Antique School Bench and French Tapestry Chair

Tiny's just added this adorable folding cast iron school bench to its inventory, currently priced at 100 (but as my customers know, you can sweeten the price with cash).

This is a rustic piece that would work great in a mudroom or under a sunny window (I can just picture a row of flower pots across the top).

Next, we have an antique French tapestry chair with ornate wood carvings and the original needlework upholstery, priced at 175.

Now, I'll be honest with you.  I am seriously considering keeping this one.  Why?  Three reasons.

1) It's gorgeous.
2) It's gorgeous.
3) It's gorgeous.

And as an added bonus, it's seat springs are still nice and bouncy, meaning that -- unlike a lot of antique chairs -- you can actually SIT in the thing.  I love it.

Mad Men Loves CathrineHolm . . . And So Does Tiny

When I see iconic mid-century Scandinavian design, I go weak in the knees.  In fact, every time I gaze at Tiny's set of CathrineHolm lotus pattern enamelware bowls, I get the vapors.  Someone better buy these, quick, before I decide to keep them for myself.

CathrineHolm doesn't refer to the designer, but the factory in Oslo, Norway that manufactured these bowls in the 50's and 60's.  The designer in question is Grete Prytz Kittelsen, sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Scandinavian Design" (at least according to Wikipedia).  She passed away just this year at the age of 93.

Her spectacularly simple CathrineHolm designs are known to inspire lust in collectors (myself included).  Displayed in a group, they're like eye candy.

Photo courtesy Tandem Antiques and Design.

As a dedicated Mad Men viewer, I was ecstatic to find CathrineHolm this season in the conference room of Sterling Cooper Draper Price.

My favorite show met my favorite design! I almost wet my pants!

Stop by Tiny's to peruse the latest CathrineHolm offerings.  Don Draper eats his martini olives from a CathrineHolm bowl - why not you?

Everyone Needs Some Gemma In Their Life

Since opening Tiny's, I've gotten several comments on the wonderful papier mache head displayed at the top of my etagere.  She's by the renowned artist Gemma Taccogna, and yes, she's signed.

What? You've never heard of Gemma Taccogna? Well let me tell you, in papier mache circles, she's HUGE.

Gemma began selling her papier mache creations in the 1950's to the likes of designers/retailers like Nina Ricci, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor and Mr. John (who used her large paper heads as hatstands).  I love the mid-century modern vibe you get whenever you look at a Gemma Taccogna face.

In the 60's she moved to Mexico and established a papier mache studio with her husband.  Her whimsmical heads, owls, and cats and assorted creatures number among the very best in mid-century design.  Her heads, in particular, showcase the "porcelain finish" that she perfected in her work -- hard to do with papier mache. 

I just love all the jolly Mexican-inspired colors in her pieces.  Reminds me of sunny California.

When knock-offs of her pieces began to be mass-produced, Gemma closed up shop and moved back to the states.  She continued to create her unmistakably joyful pieces until her death in 2007. 

Gemma has quite the following.  Collectors have included Peggy Guggenheim, the Pulitzers, former President & Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Carole Channing, Mary Tyler Moore, Burt Lancaster, Cliff Robertson, Frank Sinatra, and most recently, Anna Sui.

Why not add yourself to the list?

Much of the info from this post was culled from Evie Elman's site, Spiritual Lasagna.  Evie is at work on a documentary of Gemma which I can't wait to watch.

There's A Mouse In The House!

My friend Katja brought me my very own Tiny's Mascot!  I'm naming him Tiny, of course.  He had fun today hanging out with the Goosey twins.



Speaking of friends, thanks to Aspasia for being my first customer! If a Greek woman is your first customer, that's good luck, right?

And speaking of friends-of-friends, Aspasia's talented friend Michel Buffet has graciously allowed me to showcase a sampling of his work at Tiny's.  Michel takes photographs and digitally "funkifies" them with gorgeous, saturated color.  The end result is printed on canvas and ready to beautify your walls.  I especially like his piece "Red Barn".

You can view more of Michel's work, or request a custom piece, at http://www.scenesfrom.com/.

New stuff coming in next week - stop on by!