Favorite Finds Part 2 of Antique & Design Center of High Point

Dear Diva Readers,

top: 5px; float: left; color: white; background: #781300; border: 1px solid darkkhaki; font-size: 50px; line-height: 40px; padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 5px; font-family: times;”>T oday we’re continuing our Favorite Finds from The Antique & Design Center of High Point.  If you missed part one make sure to go back and read it HERE. Now, last time I wrote, you’ll recall, I was delighted to lead a tour of the Antique & Design Center during Spring Market. For those of you who missed market, I had to share some of my top picks from market.

Normally specializing in painted pieces of Italian, Swedish and French provenance, Mitra of Art & Antique Hunter found a sublime Swedish walnut table that she instantly knew was a show stopper. This piece is stunning in person – photos simply cannot do it justice. The pattern of the wood grain is gorgeous in an of itself, each piece specifically cut to make a starburst on the table’s center, with the woodgrain gorgeously flowing down the legs.

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

There weren’t a lot of garden antiques at the Antique & Design Center of High Point, but the pieces that were there were stellar. Perhaps my favorite garden piece at the fair was this pair of rare 1920’s sculpted garden statues from Gallery at Summerhill. Australian vendor Chris O’Brian found this pair in a Palm Beach House – constructed entirely from one piece of carved limestone. The quality is exquisite. I loved their pose- the way their forms embraced – it’s actually quite rare to find both male and female pieces together this way. And if you look closely, the male figures have classic Baroque putti faces… but the females… have you ever seen anything quite like them? Probably not! There is no tradition for a female “putti” face so the sculptor had to imagine them himself, breathing his own life and inspiration into them.

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Another fabulous garden piece, this pair of Romantic Revival Movement garden statues circa 1800 from Hank Kozlowski are grand and fun all at once. They’d be just as appropriate today in a boxwood garden as they would be in Marie Antoinette’s hamlet where she used to frolic pretending to be a peasant!

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Next door to Hank Kozlowski is Halsey Dean Antiques which gives vintage and antique pieces a new lease on life. They silver and gold leaf vintage pieces so they simply shimmer. One of our favorite finds in their stall was a reinvented Tomlinson piece made in 1962… RIGHT HERE IN THE VERY BUILDING where the Antique & Design Center of High Point now calls home! At The Antiques Diva & Co we believe in making antiques & vintage pieces relevant. I give Chris and Tim a round of applause for making vintage pieces that might be overlooked more marketable and applicable for today’s interior.

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

I love it when vendors think outside the box. And that’s exactly what vendor Heidi Jones of Punch Jones does. By nature she is a storyteller and her inventory is choreographed in a way that it reads as if  it were a novel. Sometimes it’s a historical novel, other times a mystery. While almost all of her pieces were statement pieces, perhaps the piece that caught my eye the most was an antique black dress framed in a shadow box. With such graphic punch it could work in a modern space as well as a traditional space!

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Speaking of vendors with great eyes, Sandy Luther has a fantastic eye. Her entire booth is a favorite from market because of her divine style – we couldn’t choose just one piece to highlight – so we’re highlighting Sandy’s style overall. Correction make that “Sandy’s Style” overall… the word style needed a capital S! Specializing in 18th C Italian religious relics and fragments, Sandy does like to shake it up from time to time. She’s recently started mixing in mid century pieces with her inventory and she has me smitten with a capital S.

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Speaking of being Smitten, you’ve probably heard me say before that Alhambra Antiques is one of my favorite vendors in the USA, selling divine European inventory. Ignacio (and his daughter Olga who is co-owner with husband Doug Scott of The HighBoy) have a great eye for sourcing in Europe! Alhambra Antiques consistently has top quality, creative inventory that punctuates spaces with a European vibe. His first time displaying at market, vendor Ignacio’s stole the show with his chandeliers. While he had chandeliers dating several hundred years old, perhaps my favorites were the vintage Italian Murano and Art Glass. Talk about a statement piece! WOW!

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Sometimes my favorite items in the booth, weren’t the oldest or the most precious, or even the best value. Dealers Richard and Tatiana of Rue Auber Antiques had a wonderful assortment of pieces that were under-priced! They buy low at auction (or house clearing sales nearby their New England home) and thus they pass along their savings. One painting in their booth was estimated at $3-5K at auction and they were selling for $1200 and they had an Italian Carerra Marble fireplace that would have sold in New York for 12K going for 4K! They pride themselves on seeking quality and selling for a good value. The piece that struck me in their booth was a designer’s dream – it was a faux malachite table from the 1960s. The color, the pattern, the shape were all perfect and I can imagine it showing up on the cover of House Beautiful or some other shelter publication in the coming years!

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Last but not least was Marshall Clements from Little Rock, Arkansas. They have some of the most to-die-for inventory – my particular favorite piece in their booth was a 19th C Sculoa Baroque Table – similar to Pietre Dura (which is comprised of semi-precious stones). This is a pigment version from a church in Rome. I think it was one of the most special pieces at the fair! I also loved their Pair of 19th C bibliotheques as well as their assortment of well priced 18th C walnut tables selling for 3-5K.

