off.
Want to know the second secret of silver?
Life is too short to save the silver for best…and who has time to polish it when that occasion does finally roll around. Make every day best…a meal with your family is so much sweeter when it’s eaten with a fork from Grandma or that amazing spoon you fell in love with. Out of sight really is out of mind, so keep it in easy reach.
PS
It’s chic to share a secret like this, because every diva knows, the more you use your silver, the less you polish it.
Nancy Stuckwisch of Silver Magpies has had a life-long fascination with vintage silver. She believes we should get the silver out of the cupboard, onto the table, and then into the dishwasher.
Guest Blog: Souvenirs de la Reine: DIY Diva Magazine Rack
1 CommentToday’s Guest Blog comes to you from my dear friend whom I call La Reine - she’s the fab bloggess of She’s Shopping Now and from time to time she graces Antiques Diva readers with royal presence! Without further adieu, let me present to you her royal highness – La Reine with today’s Guest Blog.
Photo Taken on a Cross Country Drive in the USA last winter–
The Antiques Diva & La Reine of She’s Shopping Now Blog
GUEST BLOG DIY Diva Magazine Rack!
Dear Diva Readers,
There are many good reasons why The Antiques Diva and I are friends:
- we met as expat spouses living in Paris with time on our hands, no children, and husbands who worked long hours
- we share a passion for travel, antiques, shopping, food, collecting and entertaining
- we tend to be a little quirky at times: friends and family often smile, incline their heads, and decline to comment on our ideas and adventures
- sometimes our creative ideas challenge our capabilities…and our time constraints
Recently The Antiques Diva® shared with us her latest DIY project, a footstool fashioned from a moneybag she’d purchased 13 years earlier, and carried with her through 4 moves to 4 countries: voila!
The first time The Antiques Diva and I traveled together, we visited Île de Ré a charming island off the western coast of France (near Cognac).
La Reine, The Tampa Girl and The Antiques Diva (all looking incredibly young!)
Why were we there? To track down the island’s famous sel gris (grey salt) and fleur de sel (finishing salt), and sample some of the incredible salted caramel ice cream (caramel à la fleur de sel)! On our visit we also discovered the Ré wines, and a lovely salted caramel liquor.
Along with the bags and bags of salt, a fabulous chandelier I found at Barbotine (and hauled home on the train!) I also carried home a 3-pack of wine from Vignerons de l’Île de Ré so that my husband, The Big Guy, could appreciate a taste of Ré (the ice cream would have melted!) And over 8 years, 3 countries, and 6 moves (Paris to Copenhagen to Hoboken to St Louis to Chicago to New York to SoFlo!) the empty box has traveled with me, just waiting…
TBG was out of town for a few days, and I was resolved to flip my way through a stack of magazines that was so tall it kept sliding off the coffee table. When we repatriated I was so overwhelmed by how cheap it was to buy US magazines: I could get a year’s subscription for $10, when I’d been used to paying €10 for a single issue on the Champs Elysee : I over-subscribed. Unsettled since our recent move to SoFlo, most of our furnishings were still in storage, including our magazine racks. But: I knew right where the wine box was, and I’d planned for years to turn it into a magazine rack. So inspired by The Antiques Diva® recent DIY Diva blog post, I got to work:
I took the side off the box because I wanted to preserve the so-charming rope handle. Et voila: a mere 30 minutes late, a tres chic and tres unique magazine rack.
Now every time I grab a magazine, I’m reminded of our visit to Ré and wonderful friends and food and adventures. Je mes souviens…
à la prochaine,
la Reine
I Fratellini Firenze
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
You know I love fine wines and fine dining… but sometimes a “hole in the wall” can offer finer times than the grandest of restaurants. My Antiques Diva Tour Guide in Italy, Susan P, introduced me to one of her favorite spaces & places in Florence – i Fratellini on the Via dei Cimartori – this little spot is what the Italians call a true fiaschetteria – a word derived from fiasco which is Italian for a flask of wine. And wine is what you’ll get when you dine – or shall I say drink – here, over 27 varieties make this the perfect stop for your inner diva (or divo)!
