Designing Women of the World: Toma Clark Haines at HPMKT
Join Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, and a panel of experts:
Designing Women of the World
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How do you prioritize travel as a busy designer and business owner? How do you prepare for design inspiration at a particular destination? How does getting outside of your local marketplace help your business? Join our traveled designers as they discuss these questions and many more, while giving tips and inspiration on how to incorporate travel into your design process. Panelists include Adriana Hoyos, Tina Nicole, Toma Clark Haines, Sandra Espinet, and Aviva Stanoff with Deb Barrett as moderator. Reception and book signings to follow.
Sponsored by:
IMC-DesignOnHPMkt
LOCATION:
to, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, ‘Helvetica Neue’, sans-serif;”>Sunday, OCT. 14, 1:30-2:33pm
Suites at Market Square Seminar Room (SAMS T-1014)
High Point Market is the must-see event in home furnishings. Experience just some of the energy and excitement that makes Market Week fashion week for home furnishings. Fall Market 2018 runs October 13-17, 2018.
The High Point Market is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world, bringing more than 75,000 people to High Point, North Carolina, every six months. Serious retail home furnishings buyers, interior designers, architects, and others in the home furnishings industry can be found in High Point twice a year because if you can’t find it in High Point…it probably doesn’t exist.
Dreams Do Come True
Today you know me as The Antiques Diva. I’ve lived in Europe nearly 20 years, having lived in Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin before moving to Venice last year. But I grew up in Oklahoma and rarely traveled outside of the state as a child and teenager. I didn’t have a passport until I was 21 and I decided to study abroad and in doing so, it changed my life. On that first trip abroad to London, I realized that “Dreams Do Come True” and my dream was to live and work in Europe. I realized if I wanted something strongly enough, if I worked hard enough, that I could achieve my dreams. And my dreams were big. Ten years ago when I founded The Antiques Diva® & Co I had a very specific vision of where I wanted to bring my brand – and I’m still working on achieving all those goals. Today I’m excited to announce that I get to check one more of those goals off my checklist. This Fall Aidan Gray Home is launching The Antiques Diva Collection by Aidan Gray at the fall High Point Market, Oct. 13-17, 2018.
If one phrase captures the essence of my mindset, it’s “You Mustn’t Be Afraid to Dream a Little Bigger Darling.” Thanks to the way my parents raised me, I have always believed I could achieve whatever goals I set for myself. My dad is the ultimate at giving encouragement. He thought I could climb the highest tree or run faster than all the boys… and because he believed I could, I did. As I was growing up my parents did not have much money and things were always financially tight in our house. My parent’s house was small, but it was a wonderfully cozy home. My mom didn’t have much money to decorate with but she had good taste. And more importantly, she has an ability to make anything look beautiful. I remember her walking into the fields near our house and picking wildflowers. She would bring them home and put them in a rusted vintage Folgers coffee can and they looked like a centerpiece for Country Living. She went to garage sales and bought second-hand furniture and paintings and our interior design was always the coziest of all my friends. Today I owe a lot of who I am professionally to who she was as a mother. She inspired me to live beautifully. My father inspired me to achieve my dreams.
to-dream-a-little-bigger.png” alt=”You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger” When I met Randal Weeks, CEO of Aidan Gray, we connected not only in business but connected as friends who have similar roots. We understood each other. He’s a Texas boy. I’m an Oklahoma girl. He grew up as a military kid, with his family moving around the world from military base to military base and his mother was a magician. She could move into a house in a foreign country and perform magic on military housing making the spaces as beautiful as she was. He saw the beauty she created in her world. And he was inspired by her and the way she lived her life.
In university, he studied architecture – but he was always drawn to furniture and interior design. When creating the architecture plans for the house he couldn’t help but think how the people would live in the space, what the lighting would be, how the furniture placement would interact with the structure itself. For him, architecture, interior design and furniture were always in the conversation. By happenstance one day while getting his MBA, he caught an episode of Oprah. And something she said resonated with him, “You will never be happy if you are not passionate about what you do.” And he thought – “she’s right.”
And he made the decision to pursue his dream to start a company that produces European inspired home furnishings. Since 2003, Aidan Gray has grown to become one of the leaders in the home furnishings industry.

