Matilda The Vintage Dress Form

Hi there, Tiny's customers.  Meet Matilda:

Matilda is a vintage dress form.  She has quite the bod.  And if you peruse Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware catalogs, you know is SO HOT right now (Zoolander fans, anyone?).  Check out her original cast iron stand and her distressed finish.  To die for!

You like Matilda? I'm sorry (actually, happy!) to report she's already been promised to another.  Taken! Don't wait too long, Tiny's customers . . . the best stuff goes in a snap.

The Latest and Greatest

Just in time for Christmas, I rescued this sweet thirties dresser with the beyond-awesome glove box.  Painted and distressed for that Anthropologie look.

Another great shabby-chic rescue is this cute French Provincial nightstand, shabbified for you.  I really enjoy the cut-out "windows" on the sides.

There's new chachkas in the offering, too! The discriminating collector should have some fun. How about a vintage Jere-style owl? (owls are THE thing right now, in case you weren't informed).

These vintage wood bowling pins are becoming quite collectible, now that they've been replaced with hard plastic pins.  Less durable, sure, but somehow more loveable.  Put one on your shelf and you'll look very "Restoration Hardware."

Bombe? Bombay? Okay!

Thanks to the wonderful customers who purchased my aqua sideboard (on to a new life as a bathroom sink!) and the cottage white dresser . . . I am busy painting new inventory to fill their places at the shop.

In the meantime, come in and take a look at this adorable marble-top bombe chest with brass detailing. A 20th century repro, most likely, but awfully cute.

If you're looking for a larger storage solution, this modern repro from Emerson et Cie fits the bill. It is in absolutely gorgeous condition with pristine burlwood veneer and drawers lined in premium Italian paper. And why not? It was made in Italy! I was so excited to see those words stamped on the reverse . . . how often do you see anything other than "Made in China" anymore?

Post-Hurricane Deals

Tiny here . . . yeah, it's been awhile.  Let's just say I've been inundated lately, as has everyone within a 30-mile radius of the Delaware River.

Damn that Irene.  They should have named her Imelda.

But on to the good news:  the shop stayed dry, if humid.  And Tiny's has a new slew of furniture for the fall season!

First, an adorable 1920's dresser, painted cottage white . . .

Next, a 20's/30's sideboard, dressed up in aqua blue . . .

And finally, an immense, gob-smackingly gorgeous Jacobean cabinet (I'm thinking 30's).

Come on in and be gob-smacked in person!

P.S.:Thank you summer customers!  The furniture has sold at a nice clip, despite the Recession-That-Never-Ends-But-Is-Supposedly-Supposed-To-Be-Over.

Antiques Are Gross!

Just finished cleaning up an antique double-seater school bench.  This was one of those items originally slated for the shop, but then I fell in love and decided to use it in our kitchen.

Love the wrought iron detail on this one . . . and if the stamp on the side is to be believed, it dates from 1887.

So as I'm cleaning the underside, I feel something stuck to one leg.  I take a peek: it's brown and oval-shaped.  A spider egg from those months in the garage?  Nope, couldn't be . . . it's way too hard.

I try to pry it off with my fingers.  And that's when I realize . . . what does every kid sneak in school?  And where does every kid plaster it when the teacher catches them with it?

That's right: GUM.  Calcified, fossilized, 100+ year-old chewing gum.  Eewwwwww.

I rushed inside to Purell my hands.  Hopefully whatever living organisms that gum harbored died a long, long time ago.

Happily, though, the bench turned out cute:



Out With the Old, In With the New!

Well, it appears you all are fixing up your beach houses for the season!  That's what I glean, anyhow, from the recent set of pieces that all went to the Jersey Shore.  See ya, white cottage dresser!

Ba-bye, little blue sideboard!

Have fun at the beach, pine bench!

And now, let's welcome the new crew.  This pretty antique oak dresser was lovingly cared for by its former owner.  It was professionally "ebonized" -- coated with layers of rubbed-in paint, then polyurethaned for protection -- and the finish is like new.  Best of all, the mirror is in top-notch shape and the drawers don't just open, they gliiiiiiiide open with no catching or sticking.

Also introducing . . . the cutest shabby chic desk EVAH!  Painted and distressed with love for you.  I love all the carved details, as well as the original brass drawer pulls.