This little “restaurant” has a roll-down awning that makes the “restaurant” virtually disappears into a “hole in the wall” when closed, but when the awning is up and the boys are behind the counter this place is ready to rumble! Locals line up for lunch and gather in the street in in front of the shop, an impromptu party filled with laughter and miles of smiles and not to mention a darn good sandwich.
Combine a surprisingly good selection of wine available by the glass for pocket change with a gorgeous array of Italian Panini’s and you’ve got the recipe for success. My favorite sandwich is the cinghiale piccante con caprino (spicy wild boar salami spread with creamy goat cheese), but here, regardless of the sandwich, you can’t go wrong!
As I lift my glass to yours to say good-bye, I’m reminded of a funny story. In Italian for an informal “cheers” you might raise your glass and say “Chin Chin”. While the origins of this expression hark back to a time when peasants drank their wine out of wooden cups and would say “Chin Chin” to mimic the sound of glass wine glasses clinking, I was advised recently to use the more formal “Alla Salute” (or merely “Salute” as is more commonly used) when with my international friends. Apparently “Chin Chin” is slang in Japanese for genitalia and so is prone to cause fits of laughter when in mixed circles!!!
That said, rather than signing off “Chin, Chin” as I was planning, I think I’ll use a more formal farewell “Cent’anni”! Here’s to us living to the ripe old of age of 100!
The Antiques Diva®
(with a little help from her Italian Diva colleague, Susan P)
Last Minute Diva: #ATT Antiques Trade Tuesday
No CommentsAttention Antiques Dealers,
I know you’re as into Social Media as I am and I hope you’re following me on Twitter and Facebook!
That said, I knew you’d want to be the first to know about “Antiques Trade Tuesday” – the new way for members of the antiques trade to get noticed on Twitter! If you’re using Social Media to gain exposure to new clients then Tuesday nights on Twitter is #ATT – Antiques Trade Tuesday – proving yet again that Antiques Are Fun!!!
Every Tuesday between 5pm and 7pm – UK TIME - Antiques Dealers send a tweet with the #ATT hash tag telling what makes their shop great. The winner of the night is re-tweeted by the trade introducing YOU to their followers! It’s a great way to toot your own horn and to promote the antiques trade in general, gearing excitement amongst industry professionals!
Your tweet can be funny or serious as long as you say why you are awesome – giving you a Tuesday night chance to win the opportunity to have your tweet (and contact details) retweeted and exposing you to potentially thousands of future clients.
The twitter account you need to follow for all the news and information about #ATT is www.twitter.com/antiquestuesday
Hopefully this will be another way to promote the antiques trade and will also provide a bit of fun on twitter on a Tuesday night because Antiques are Fun!
Happy Tweeting,
The Antiques Diva®
Village Suisse
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
One of my favorite mid-week places to go antique shopping in Paris when Les Puce is closed is the Village Suisse! Mais non, I’m not hopping on the TGV and heading to Switzerland (though, that too sounds like a grand plan). Rather, I’m talking about the antique mall in Paris’ 15eme arrondisement located near La Motte Picquet metro stop.
Village Suisse
54 avenue de la Motte Picquet,
75015 Paris
Named such after its location as the Swiss Village during the World Fair of 1900, today it houses a handful of good quality antique shops and from September 23 – 25, 2011 they will be hosting Fête les Vendanges, la Gastronomie et les Arts de la Terre
At this fair they’ll celebrate bonne food et bonne vin in an atmosphere resplendent of antiques and la bonne vie! Held during the first 3 days of the famed FOIRE NATIONALE D’AUTOMNE AUX ANTIQUITÉS, À LA BROCANTE ET AUX JAMBONS I couldn’t help but to tell you about this other extraordinary event going on in the city of light during the same period. Two fairs – combining French Food & Antiques! Now, those are my kinds of fairs!
Bonne Shopping et Bonne dégustation!