High Point Market, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva

Hope you’ve enjoyed our Antiques Diva High Point Antique and Design Center Round Up!

The Antiques Diva®

The Future of Antiques

Dear Diva Readers,

top: 5px; float: left; color: white; background: #781300; border: 1px solid darkkhaki; font-size: 60px; line-height: 50px; padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 5px; font-family: times;”>I am delighted to be speaking alongside some major players in the antiques world coming up on November 20 in New York City! Join us for cocktails, a book signing, and panel discussion on The Future of Antiques: Antiques & Design in the 21st Century.  The panel will be moderated by Doris Athineos, of Traditional Home Magazine, with antiques experts Judith Miller, Olga Granda-Scott of The HighBoy and myself – founder and CED (that would be Chief Executive Diva) of The Antiques Diva® & Co.

Doris Athineos, Traditional Home Magazine, Judith Miller, Millers Antiques Guides, Olga Granda-Scott, The HighBoy, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, The Future of Antiques, Antiques and Design in the 21st Century, Alhambra Antiques, The Pier Antique Show

Doris Athineos, Traditional Home Magazine, Judith Miller, Millers Antiques Guides, Olga Granda-Scott, The HighBoy, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, The Future of Antiques, Antiques and Design in the 21st Century, Alhambra Antiques, The Pier Antique Show

Moderator DORIS ATHINEOS is Senior Antiques and Art Editor, Traditional Home magazine.  She writes about fine and decorative arts, artisans, design, and collecting. Her job involves tracking down culturally significant one-off designs, whether a Chippendale chair, a Tiffany lamp or a freshly-made Moulthrop bowl. Prior to joining Traditional Home, Athineos served as an editor at Forbes magazine, where she covered the art market. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Observer, Architectural Digest, Wine Spectator, Art & Auction, and other publications.

judith miller antiques, Doris Athineos, Traditional Home Magazine, Judith Miller, Millers Antiques Guides, Olga Granda-Scott, The HighBoy, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, The Future of Antiques, Antiques and Design in the 21st Century, Alhambra Antiques, The Pier Antique Show

Perhaps the Queen of the Antiques Scene is JUDITH MILLER, – Antique Expert & Author, Miller’s Antiques & Collectibles.  She is one of the world’s leading antiques experts and has authored more than 100 books, including the newly published Arts& Crafts: Living with the Arts & Crafts Style and the international best-seller, Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide, founded in 1979. She appears regularly on British television, pens an antiques column for Forbes, and lectures around the world including the V&A in London and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Doris Athineos, Traditional Home Magazine, Judith Miller, Millers Antiques Guides, Olga Granda-Scott, The HighBoy, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, The Future of Antiques, Antiques and Design in the 21st Century, Alhambra Antiques, The Pier Antique Show

OLGA GRANDA-SCOTT is the Founder of The HighBoy a curated marketplace for Antiques & Fine Art. As an antique dealer herself for over a decade at Alhambra Antiques in Miami, Olga was frustrated by the lack of technological innovation in the industry, and thus The HighBoy was born. Dubbed “a hip contender to the antiques throne” by The Wall Street Journal, The HighBoy marries the beauty and sophistication of antiques, decorative arts, and jewelry with the innovations of 21st century technology.

toma-clark-haines-higher-res.jpg”>toma-clark-haines-higher-res-180×300.jpg” alt=”Doris Athineos, Traditional Home Magazine, Judith Miller, Millers Antiques Guides, Olga Granda-Scott, The HighBoy, Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva, The Future of Antiques, Antiques and Design in the 21st Century, Alhambra Antiques, The Pier Antique Show” width=”180″ height=”300″ />

While you probably already know me since you’re reading my blog – I thought you might enjoy finding out a bit more about me too! I’m TOMA CLARK HAINES – founder and entrepreneur of The Antiques Diva & Co European Tours.  Since opening in 2008, The Antiques Diva® & Co. has become Europe’s largest antiques touring company, offering customized, private one-on-one antiques buying tours in 11 countries to both private individuals and to the trade. When I’m not on a buying tour, I’m also a freelance travel and design writer and an international public speaker.

Join us in NYC!
Thursday November 20, 2014 7:00-9:00pm
At Jonathan Burden, Antiques and Works of Art
180 Duane Street, New York, NY 10013
RSVP is required – email me to:toma@antiquesdiva.com”>toma@antiquesdiva.com.

All attendees will receive complimentary tickets to The Pier Antique Show on November 22 & 23 – where if you didn’t yet know it – The Antiques Diva & Co is delighted to be a sponsor!!  Admission is free for all attendees who confirm their attendance at futureofantiques.thehighboy.com.

See you in NYC!

The Antiques Diva®

Parlez-vous brocante?