And who doesn't love a sweet iron bench sitting in their flower patch?  After doing my research, I'm pretty sure this is a repro . . . but who cares?  It's too adorable to pass up!





Summer's just beginning . . . stop by Tiny's! Your beach house will thank you.

So Long! Farewell! Auf Wiedersehen, Good-Bye!

Sales are always nice, but there's certain items a part of you hates to see go.  I loved looking at this chest and imagining it in my (imaginary) beach house.  But now it's got a new lease on life in a NYC nursery . . .

 This chair was my "baby": I rescued her, painted her, and reupholstered her.  And she never talked back or gave me sass.  NOT ONCE.  So I was a twinge sad to see her purchased to sit at a lovely young lady's desk . . .  kind of like seeing your kids go off to college.  (Well, okay.  Maybe not quite like that).

But so it goes! Here's some more to add to the gallery of "recently sold".   Stay tuned as I add more inventory to the shop's summer stock!

Villanis, Wiinblad, and More

Hi folks! I'm busy prepping furniture in preparation for the spring and summer season, but that doesn't mean I don't have my eye out for some choice collectibles to grace your lovely homes.

For the lovers of Art Nouveau: this pretty spelter bust of Judith, she of Biblical fame.  Judith cut off the head of the Assyrian officer Holofernes -- hence the sword below her face.  Perfect for the kick-ass woman in your life.  Unsigned, but looks to be modeled after the work of famed French sculptor Villanis.

For lovers of Mid-Century Modern: a figural candleholder/vase by Bjorn Wiinblad, the celebrated Scandinavian designer.  Looking at his whimsmical heads and faces, you can see where Jonathan Adler got his inspiration for his Utopia line.  This particular piece is porcelain and produced by Rosenthal.

Finally, for those who love Deco: a pair of miniature English silverplate trophy cups to adorn your shelves.  From the 30s-50s, these are unengraved and sit on adorable little plinths.  Who deserves a trophy?  You do!

My Fastest Sale!

. . .  this antique wrought iron table is generously sized for the patio and has that industrial charm.  No wonder it was in the shop for only 2 hours before selling!

Tiny's Lambertville SHADALICIOUS SALE!

APRIL 30 (SAT) and MAY 1 (SUN), 11-5 at Tiny's! Get your beach house on and pick up some great finds for your cottage by the sea!  287 South Main Street Lambertville, behind the Fencing Academy.  Lost? Call me at 609 651 7165 for directions.

Most all furniture, decor and art will be on sale, but here's a preview of my latest inventory.  Tiny's been feeling a bit BLUE lately:

How's about a distressed antique wicker table painted robin's egg blue ($120)? Or an antique pine spool washstand painted the palest sky ($90)? No?  Then there's always this 20's mahogany server, distressed and painted French Blue ($150).

Now that the weather's nice, we have a pair of vintage patio chairs: $35 each, or 60 for both.

And since the famous green bench sold, I couldn't help myself -- I went out and found another ($150):

I didn't post photos of the HUGE deco pie crust mirror on sale (58x40, priced at $250), or the BIG wrought iron and glass table from the 1890s-early 20th century ($250 as well - could be used as a patio dining table).  They must be seen to be believed!

Hope to see you this weekend!



Tiny's Lambertville: 40's Enamel Top Table

Tiny's loves the look of retro kitchens, so she's pleased to offer this 30's/40's enamel top table! Perfect for your mudroom, sunroom, or vintage kitchen.  Actually, perfect just about anywhere!

Painted a nice satin black, with a knob from Anthropologie to replace its missing original.  Personally, I think the knob gives it a little "oomph".

Best of all, this gem is priced at 150 -- nice and reasonable, considering it's almost impossible to find these babies with the enamel tops intact.

And people, the enamel top on this table is GREAT.  Minimal scuffing, and just one tiny spot of rust that's been dabbed over with white paint.  Not bad for 60-plus years.

UPDATE: Going to the Shad Festival? Then drop by Tiny's SHADALICIOUS SALE! APR 30 and MAY 1, 11-5.

Tiny's Lambertville Spring Cleaning Sale

Stop by the shop this weekend and help Tiny make way for new inventory.  Select furniture and art up to 20 percent off! Sat 3/19 from 1-5, Sun 3/20 from 12-4.