The Antiques Diva®
The Arezzo Flea Market
No CommentsDear Diva Readers,
The ancient Tuscan city of Arezzo with its Roman ruins, medieval walls and renaissance architecture was home to many famed architects and artists alike – Piero della Francesca, whose murals adorn many of Italy’s great churches and Giorgio Vasari, creator of the Medici corridor that runs across the Arno – to name just two of Arezzo’s famous artisans. Arezzo has always been a magnet for art lovers. Susan P, my Antiques Diva & Co colleague in Italy offering Antique Shopping Tuscan Tours explains, “It’s no less so today – when the first weekend of the month the town centre is transformed into one huge flea market with over 500 vendors.”
Antiques Diva Tuscan Tour Guide Susan P shopping in Arezzo
Susan advises Italian Flea Market pilgrims to browse the stalls climbing up to Piazza Grande and San Francesco at your leisure, taking time to chat with the vendors, lingering over their Italian accents. “You’ll enjoy the cast of characters hawking their wares,” she explains with a twinkle in her eye. “The vendors love to share stories of their treasures – some of which are even true!” she adds, noting “Some stories the vendors tell have to be taken with a pinch of salt.” But what salt it is… regardless of pedigree, the treasures in Arezzo abound – whether vintage pieces from mysterious scientific instruments to antique toys and furniture, fascinating paintings and religious relics to second-hand crockery, glass, kitchen and cooking items. The market is filled with all varieties of silver as well as a slew of vintage and antique ceramics and yellow-paged books perfect for decorating your shelves. In short, Italian Diva Guide Susan P promises, “It’s impossible to go home empty handed!”
On my last trip to Arezzo, this Little Piggy came home with me!
“Oh the things you will see,” sighs Susan P, Tuscan Antique Shopping Tour Guide
“And that’s just the Flea Market in Arezzo,” she exclaims, “There is much more to discover once you venture off the main arteries from a gallery of small antique shops, to lampshade makers and great hardware stores.”
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BOOK A SPECIAL ANTIQUES DIVA PRIVATE SHOPPING TOUR IN AREZZO!
Email info@antiquesdiva.com for more information
Remaining Arezzo Flea Market Dates in 2011
3-4 September, 2011
1-2 October, 2011
5-6 November, 2011
3-4 December, 2011
December 31, 2011
Arezzo Flea Market Dates in 2012
January 1, 2012
4-5 February, 2012
3-4 March, 2012
31 March – 1 April, 2012
5-6 May, 2012
2-3 June, 2012
June 30 – 1 July, 2012
4-5 August, 2012
1-2 September, 2012
6-7 October, 2012
3-4 November, 2012
1-2 December, 2012
Ciao Bella,
The Antiques Diva®
(seen below, shopping in Tuscany)
French Fabrics & Frills Tour in Paris
9 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
I’m a sucker for vintage and antique buttons, always picking them up at flea markets and in antique shops, but the problem is… what to do with them once I get them home? A few months ago I found this darling – and tres simple – craft idea for utilizing antique and vintage buttons by making crafty napkin ring holders – I was smitten! While I love my silver napkin ring holders, I felt these were ideal for a casual weekend brunch or lunch with girlfriends.
Plus, this simple craft idea seemed to me the IDEAL way to tell you about the new CRAFT TOURS – French Fabrics & Frills – we’re now offering in Paris!!!
French Fabric and Frills Tour
In this special Paris tour, coordinated exclusively for crafters looking to source French fabrics and frills, we’ll take clients by the hand to the best ateliers and shops specializing in fabrics, ribbon, buttons and bows. From vintage lace to last season’s Pierre Frey fabric, from Paris’ famous Marche St Pierre fabric district to the bustling area around Chatelet, we’ll help you source French treasures to create your own “Made in Paris” designs! Ask also about our Embroidery and Needlepoint Tours. Offered midweek or on a weekend combined with a trip to the Paris Puce!
Following you can enjoy a few snap shots from a recent Antiques Diva French Fabric and Frills Craft Tour in Paris!
Marche St Pierre – Paris Fabric District where the bargains abound
While I love vintage buttons, shopping for new buttons is just as fun!
Fun with French Ribbons & Bows
The tour is the brain child of Antiques Diva Guide Franca G who happens to be a crafting genius!
Paris Diva Guide & Crafter Extraordinaire - Franca
Bonne Shopping & Bonne Crafting!
