Like I said yesterday, there were plenty of estate sales to hit Friday morning. I manage to drop in on three. The middle of the three was a bust...for me at least (there were plenty of really cool remote control gliders [sail plane] but I don't really get into that). This was the last of the three that I hit.
Yes, it was a VERY long day for Mr. Modtomic. I was up at 2:30pm Friday morning...worked
from 9:30pm until 5:30am (without a proper dinner break) and then scurried over to my first
estate sale directly after and was up until 12:30pm Saturday before finally dropping off to a well
deserved sleepy sleep.
This rattan sunroom set was primarily what drew me to this sale. I figured that if the owner had
the sensibilities to own a set like this...well surely there would be plenty of other great / desirable
vintage modern item there to be had at reasonable prices. I was right! Plus...it was a chance to
take a little tour through a home that I might otherwise not get an opportunity to poke around in
before it was remodeled to death. Luckily this place was something of a time capsule.
The kitchen was straight up authentic, yo. Not a touch of remodeling to be seen. Even the flooring
(although utterly finished and needing complete replacement) was original to the home. Perfect in
my book. I hope (beyond hope) that the next owner can appreciate the all original steel cabinetry,
the amazing red Formica, the beautiful polished stainless steel counter edging and the oh so loverly
Sea Foam Green tile work throughout the kitchen. It will be Such A Shame to tear all that out and
replace it with the ubiquitous standard press board and vinyl cabinetry, Granite countertops and
stainless steel faced appliances. Sad indeed.
...And surely this time capsule of a vintage modern bathroom doesn't stand a chance against the
HGTV generation. Out with the old and timeless...in with the soon to be outdated and remodeled!
I'm imagining that 40 or 50 years from now how there will be people like myself out there fawning
all over the "naughties" (year '00s) and freaking about finding in tact 2' X 2' tile work, lots of Granite
and stainless steel appliances in homes either remodeled or built during the bubble the way I freak
over in tact VCT tiles, crazy colored formica countertops and period original appliances. This is
why I try not to disparage the tract home you see today...I'm sure some folks in the '50s and '60s
looked at the homes I so admire today the way I look at homes being built now (which is to say...
not in a flattering way).
The good news is that there was plenty to pick through and poke around in! That's the beautiful
thing about the estate sales around here (and I suspect elsewhere); the deceased had lived
through the Great Depression and (unlike us) learned to value stuff...thus held onto everything
just in case they mighy need it later! Therefore they had lots of great vintage items at their
estate sale for us to covet! Lucky us. Not so much for that far off generation who will be
partaking of our estate sales (Obviously I don't mean "our" like us...I mean "our" like the
general population, who will have have nothing less than a few years old probably) and
finding nothing but crappy microwaves and "as seen on TV" stuff to buy!
The cabinet pulls in the bathroom are fantastic! What fun to find a house that hasn't been ruined by tacky remodels!
ReplyDeleteJust started following your blog. You find some very nice MCM stuff. Wish I had more time to hunt. Think I found you taking a look at my blog at http://amodernline.blogspot.com. I will post a link up on my blog for all that might be intersted!
ReplyDeleteMeh. I do like the retro appliances and cabinets, but they just aren't my style. I think that one can achieve a good balance between retro and modern without compromising on either style or utility.
ReplyDeleteDid you get the rattan set? Those cushions are in fabulous condition! Looks like a Ritts Tropitan set, similar to the one we picked up this summer - tho our cushions totally need to be replaced ($).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.retroroadmap.com/2011/07/24/vintage-rattan-set-a-tiki-tastic-addition-to-the-hacienda/
You always seem to find the coolest stuff- congrats! I sold MCM stuff for a while almost 10 years ago but got out of it b/c I could not stand the stress of being 1st in line, seeing other sellers in line, the folks who would take price tags off etc. SO much more fun now (as it was before I started selling) that it's just for us (or the Etsy store I'm always threatening to open up :-))
We are trying to buy this house, and we won't remuddle! Did you open the dishwasher? Awesome! I would like to ask you about some Paul McCobb leather dining chairs that I need repaired.
ReplyDeletethanks, Becky 521-1217
Dana - I know...that orig. bathroom is a treasure. I've never seen steel cabinets in a bathroom before. Nore have I ever seen those cabinet pulls.
ReplyDeleteA Mod Line - Hi! Welcome! I was lurking around your blog recently. I found it looking for info about a lamp that Bopfish recently found but stayed for the Hey / Wake info. Wish I lived close by. I'd love to attend one of your Hey / Wake refinishing classes!
Nick - I've seen it done well both ways...then again I've seen lots of orig. vintage kitchens that just begged to be gutted!
Mod Betty - I didn't bring the rattan set home because I've already got my dream set (Paul Frankl), but now that you mention it and I think about it...maybe I should have, if just for those amazing barkcloth cushions! I'm not a full time seller so the anxiety of estate sales is still kinda fun for me.
Becky - Awesome! So glad to hear that an appreciative buyer is trying to snatch up the joint. I really hope you get it. Keep me informed, PLEASE. I'd love to do some posts on your journey.
WOW! I would absolutely kill for that rattan furniture. You just don't see stuff like that around here.
ReplyDelete