Randal Weeks, CEO of Aidan Gray Home
Randal and I first met 6 years ago when he approached The Antiques Diva & Co to help source antiques in England, France and Belgium to use as design inspiration for creating his collections as well as accessorizing and selling in his showrooms. And – the shoe fit.

And the shoe fit… making dreams come true
We were fast-friends enjoying a mutual respect for one another’s businesses and over the years worked together when Randal had international antiquing needs.

We collaborated, we challenged, we compromised, we created
When two years ago I was approached by a licensing agent to design a licensed line of furniture for one of Aidan Gray’s competitors, I prepared a powerpoint presentation. And I did what they say you should never do. I flew to Dallas and I showed my ideas to Randal and said, “I’ve been asked to develop a furniture collection, and if I am going to do a furniture collection, I want to do it with you.” Before I was halfway through the presentation he was taking me into his warehouse and showing me some feet for a chair he was working on and we were excitedly discussing the idea of “the chair as art.” He got my vision immediately. My initial ideas were too “Form over Function” and he gently informed me, “It must be comfortable to sell!” We discussed my ideas and decided eventually decided the best way to start our collaboration was to hit the road together – traveling throughout France, Holland and Belgium, seeking design inspiration to develop a line of furniture together – and a collection was born. The Antiques Diva Collection by Aidan Gray
Sneak Peek of our Marie Antoinette Chair with Lucite and Faux Leather
Chair as Sculpture: Marie-Antoinette Chair”The channel quilted faux leather seat reinforces the construction and makes this refined antique incredibly practical for today’s active and busy lifestyles. Our Marie-Antoinette Chair’s simplicity has been modernized to compliment any style of home or interior. We are making this in an armchair, armless chair, and a settee version.

