Pre-order now ~ Vintage by Nina: A Winter’s Tale

Danish stylist, author and vintage/antiques dealer Nina Hartmann invites the readers on another joyride in her world of old beauties, with her fourth book, Vintage by Nina: A Winter’s Tale.

A stunning mishmash of French antiques, cozy rooms, sparkling candles and Swedish tile stoves, white winter, angels and cherubs, antiques Christmas ornaments, unique collections, shabby furnishings, snowflakes, red Christmas, vintage sheep on wheels, afternoon delights, magical sceneries, goose feather trees, grey winter, bohemian junk de luxe, gracefully crinolines, sweethearts, seasonal flower- power and plants, subdued colours, silent moments and sacred halls, charming toys, tinsel and glitter, stunning fleamarket finds, Gustavian furniture and much, much more.

Together with her husband, the Swedish photographer Tore Sundgren, Nina has visited five beautiful homes in Holland and Sweden. The small townhouse, the countryside house, the twinhouse, the manor house from 1746 and the Mayor’s home, built in 1626, from the Swedish fairytale, Emil of Lönneberga by Astrid Lindgren. The major part of the book is though from the couple’s own inspiring home in Sweden, constantly in change.

Release date: September, 2014
Language: English and Danish
Pages: 200
Cost: $70 USD + shipping; free local pick up

More than 350 color photos!

Pre-order now through Dwell Antiques & Home using:
dwellantiques@gmail.com
303.795.3454 (Monday – Saturday between 10 am and 5 pm MST)
or via Etsy.

Treasure from Tragedy.

On a recent trip through Kansas, I convinced my very patient husband to let me do a little picking in our down time. I never expected to find this treasure tucked in the corner on the third floor of an old antique mall.

{Click photos to enlarge}

Sam Cangelosis, the artist behind these beautiful items, began “CiCi Ro’s” to honor his daughter, Roseann, who tragically died in a drowning accident last Spring. Out of grief and the desire to keep busy, Sam and his son Vince now make beautiful, hand-carved angel wings, among many other unique items.

I brought back as many smaller pieces as I could carry and hope to have much more in the store in the future. Come by Dwell and pick up a piece of Sam’s heartfelt artwork for your home. {And read more about the Cangelosis’ family’s story here.}

European Linen Tea Towels at Dwell

We are so pleased to be offering a new line of luxurious linen tea towels that come to us directly from Europe. They are made of 100% pure linen from Lithuania, where they are made.

The towels are 19″ x 27.5″ and currently come in three styles…

100% Linen with cream stripes.

Cotton-Linen blend with blue stripe.

And my personal favorite – Natural Linen. Created by a specific combination of wind, rain and sun, the rich, dark color of this linen is unique to the Baltic region.

These tea towels start out beautiful and just become softer and more absorbent with each washing. Treat yourself to new towels for your own kitchen or give them as a gift!

For the love of breadboards.

Yesterday I drove all over town for a not-so-fun day of endless errands and appointments. In a particularly seedy area, I stopped at an “antiques” store (and I use that term loosely!) to burn an hour of time. They had quite the collection of old records and tapes, used clothing and mid century modern office furniture, but I just couldn’t give up. Like any truffle pig, I could smell the hidden treasure — I just had to find it.

And find it I did! {Cue the Hallelujah Chorus.}

This fabulous antique bread board was sulking in a corner like a red-headed step child, with a price tag of only $18. PLUS 25% off. EEK! I actually felt guilty for finding something so wonderful for such a steal.

It’s about an inch and a half thick, 11 inches wide and 20 inches long, with the handle, and all carved by hand from one piece of wood. It is perfectly imperfect and I’ve found myself patting it like a precious newborn baby.

I can just see it as the base of a fall tablescape, or with a big loaf of crusty bread on our Thanksgiving table.

I’m wondering now: How do you condition your breadboards? This one is a bit dried out and could use some TLC. I used a nail brush and hot, soapy water to clean off the years of dust and dirt, but now it need some serious moisture! I won’t be using it to prepare food – and probably won’t even put food directly on it – but I don’t want to use chemicals, just in case I do use it for bread. Any tips or advice?

***

Can’t get enough bread boards? Check out or Luscious Wood: bread boards, bowls, spoons board on Pinterest.

Vintage by Nina: Among Vintage & Friends

 

 

I am ~*THRILLED*~ to share the news that we are now offering pre-sale orders of Nina Hartmann’s third book…

Vintage by Nina: Among Vintage and Friends

{Available on our Etsy site and in our store!}

 

Both the original Vintage by Nina book and Nina’s Christmas book FLEW off our shelves last fall. Customers bought them for themselves and for friends, for birthday and holiday and “just because” gifts. 