The Antique Diva®
Vintageweave Interiors
1 CommentDear Diva Readers,
Every once in a while, you meet your soul mate online. I’m not talking about online dating… I’m talking about Online Shopping!!! Recently I’ve had the opportunity to get to know the fabulous proprietress of Vintageweave Interiors online and I’m head-over-heels in love with Kathleen Delgado and her French lifestyle store!
I’m sad to say I haven’t had the opportunity to shop at her Los Angeles Show Room but I avidly follow her Facebook posts and Blog, always enjoying Kathy’s sense of humor, her insight into Old Hollywood and the occasional tidbits she shares on her A-List clientele! Not only does she shop abroad for inventory but she also picks up pieces from celebrity clients. When Kelly Osbourne recently moved to a new home, Kathy & her crew were able to scoop up several of Kelly’s pieces from her estate, selling them to cherished clients.
A few of my favorite finds recently chez elle include:
Luscious cotton with fabulous woven blueish grey stripes in generous oversized tea towel 28×36″. Just in from South of France
Boulangerie Baskets
French Garden Chairs
Rumor has it that Kathleen has a bit of a fetish for manequins and dress forms! She has over 32 in the boutique!
A Pair of Crowned Burlap Pillows
Lastly, I’m simply gaga over these vintage cheese markers!!
Delighted to have met you, Ms Kathleen Delgado!
Bonne Shopping!
The Antiques Diva®
P.S. Don’t just take my word for how incredible Kathy and her inventory is – check out what local folks in L.A. have to say about her greatness!
La Dolce Diva’s 5 Favorite Things About Tuscany
2 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Today whilst I’m on holiday enjoying the Croatian Riviera for a month-long break this August, Diva Guide Susan P who leads our Antique Shopping Tours of Italy shared some Tuscan Tidbits for The Antiques Diva® & Co blog.
When I asked her to share with me her 5 Favorite things in Tuscany, she said:
- Exploring the dusty white unmarked roads in the heart of the summer
- Dedicating Sundays to mooching the flea markets and salvage yards
- The passion and dedication to food, the kitchen and cooking. The importance of togetherness at the table
- The olive harvest and going to the mill
- The effortless way in which modern and old is juxtaposed
What are your favorite things about Tuscany?
The Antiques Diva®
In the Press: Antiques Diva Italian Tours
4 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
Perhaps I should have started today’s blog with a hearty “Buongiorno Baby”, for The Antiques Diva® & Co’s new Italian Tours are in the news!
Belle Inspiration – one of my favorite online magazines (and coming to print soon) – has just done a giant feature on my company, interviewing Diva Guide Susan P who leads our antique shopping tours in Italy – a whopping 12 page feature discussing Italian antiques. They discuss where to buy antiques in Tuscany, what Italian antiques to buy, favorite Italian flea markets, how to negotiate for discounts in Italy as well as the tours we offer. Susan, our Italian Diva, even gives hints & tips on other Italian Lifestyle & Tuscan Travel Tips!
For those of you who are willing to twist your tongue into Italian there’s even a section on Italian Antique Shopping Vocabulary – words you should know before you go!
While articles in Belle Inspiration magazine are usually only available to subscribers, Mimi Bleu – the sensational tour de force and editor-in-chief at Belle - has kindly set the article – An Essential Antique Shopper’s Guide to Italy – in a special publication specifically so Diva Readers can read the news!!! And while this excerpt of the publication should be saved in your favorites, I have a suspicion you won’t want to miss another word Belle Inspiration has to share! Their Italian issue is down-right divine with 150 pages of Italian Inspiration!
If you’re as much of an Antiques Lover as I am, then this is one article on Antique Shopping in Italy you won’t want to miss!!!
Ciao Bella,
The Antiques Diva®
Meet La Dolce Diva – Susan, our Diva Guide in Italy!
6 CommentsDear Diva Readers,
In today’s blog I want to introduce you to La Dolce Diva – Susan, our Diva Guide leading antique shopping tours in Tuscany! Susan is a dazzling Brit living in Tuscany and is a dream-come-true! She’s quite possibly the most affable person I’ve met, with an easy smile, a lifetime lived exploring antiques, a quirky nature and an eye for style! Susan describes herself as “British by birth, Welsh by choice, Mid-Atlantic by nature, and Italian by adoption”.