Archduchess Acrylic Chair: Pushing the envelope on the Marie-Antoinette Chair even more! The Louis XVI style dining chair has been re-invented with not only function but as ART for the home.
The Antiques Diva & Co’s goal is to make antiques accessible. Aidan Gray’s goal is to offer this same accessibility for European decor and home furnishings, so this is a perfect partnership! Designing this collection together was a natural progression for The Antiques Diva brand. Just as Louis XVI was inspired by his Grand Tour and the discoveries of Pompeii when creating his Neoclassical furniture, I’ve traveled the world and have seen the best-quality antiques and gained global design inspiration. Antiques help us learn from the past to create for the future.
But I didn’t want to create a line of antique reproductions – I wanted to create something that was inspired by the past but made for today – mixing media to create unique looks for furniture, using concepts and materials not available in the 18th century – such as authentic hand-carved woods combined with Lucite and faux leather.
Years before I started The Antiques Diva & Co – when I was in my mid- 20’s living in Paris – I remember sitting one day at the Café Les Deux Magots and telling a girlfriend that my dream was to someday design a line of furniture. At the time I didn’t think it would actually happen – it was a far-out fantasy – but words have power. Speak the desires of your heart out loud… and then work your butt off every day until your dreams come true. It is my great pleasure to invite you to join me at High Point Market | The World’s Home for Home Furnishings for the Launch Party for The Antiques Diva & Co Collection by Aidan Gray Home. Aidan Gray is located in High Point at 201 North Main. The fête is Sunday October 14, 2018, from 9am to 11am, but you are welcome to shop the collection every day during market October 12-17, 2018 (or online on the Aidan Gray website after the product launch in High Point). If you’re in High Point, I would love to take time personally to show you the collection in a private tour – email me Toma@antiquesdiva.com to make an appointment. For those of you who won’t be at market, over the coming months I will share photos on my blog and tell the behind the scenes stories of various pieces.
Hope to see you at High Point!
Toma Clark Haines – The Antiques Diva
Online Antiques Marketplaces: Why I LoveAntiques.com
Buying and selling antiques has changed dramatically since I launched The Antiques Diva® & Co ten years ago – and no one knows that more than antique dealers. Like all changes, there is both good and bad about selling and buying antiques online. For antique dealers, selling antiques online opens them to potential buyers who may never visit their shop – or even their country! – in person, but can easily view their inventory, ask questions, negotiate prices and arrange to pay for and ship their new antique online, any day of the week, 24 hours a day.
For antique buyers, the ability to buy antiques online allows them to discover antique treasures they may never have come across at home or on their travels and compare pieces and prices. It provides competitive information. Buyers get peace of mind and gain confidence when online antique dealers are screened and vetted by an online marketplace.
I love the thrill of the hunt. Personally, I love shopping for antiques in person, touching the piece, inspecting it, talking to the dealer. I love the challenge of negotiating the best possible price for an item. Practically, when I need a special antique for my home I may not have the time or money to travel until I find the perfect piece, at the right price. Being able to shop 24/7/365 from dealers around the globe has enabled me to score some antiques that I realistically would never have bought if I hadn’t sourced it online. Professionally, many antique dealers, interior designers and homeowners simply do not have the time or budget to travel to Europe or Asia to buy the best pieces at the best prices. At AD&CO technology – the internet – allows us to offer our antiques buying services, where we combine the magic of technology with our Diva Guides’ 1st hand antique expertise and personal relationships with antique dealers to buy some amazing inventory for our clients and ship it to their business or home. Online antiques marketplaces are important sources for both our trade and private clients.
The best online antique warehouses carefully choose their dealers and vet the inventory on their site. They understand that value, honesty and quality are key to making their antique marketplace a success. I’m delighted to introduce you today to LoveAntiques.com, an online antique warehouse run by IACF, International Antiques & Collectors Fairs. I spoke to Will Thomas, Managing Director at IACF, about what’s hot and selling in this uber-competitive industry.
LoveAntiques.com Online Antiques Marketplace
Tell us about LoveAntique.com: what is it, who runs it and who are your dealers?

Will Thomas of IACF and LoveAntiques.com
LoveAntique.com is an online antiques marketplace located in LoveAntiques.com is owned and operated by International Antiques & Collectors Fairs, organizers of Europe’s largest antiques fairs. For over 25 years, IACF has been trusted by dealers to deliver thousands of buying customers to our fairs. Our venture into online sales in 2013 is no different with dedicated marketing and PR teams, and the largest advertising budget in the online antiques sales market, you can trust IACF to deliver buyers both on and offline.
Antiques are listed by certified dealers, their items are then approved by the LoveAntiques.com team. Only antique dealers who can prove an honest history of dealing are able to upload pieces onto our website, so you can shop with confidence on LoveAntiques.
Many of our dealers also have a brick-and-mortar antique shop and list some or all of their inventory on LoveAntiques.com.
Why did you launch an online antiques site?
With online shopping becoming the main way consumers buy products, it was inevitable that the antiques trade will be doing more and more business this way, leading to increased expansion of the online marketplace and the continued growth of the website. I have a firm belief that if you do something well, there is always a place for you in the market. Our visitor traffic is up 75% in the last year and we expect similar growth in the coming year. We’ve doubled our dealer numbers, and more than trebled the number of inquiries coming through to dealers.
Who are your customers? Who buys antiques on LoveAntiques.com?
LoveAntiques wants to help the growth of the antiques industry online. We want to bring the world of antiques online for the good of the industry, and we work with numerous publications to promote our antique dealers and their inventory, and to encourage new audiences to shop for antiques online.
The International press is a big PR target for LoveAntiques.com, with our experience of working and encouraging international buyers to attend our IACF fairs. 2 of the USA’s biggest publications, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, have promoted our online antique marketplace, which has increased traffic on our site from across the Atlantic, which benefits the antique dealers on our site. We promote LoveAntiques.com to all relevant international publications across the globe.
What are your top sellers – what’s trending?
Our current top sellers are antique furniture, antique silver and antique mirrors and vintage wrist watches.
What’s most popular on LoveAntiques.com with American buyers?
The US is about 25% of our market now. The top item going to the US at the moment are the vintage wrist watches!
How do buyers pay for their antiques at LoveAntiques.com?
Many dealers accept online payments where buyers can purchase the item instantly via PayPal with the necessary delivery costs (if applicable). If however the dealer does not accept online payment the Buy This Item button will take you to a contact form, and you can email the dealer and arrange payment by other means and ask any questions you might have about the item.
English Antiques Diva Buying Agent Gail McLeod is a regular visitor at LoveAntiques.com, as a customer as well as a dealer:

Gail McLeod, England Antiques Diva Guide
I’ve known Will for years through IACF events, they are long-standing advertisers with us at Antiques News & Fairs. We often take Antiques Diva clients to their prominent shows around the UK, Ardingly, Newark and Shepton where we are able to meet a large collection of dealers in one place with plenty of fresh inventory ideal for the export market. The main shippers are also on site so we can get our purchases picked up on the same day.
I know many of the dealers personally on Love Antiques, such as Fontaine Decorative, and can source special pieces for our clients and alert them to be on the hunt for antiques that are particularly difficult to find when a client is searching for something very specific. As a lover of English garden antiques, my own shop @JardiniereAntiques will be joining LoveAntiques.com later this year because I have great feedback from dealers on the site – so I personally can vouch for the quality and diversity of their antiques! Will is an expert in SEO and the site is becoming one of the most hi-viz in the sector.
LoveAntiques.com: The Details
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For more information on Antiques Diva antique sourcing trips or buying services contact us.
Toma Clark Haines – The Antiques Diva
Cheers, Darling! Introducing the Antiques Diva Collection by Aidan Gray
You’re Invited:
Making its debut at High Point Market, Oct 12-17
Join Antiques Diva Toma Clark Haines for Bubbles and Bites,
a champagne brunch served Oct. 14 at 9am
in the Aidan Gray showroom
.
Aidan Gray Showroom
to, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, ‘Helvetica Neue’, sans-serif;”>201 N. Main Street
to, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, ‘Helvetica Neue’, sans-serif;”>High Point, NC
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Inspiration Behind the Designs: Toma Clark Haines at HPMKT
Join Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, and a panel of experts:
Inspiration Behind the Designs
Join interior and product designers Mary Douglas Drysdale,
Michel Smith Boyd, Toma Clark Haines (“The Antiques Diva”),
Xander Noori, and Keon Khajavi-Noori as they discuss where they
seek inspiration, how they overcome the dreaded creative block,
and give tips and tools for recharging your creative batteries.
.
MODERATOR:
Kimberley Wray,
Senior Contributing Editor, Furniture, Lighting & Decor
PRESENTED BY:
furniture, lighting & decor
SURYA
LOCATION:
to, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, ‘Helvetica Neue’, sans-serif;”>Saturday, OCT. 13, 2-3pm
SURYA, SHOWPLACE 4100
High Point Market is the must-see event in home furnishings. Experience just some of the energy and excitement that makes Market Week fashion week for home furnishings. Fall Market 2018 runs October 13-17, 2018.
The High Point Market is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world, bringing more than 75,000 people to High Point, North Carolina, every six months. Serious retail home furnishings buyers, interior designers, architects, and others in the home furnishings industry can be found in High Point twice a year because if you can’t find it in High Point…it probably doesn’t exist.
Collections Transform a House In to a Home: The Art of Collecting
As I transform my Venice apartment into a home, I take pleasure in the process of unpacking the pieces I’ve collected and arranging (and re-arranging!) them into tableaus that please my eye. The French art of mise en scène – putting things in place – to give my home the ambiance and personality that I want to project. For guests of course, but I honestly arrange my collections for myself.
What is your definition of home? I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a house a home… for me it’s a space filled with people and laughter in the air. Fabulous smells coming from the kitchen, open bottles of wine and champagne always on tap. It’s antiques and family heirlooms, next to flea market finds and objet d’art, and the odd pieces of Ikea. It’s window boxes and shutters and flowers in every room and candles alongside cozy places to read. A real home is a mix of high and low… beautifully choreographed moments for a life well lived. I’m a natural collector. But how does one start a collection? Today my favorite dandy (j’adore being called The Dandy and The Diva!), Gary Inman is sharing with us his expert advice on the art of collecting. Don’t miss Gary’s favorite books on the art of collecting!
Featured image: William Morris textiles and wallpaper set the tone for this Virginia mudroom. The table is an antique Chippendale inspired fretwork design. English tole, majolica, and French garden finials provide character to the space. The bespoke herringbone floor is by Waterworks.
All images provided by Gary Inman
The Art of Collecting
Everyone is a collector, some just don’t know it yet. After twenty-five years of designing and decorating luxury homes, I have had many clients insist that they’re not collectors, only to become impassioned collectors once they discover their genre. Helping them find their passion has been one of the most rewarding parts of my practice. If you think back to your childhood, you’ll surely recall something you collected with unbridled enthusiasm. It can be as simple as sea shells or baseball cards, but regardless of value, nothing surpasses the thrill of the chase! The objects amassed can be costly or free, academic or whimsical, and the collection can be as small as three objects or as massive as a museum.

