Louis Fourteenth style marble top table
Here in the United States, we don't get a lot of antique Swedish furniture in the antique stores, thrift stores, or estate sales, so if you come across a piece that even resembles the lines you pick it up. It is odd when a piece does come up, at least in my experience. Then again, I haven't lived in Minnesota where many Swedish immigrants settled. I am sure a person could find a few more pieces than any of the other areas of the country. There are a few antiques that slipped through my hands that I regret not buying. I am sure everyone has these experiences in their lifetime, remembering something they put back or walked away from.
I had always regretted selling my carved asian cabinet. It had the most wonderful painted details, and I loved that it was all white. It was an Asian piece, and these pieces are often carved. The outside had carved birds, and they were beautifully painted. I always thought the piece would look terrific in a children's bedroom, with de Gournay wallpaper.
My second mistake was at a Virginia auction where a Swedish table identical to Tara Shaw's table came up. The auction wasn't a professional one, which I enjoyed, because the prices remained low. I didn't know anything about Swedish furniture or antique furniture for that matter. I saw two demi lunes, and the middle part of the table by itself a little bit of a distance away. The two demi lunes were pushed together, and I figured the other table was simply just another dining table amongst dozens of others. I bought the two demi lunes for something like $40 dollars, and hauled them home in my convertible. A gentleman beside me got the middle section for $10 dollars. I always wondered what the hardware at the back of the tables was for, and I know now that it was to connect the middle section. The legs on the demi lunes didn't come off, and so I ended up selling them to two different people on craigslist. If that doesn't break your heart, I painted them black!! What was I thinking? My best buying was in Virginia. The first time ever I walked into an auction they were selling over 300 antique Louis XV dining chairs that came out of a local hotel in Washington DC and the final bid was only $300 dollars. Possibly that was my biggest mistake!! My husband and I had just a tiny 2 bedroom apartment, and a covertable to haul furniture, so that was the deciding factor.
Louis Fourteenth style marble top table
I was reminded of the third piece I decided against getting, after coming across an identical on the Perfect Gray Blog. At the time the piece was around $300 dollars, on craigslist, and I wavered back and forth getting it because at the time I spent too much money on craigslist, and it was just another "because....I want it honey". Contemplating the piece, and figuring out how to convince my husband of yet another buy, I decided against it, after looking at the listing several times. My husband doesn't like gaudy pieces, and after showing it to him, it wasn't anything special in his eyes. The piece had a sort of whimsical quality to it. It reminds me of the room Mary Douglas Drysdale decorated with several pastel hues amongst a white palette.
You win some and loose some, but isn't that the FUN of antique hunting?
Sometimes you loose a few nice pieces, but don't we all SCORE on some really nice pieces?
What do you step away from?
What is your BEST find?
Mary Douglas Drysdale Veranda From Ron Blunt Photo Featured on Veranda cover February 2009
Mary Douglas Drysdale Veranda From Ron Blunt Photo Featured on Veranda cover February 2009
Mary Douglas Drysdale Veranda Featured in Veranda February 2009- Featured on Indie Home Blog
Mary Douglas Drysdale Veranda Featured in Veranda February 2009- Featured on Indie Home Blog
Hand Crafted and Painted Demi Lune Table
Piedmont Woodworks in Marshall Virginia made this beautiful demi lune for Mary Douglas Drysdale, for this home which was featured in Veranda magazine. These tables were elaborately carved and featured a solid mahoghany top is finished
in high gloss french polish.
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