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/Spp6fAaJ14I/AAAAAAAADf8/tmggqXqZiyU/s400/086.JPG” border=”0″ />top:2px;padding-right:5px;font-family:times;”>Parlez-vous brocante? Do you speak French flea market? While the “Armoire” is the best known piece of French furniture, did you know that if an armoire only has one door then it is not an “Armoire”? Instead, it is a “Bonnetiere” deriving its name from the rounded top which looks like the shape of a bonnet worn by “Breton” ladies ( women from a region in northern France called Brittany). Sometimes you’ll see this bell-shaped armoire top referred to as a “Chapeau de Gendarme” or a police man’s hat. But if that “Bonnetiere” is divided by a drawer then this piece becomes an “Homme Debout” (or “Standing Man”).

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/Spp6mNwXP8I/AAAAAAAADgk/a66CoW5KcNY/s400/hommedebout.jpg” border=”0″ />This Beautifully Carved Walnut Homme Debout can be yours from 1st Dibs Garden Court Antiques

As Anglophones, when we hear “Commode” we think of a toilet, but in France a “Commode” is a chest of drawers and is considered the finest piece of furniture made for a house! While Anglophones tend to use “chest of drawers” for storing clothes, the French would use a “Coffre”. We might be familiar with the term “buffet” used as a side table in the dining room, but did you know a true buffet is higher than a commode with 2 doors on the bottom and 2 drawers at the top? Meanwhile, a “Buffet a Deux Corps” is literally a cabinet with 2 bodies. The bottom is usually traditional, but then a 2nd upper body is placed on top. However, if the top part has a plate rack, instead of doors, then it becomes a “Vaisselier”.

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/Spp6glS0G4I/AAAAAAAADgU/mKyuFnIyseo/s400/commode.jpg” border=”0″ />This Louis XV Style Commode in Kingwood & Tulipwood, c. 1850 is similar to the one I have at home! Shop like The Diva at 1st Dibs – William Word Fine Antiques

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/Spp6fy7NqiI/AAAAAAAADgM/PfqwhYPvUkE/s400/buffetadeauxcorps.jpg” border=”0″ />This Louis XV Cherry Buffet a Deux Corps, Circa 1760 is from
Richard Norton Antiques at 1st Dibs

A shelf (or even a floor in an apartment) is called an “Etage” but if a piece which sole purpose is shelving, then it is called an “Tagre”. However, if you’re storing books on that “tagre” and it has enclosed sides, then it is called a “Bibliotheque” which happens to be the same word for library in France. Wouldn’t it be confusing to ask how many bookshelves a certain library has?

All this thinking in a foreign language probably leaves you tired. You might as well take a “Siege”!! No, don’t attack a foreign city, instead take a seat – in fact, any seat, this is a general term for “Canapes, Fauteuils or Chaise”. You might know chair is “chaise” in French, but are you familiar with “Fauteuils”? This is nothing more than an armchair from any period. But if that armchair is upholstered, has an exposed wood frame and enclosed sides, then it is considered a “Bergere”. While you might be hungry don’t assume you’ll get an hors-d’oeuvre when you hear canapé mentioned – for a French man is probably asking you to sit on an antique wood-framed couch or love seat!

to 10px; WIDTH: 399px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/Spp6fhWjpEI/AAAAAAAADgE/yZ7Tg4XzBB8/s400/bergers.jpg” border=”0″ />Another item you’ll find chez moi, this Pair of French Louis XVI Style Painted Bergeres are from the late 19th Century. From Alhambra Antiques – 1st Dibs

If you want to kick back and relax, you won’t find a Lazy Boy in France, but you will find a “Chaise Longue”, a chair long enough to support your legs! But if the “Chaise Longue” has a back rest at both ends it is known as a “Recamier”. Meanwhile a grand chair with matching ottoman would be called a “Duchess Brise”. If a chair has a footstool but it doesn’t match, that’s “un pouf”! Of course, if you’re looking for a chair that looks like a stool to sit at the side of a chair but not sit your feet on, then that’s a “Tabouret”!

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/Spp6g791xxI/AAAAAAAADgc/7VsHQ7myuzg/s400/Duchesse+Brisee.jpg” border=”0″ />I’ll be looking for something like this for my bedroom at Diva Tours French Flea Market Fall Extravaganza. ThisThree-piece Louis XV style Duchesse Brisee was made in 1870 and is available on line from, you guessed it, 1st Dibs.com
Vendor: Alhambra Antiques

Last but not least, you might need a “Lumire” to read by! While chandelier sure sounds like a French word to me, the French do not use this term – they call them “Lustre”. Finally, we come to something simple – a lamp is just “une Lampe”, but that’s where simple stops! If I were to say “Appliques” what would you think it means? Me? I think of an embroidery or iron-on patch, but in French this is the word for a sconce! That’s it!!! I’ve had enough French furniture vocabulary for one day! I’m going to bed, which in French is “Lit” pronounced “lee”!

“Bonne Nuit!” Good Night!

The Antiques Diva™

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