This New York home is filled with romantic and genre scene art. This grouping includes Maurice Prendergast, Moses Soyer, Maximilien Luce, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The gilded frames were made in Paris. The mahogany piano is a restored Steinway from the early twentieth-century.
As an art historian, I have always admired the erudite collections amassed by legendary collectors such as Henry Francis Dupont, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Sir Richard Wallace, Albert Barnes, Richard Jenrette or Henry Clay Frick. Their mammoth collections are now available to the world at museums and historic buildings devoted to the conservation of their achievements. Some collectors become as famous at their curations which are significantly autobiographical. Gertrude Stein, Carolyne Roehm, Coco Chanel and my personal favorite, Sir John Soane are examples of this phenomenon. I encourage you to visit all the museums associated with these collectors.

This home was designed for a serious collec
tor of American fine furniture and folk art. The quilt is an 18th-century masterpiece from Baltimore and the secretary hails from Philadelphia.

This project was for a dear friend and showcased her collection of Wedgewood basalt in a dramatic and colorful way. Robert Adam would have approved the use of sky blue behind these classical forms.
So how do you become a collector? I suggest you begin by doing your homework. Read the books I’ve listed below, visit antique shops and shows, research various categories such as ceramics, silver, textiles, art, antiques, illustrations, the list is endless. Also, survey auction houses and online dealers and wait for the magic to happen. You will discover a passion that will bring you joy for a lifetime! Once you buy that first piece you’ll be hooked.