Meet Susan – La Dolce Diva! The Antiques Diva® Guide in Tuscany!
Susan tells about Growing up in Britain…
“For as long as I can remember, design and decoration have been a part of my life. As a small child I spent hours playing with the doll’s house that my father had made for us, staging the rooms, making and hanging curtains, stitching tiny cushions, adding bits and pieces… My dad was quite a craftsman; he made the tiny furniture and electrified the house with a huge battery. I loved Lego too; building houses, gardens, rooms. I was also an avid fan of ‘Pelham Puppets (very British!) and would pour over catalogues deciding what I would like, then save my pocket money. When I had enough I carefully filled out the form with my order and rushed down to the post office to buy the postal order and send it off. Those were agonizing days when I would wait eagerly for the postman to arrive. I recall one Christmas when we received a theatre – how excited we were, painting the cut out wooden scenes with my sister, then creating grand plays and shows for our family and friends. I continuously moved the furniture around in my bedroom. I recall when I was around 10 years of age my room was to be redecorated and I was allowed to choose the wall paper, though what I chose was not exactly what my mother had had in mind; a dark blue ground with green and white snowdrops… but I loved it. As I got older I would accompany my father to visit British country homes and gardens, he was a great historian and purveyor of fine things. Subconsciously the seeds had been sown and germination started.”
Susan tells about starting her career as a Buyer at Harrods in London
“I left Wales for the bright lights of London to pursue a career in retailing, where better place to start than the renown store of Harrods. For our final assignment we were asked which department interested us most – much to raised eyebrows I nominated the antiques department. There was a warm and friendly, small close-knit team, the buyer was delighted to have a little go-fer, and soon I was attending auctions, bidding and buying… upon his direction of course. I loved the auction room – the excitement and thrill of the sales. One summer I went to visit my sister in New York and couldn’t resist attending one there and not long after found myself as a permanent fixture in one of the British auction houses in the city, eventually becoming a specialist in 19th & 20th Furniture and Decorative Arts.”
Bright Lights… Big City! Susan tells about living in New York City & working in antiques
“After six wonderful and formative years in the boom of the mid 80′s, working with dealers and collectors it was time to leave the hustle and bustle of New York City. Through a strange series of circumstances, I found myself in Tuscany. It was merely by chance and most certainly a random choice that I made, with six months to spare between jobs and ironically not quite knowing what to do. Back home in my native Britain I had picked up a very English magazine… not to be named of course, but well-known for its knitting patterns and traditional recipes, but perhaps above all, for being the place to look for short term jobs abroad, little box ads for nannies and au pairs. It was exactly one of these ads that caught my eye; it read… ‘come to Tuscany and work two hours a day’…. Hmmm, what an invitation, who could refuse?”
Susan tells how she moved to Tuscany nearly 20 years ago and became La Dolce Diva!
“I found myself on a beautiful 3000-acre agricultural estate in the heart of Tuscany just outside of Siena and in love in more ways than one. I was fortunate enough to become part of an Italian family and over the last twenty years have had a hand in developing an ‘agriturismo’ business; a multifaceted task which amongst other things has involved the refurbishment and renovation of over a dozen buildings.”
Susan tells about Antique Shopping in Italy
“The most fun part of working on an estate in Italy was of course decorating the houses… the resources in Italy are fabulous, the natural elements such as terracotta, marble, stone, beautiful ceramic tiles, rich fabrics, tassels and ties and of course an excuse to indulge in my preferred past time. Shopping takes a little time and patience and a lot of talk and schmoozing… the Italians are famed for that and it’s an integral part of the culture that must be embraced. My tastes are eclectic, ranging from fine period antiques, silver and paintings to vintage clothing and re-purposed agricultural tools and equipment. I still love to frequent the auction houses too. Of course it’s even better and more fun in company and I’m more than happy to share my secrets!”
Book an Antiques Diva Tour in Tuscany, Italy-Florence, Siena, Lucca, Arezzo and more…
The Antiques Diva®