Tiny's Lambertville on Etsy!

Announcing my virtual storefront: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dimadesigns

I am in the process of posting my inventory to my etsy site over the next month or so.  The reaction has been very positive! After a long winter, sales are happening and inventory is moving!

Thank you SO MUCH, Etsy shoppers!

Tiny's Lambertville: Punch Paper Motto Samplers

I have a huge fondness for Victorian punch-paper samplers: embroidery done on perforated paper.  There's something really touching about all that homespun-handcraftiness.  This Welcome sampler is currently part of Tiny's inventory:

Best of all, it comes in its original frame, with gilt lining.

Punch-paper samplers were quite the craze in the 19th Century, as they were cheap and easier to complete than other forms of needlework.  According to the font of all knowledge, Wikipedia:

Perforated card-board . . . first became available in the 1820's as plain sheets used for the creation of bookmarks and small mottoes and sayings, often taken from the Bible. By the 1870s the Victorian craze for this inexpensive and versatile craft material was at its peak. The invention of new printing processes made the pre-printing of mottoes and bookmarks on the perforated paper possible. These items were extremely popular and original examples, in good condition, can still be found today. The Victorian fad of embroidering mottoes on perforated paper died out around 1910 and was virtually lost as a needleart until recently being rediscovered.

Another good summary of the trend can be found at http://www.victoriana.com/Embroidery/perforatedpaper.html.

Keep antiquing!

Tiny's Lambertville: Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse

The weather is warming and Tiny is crawling out of her hole and back to the shop!  Given the brutal winter we've had, I'm thinking the shop will be closed from November through February each year -- Tiny's just not that tough to brave snow, ice and 20 degree temps, and neither, quite frankly, are shoppers.  But now that the sun's returning, be on the lookout for a March sale! . . .  details to come.

For now, Tiny wants to share these great eco-friendly finds!  One of her suppliers rescues old wooden window frames and repurposes them into chalkboards, bulletin boards and whiteboards:

I love how these retain the window hardware.  What a funky addition to the kitchen!

Also funky? Soda crate wagons! Back in olden times, before Target and Walmart, people did a lot of "make-do" around the house, especially when it came to kids' toys.  They'd take an old Pepsi or Coke crate, add wheels, and create a perfectly respectable little wagon:

Currently, Tiny's using this one to haul the girls, but come spring, picture it on your porch, filled with two pots of red geraniums.  TOO. CUTE.  Tiny has several of these wagons coming to the shop, but can't help but keep one for herself to store magazines, catalogs, etc.

Think you're "Green"?  Put your money where your mouth is!  Shop Tiny's!

Tiny's Lambertville: Character Culture & Citizenship Guide Prints

Tiny is so done with Winter.  This February feels like the demon spawn of a drunken one-night-stand between Mother Nature and Old Man Winter.  What with all the sickness, and snow days, and ice, and COLD, Tiny has seldom made it to the shop -- and her customers have made it even more seldom!  But Spring -- Tiny hopes, Tiny prays -- is coming in a mere month or so.  Time to stock the shop with some more great finds!

Ladies and gents, I give you two beautifully framed posters from the Nichols Character, Culture, and Citizenship Guides.  The Guides were classroom posters used in the twenties/thirties to promote good hygiene, moral fortitude, and red-blooded Americanism.  They are a pure hoot.  Plus, their deco-ish graphics are just delightful.

A vintage poster dealer told me it's a challenge to find these in good shape, since they were often used year-after-year, rotating from month-to-month in a special frame on the classroom wall.  Bends and tears are common.  These two posters, though, are pristine, aside from some slight browning.  Whoever framed them had the good sense to use a nice off-white matt board.

The pair makes such a fantastic set, since they both address hygiene.  I plan on hanging them in my dream bathroom.  You know, the one with white subway tile walls, black-and-white deco mosaic tile on the floor, a clean white pedestal sink, and nickel fixtures.  The bathroom in the historic home I own.

Wait.  I don't have an historic home.  Or a dream bathroom.

Then I guess I'll have to sell them to you.  Very reasonably priced at 100 each.  Collectors of this series know that this is a great deal, as unframed Guides sell upwards of this at vintage poster shops.  If you don't snap these up, there's no hope for ya'll.