In my opinion antiques are always appropriate, even in a boutique hotel. This is the Dunhill Hotel in Uptown Charlotte, NC. The owner requested a very “British” character which allowed meto use objects from around the world. No one loves collecting more than the Brits. The sideboard is a 19th-century Chinese design I purchased from Clubcu in High Point.
This entrance vignette gave me a chanceto indulge my passion for blue and white porcelain. I love mixing antique and modern, and high and low in these groupings. Add fresh roses for a punch of color and this becomes the perfect first impression.
There are many books on collecting, but here are three that I found to be great references:
- Barbara Milo Ohrbach, A Passion for Antiques. Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, 2004.
Commissioned paintings can be centralto an art collection. Lea Barksdale’s bold blue stripe leads the eye up the 3 level staircase. Erika Vaden (left) captured the spirit of Cy Twombly in this vibrant blue calligraphy inspired painting.Piranesi engravings, an old book press, bronze urns, and Spanish alabaster lamps give this library a very classical bearing. The ceiling ornamentation is a restoration of the original Tudor strapwork design based on photography. My first designer showhouse room, it was tapped for publication in Traditional Home.
Gary M. Inman
Vice President, Hospitality at Baskerville
Blog: The Art of Fine Living
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/garyi/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/garyinman/
Southern Style Now Panel: Antiques Anonymous
Join Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, and a panel of experts:
Antiques Anonymous
Saturday November 3
11-11:50am
Why leave the past behind when you can repurpose it? Is brown furniture out? Does Victoriana have a future? We’ve pulled together a plucky panel of experts to help you to rediscover your heirlooms, and give new life to old pieces.
A panel discussion with Summer Loftin, Benjamin Johnston, Toma Clark Haines, Tammy Connor and Allison Allen, moderated by Lynn Terry.
Tickets for the 2018 Southern Style Now Festival in Charleston Nov 1-4, 2018 go on sale on August 15:
A Day at the East Hampton Antiques Show – #NoPassportRequired
Last year I attended the for the 1st time – and was gobsmacked by the quality, variety and quantity of antiques shown. So much so in fact, that we launched our annual to visit the EHAS, a perfect tour for the out of town designer, art aficionado or history and culture buff who yearns to inundate themselves with an insider’s view of the design, lifestyle and sources in the Hamptons – and of course, antiques galore! A summer visit to the Hamptons is the perfect girl’s trip, especially under the guidance of our chic and connected local Antiques Diva Guide, interior designer Tamara Matthews Stephenson, pictured above with Toma Clark Haines – #NoPassportRequired.
Today’s guest blogger is my dear friend, the brilliant Cathy Whitlock, who is giving us an exclusive review of this year’s East Hampton Antiques Show. She is the author of Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction (Harper Collins, November 2010) and re-de-sign (Fairchild Books/Conde Nast, 2009). She is a contributing writer for American Airlines Celebrated Living, Hollywood Reporter and Traditional Home magazines and her work also appears in Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest and The Huffington Post where she specializes in celebrity profiles, design, film, travel and lifestyle articles. Cathy also lectures all over the country on the topic of design in the cinema.
Best in Show: East Hampton Antiques Show

Cathy Whitlock
Summer in the Hamptons marks one of my favorite events, the East Hampton Antiques Show. Sponsored by the East Hampton Historical Society and now in its 12th year, the show is one of the premier antiques events. Held on the bucolic grounds of the 17th-century Mulford Farm, the money goes to a great cause, maintaining some of the oldest farmhouses and barns on Long Island. And great people watching with Martha Stewart and interior designers Alex Papachristidis and Steven Gambrel in attendance.
More than 50 antiques and art dealers with a penchant for vintage decorative items and jewelry ranging from classic to contemporary for home and garden were showcased at last weekend’s event. From the whimsical to the serious, here are a few of my favorite things spotted at the preview party on July 20th.

Pair of Hexagonal Bamboo Chairs from Jed Antiques in Sag Harbor. These would be great paired in opposite corners of a room!

Set of twelve Johann Weinmann Botanical Engravings, circa 1740. Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, Inc., Maryknoll, NY.
Pair of concrete snails, French, 1950s from Withington & Co., Portsmouth, Maine. These spoketo me for some reason!

Pair of Murano Pineapple Lamps, c 1950s from Sol on Dixie. Perfect pair for a beach house.
Gerald Thurston Lamp from David Bell Antiques, Washington, DC and one of my new favorite sources! And the lamp sold immediately but check them out on lst Dibs.
Book a Hamptons Antiques Diva Tour
Antiques Diva Guide Tamara Matthews Stephenson says,
“The secret to the Hamptons is knowing where to go. There are 100’s of antique shops in the Hamptons. 100’s of restaurants and 100’s of interesting places to be inspired by design. But narrowing down your choices to the right places… to the best places… takes a lifetime of making the right contacts and then of course knowing who to call to get in.”
See you in the Hamptons!
Architectural Salvage: Architectural Antiques in Restaurant Design
One of the biggest trends in interior design is architectural salvage. Not only do architectural antiques salvaged from the past bring uniqueness, patina and history to your project, but salvaged elements are part of a booming movement fueled by millennials: reuse, reclaim and recycle. Nowhere is sustainable living and the #AntiquesAreGreen philosophy more evident than in architectural salvage. The Antiques Diva® architectural salvage buying tour clients are searching for everything from lighting to bricks to staircases to doors to bathtubs to gravestones (yes, I said gravestones! I love my job! You can’t make this stuff up!) to entire houses and villages! Europe, Asia and the US are ideal hunting grounds for reclaimed décor that delivers personality to a new home or a renovation project. More and more though we’re seeing clients requesting architectural salvage for public spaces – hotels, boutique stores, interior design showrooms, even restaurants, as today’s guest blogger Anne Holler from Demolition Depot shows us!
Architectural Salvage: Adding Spice to Restaurant Design

Evan Blum, the owner of Demolition Depot & Irreplaceable Artifacts (photo permission from Elizabeth Solaka)
Who buys architectural salvage in New York? Actually, an amazing variety of people: interior decorators, DIY-ers, contractors, prop stylists, hoteliers, individualists, and architects. Those of us who work at Demolition Depot & Irreplaceable Artifacts in Manhattan, know that there’s one group of people who walk through the door with real purpose and passion: restaurant designers.
Success in the restaurant world depends on the mood and décor almost as much as the food. In fact, there are some diners who will excuse mediocre food if the setting intrigues them as much as watching a Wes Anderson movie. Savvy restaurant designers know that younger diners are an intensely visual group. Like a Wes Anderson movie, a memorable restaurant has to feed us odd details and visual surprises — often with a vintage tone.
“Adding architectural ornaments to a restaurant keeps the ambiance interesting,” says Evan Blum who has owned Demolition Depot & Irreplaceable Artifacts for over 48 years. “Old bars, antique lighting, carved marble mantels, even slightly tarnished mirrors, are items that set your interior apart from the designed-for-a-chain look. These wonderful features add personality and authenticity to your space.”
Within the downtown Ludlow Hotel is a bistro-like eatery with the cheeky name of Dirty French. Major Food Group designers chose bold brass antique chandeliers from Demolition Depot’s inventory to add patina and a mellow, relaxed lighting. For the definitive feedback, check on Yelp where diners describe the restaurant’s interior as “sexy”, ”cozy” and “Instagram worthy.”

Ludlow Hotel in-house restaurant, Dirty French: originally our chandeliers (photo permission from Major Food Group)
Further uptown, there’s P.J. Clarke’s Lincoln Center where clientele are often dining before they dash off to the opera, ballet and theater across the street. The décor of this restaurant, a contemporary cousin to the 19th century P.J. Clarke’s on Third Avenue, holds a secret unbeknownst to most of the customers. The antique lighting was rescued and purchased by Demolition Depot from former live performance theaters. One chandelier is from such an establishment in Cincinnati and four lights are repurposed from the former world-famous Erlanger Theater in Philadelphia.

P.J. Clarke’s Lincoln Center: originally our antique lighting and sconces (sconces are reproductions made by Demolition Depot) (photo permission from The Clarkes’ Group LLC)
Choosing architectural antiques as decor can reinforce the quality of the product or service that is being offered. Jack Mazzola is the founder of Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee Shops, 6 shops in Manhattan, one in The Hamptons and another in Sag Harbor. The young entrepreneur roasts and sells his own organic coffee along with vegan baked goods. His restaurant designer, EunHea Kim, sources architectural elements – hand built church pews and Art Deco mirrors discovered in an Elks Lodge — from Demolition Depot. Antiques like these represent craftsmanship and tradition. EunHea feels strongly that their organic and natural qualities “are integral to the brand.”

Jack Mazzola, founder of Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee
More personally, Jack grew up around his father’s auto shop business and people who worked with their hands. He adds: “Bringing pieces of old New York into Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee Shops is part of sharing that story.”
Designing a restaurant? Architectural salvage just might be that secret ingredient you’re looking for.
The Demolition Depot
www.irreplaceableartifacts.com
https://www.facebook.com/demolitiondepot/
Learn more about Antiques Diva Architectural Salvage Tours
Architectural Salvage: Sexy, Modern and Eco-Friendly
Source Antiques Like the Pros: Where to Buy Architectural Salvage
One of a kind architectural antiques make a statement and add authenticity to any design project. Reclaimed pieces mix with any décor to create a look that’s both modern and unique.
Book an Antiques Diva & Co Architectural Salvage Tour
I hope to see you soon an Antiques Diva architectural salvage buying tour!
Toma – The Antiques Diva
Inspiring Ideas for Using Books as Decor
I am a book collector. I don’t use books as decor, I love to read books – not on my iPad – I like bound books made with real paper. One of the tragedies of my life was when we lost all our belongings in a Thanksgiving night fire in Berlin… years of cherished and collected books gone in the flash of a candle’s wick. Out of that loss came a whole new library of books given to us by dear friends and Antiques Diva readers – books that have now made the journey with me to Venice and line the shelves of my office, are stacked on the floor of my living room and cover every inch of surface on my bedside tables. J’adore Rome Antiques Diva Guide Désirée’s new ideas on how to use books – even antique books – as decor. I’ll be incorporating a couple of these ideas ca Toma.
3 Smart Methods For Using Books as Decor

Désirée Marie Townley, Rome Antiques Diva Guide
I’m of the same mind as Cicero on this one… I think that having books in your home is essential. I have a habit of picking up books while traveling. My favorite souvenirs are antique, hardbound novels by an author who had written in the particular city I am visiting. I bought Jack Kerouac in Oregon, Hemingway in Paris, and Robert Louis Stevenson in Scotland. Rekindling beautiful memories while going about your daily rituals, is a classic DIVA move!
Unlike other holiday purchases, like a ridiculous T-shirt or another coffee mug, a well-cultivated library can be used in multiple ways around your home.
#1 Books as a Knife Holder
Some of the most practical pieces in our home can be an eyesore, so I love this charming solution to an annoying issue.
I keep my knives separated by size and shape, making the division provided by the book covers ideal. Depending on your needs, the covers can be glued together for additional stability, however, it isn’t necessary.
Supplies:
- Books – You could use vintage cookbooks, but I like to have my cookbooks easily accessible. Instead, I used 3 books I have thoroughly read that were not completely precious to me. The books should have a hardcover and I recommend something quite long- the thicker the book, the more stable the base.
- Rope – I used a piece of old rope (this, in particular, was a Ralph Lauren rope-belt with leather tipped ends that I picked up at a thrift store for one dollar).
Note: Make sure you dry your knives properly before putting them away, as the water easily damages the books.

#2 Books as Floating Shelves
- I bought these floating book mounts on Amazon:
- The mounts are easily attached to the wall and create a whimsical ledge on which the most beautiful pieces of your library become additional space for lamps, eyeglasses by your bedside, or even a fabulous hat.
- Choose within a theme: books you intend to read, your favorite books, books which evoke strong memories, or even books that provide a pop of a complementary color to the space.



#3 Books as Pedestals for Antiques
I am a Stylist, not a Librarian, so I have no problem organizing my library by color. If your brain works differently than mine, you may stack books by author or subject.
- Simply stack a group of books from large to small.
- Place the books absolutely anywhere! I like to use them as a solution for hiding cords or unsightly details at home. I stack them to cover an unruly lamp cord, or in empty spaces that are easily accessible to a potential reader. Truly, ANYWHERE!
- Place some of your favorite objects on top, to highlight your treasures and collections and help elevate them into art.