Due out in late September, Nina’s newest book has over 200 pages and 300 photos. In it, she shares her epic collection of treasures, awe-inspiring vignettes and styling. She also includes the work and collections of a group of her friends, like our favorite ~ Atelier de Campagne ~ who, like her, share a love of vintage and antiques. 

We are currently offering ~*FREE SHIPPING*~ on all pre-orders placed now through July 31st, 2013. Orders are being taken on our Etsy site and in our store. {303.795.3454}

Here’s a sneak peek from the book…

 

Antique Flower Frogs, Repurposed

We’ve seen some unique and just plain odd items come through the store, but one of the most common items I get questions about is the antique flower frog.

{Photo at left: Pinterest}

Many of our mature customers remember using them and having them around their houses. Some even collect them now, in all of their glorious shapes and sizes. Our younger customers are intrigued, if not perplexed, by these seemingly torturous devices. To be honest, I wouldn’t have known what it was either, if it hadn’t been for growing up in the antiques business. I’ve never actually seen one used for flowers, which was the original intent – to keep the flowers arranged in a bowl or vase, so they wouldn’t just flop wildly wherever they wanted to.

Frogs came in all shapes, sizes and types, from ones that look like nails, to many more less dangerous models.

{Source: Pinterest}

{Silver bowl with frog topper, currently in our store.}

{One of the more unique glass 3-piece frogs at our store right now!}

Because there are so many varieties, flower frogs have become a collectible item. Though some folks still do use them for their original intent, there have been so many new and fun ideas for using them lately.

{via Pinterest}

{via Pinterest}

{via Pinterest}

At home I love to use those dangerous looking frogs to hold old photos of relatives, in the kitchen they can hold a recipe while you’re cooking, or business cards on your desk. Of course, they’re great for place cards, though we’re never that fancy at my house!

Wire and glass frogs can be repurposed to hold scissors, pens or even paint brushes.

{Source: Dwell Antiques & Home}

Original Artwork Available at Dwell!

My partner Melanie is an amazing artist. From the jewelry that she makes by hand to her photography, each and every thing she creates is done with great intention and seems to leap directly from her soul. I wanted to share with you some of her original photography because it will knock your socks off. (And I know she’s much too humble to show off, so I don’t mind doing it for her!)

This newest piece will be available in Dwell next week as an 18″ x 24″ wrapped canvas print at $199. It can also be ordered in other sizes.

Mel has also sold some of her favorite farm animal photos in the shop. These were taken at a local farm, down the road from her house. They’re printed on canvas as well and can be ordered in a variety of sizes. Contact us for more information!

“Grace”

“Mouton Noir”

“Big Lady”

Aren’t they beautiful? She has such a great eye for composition and finds the most lovely subjects.

Jeanne d’Arc Living ~ July edition now available!

Jeanne d’Arc LivingJuly, 2013 ~ 7th Edition

Now available in the store and on our Etsy site!

This month’s issue features~Big Theme About Pavilions
Delicious recipes featuring red currants and wonderful cauliflower.
Read about summer in a bottle and cups with an edge.
Lovely Homes ~ Close to the sea and in the countryside.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

When I was little, Joy (aka Mom) used to read me a book with the rhyme “To market, to market to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggity jig.” It became something we said zillions of times over the years, whenever we’d return from a day out. When I heard my husband (boyfriend at the time) say it, I knew we were meant to be!

But I digress…

I’m home again, home again from a very long car trip and vacation with my very energetic children and was so excited to see the new merchandise that Joy and Melanie brought in while I was away. Here’s a sneak peek – visit our Facebook page for more photos. I try to post pictures at least once a week since we get deliveries and bring in new merchandise so often.

Old Glory 2013 {Better late than never!}

After a much-needed getaway with family, I’m back and ready to share some photos from the 2013 Old Glory Antiques Fair. It was a great success and lots of fun, as always.

This year was easier in that we were able to start setting up on Wednesday before the show, but harder at the same time because this year we had an actual brick-and-mortar store to staff the entire time. Remember last year when we didn’t even have a retail location!? We’ve come so far in a year!

After two days of shuffling back and forth, and lot of help from friends and family, we were ready to go!

 

There was fantastic music, food, and special guests. Each year I think that Holly can’t possibly out do herself but she always seems to. While we didn’t get to meet Ben Ashby of FOLK Magazine, Jo Packham from Where Women Create did wander through our booth, as did Ki Nassauer of Flea Market Style. (below)

She graciously chatted with us for quite a while, and the friends who traveled with her to the show set off to visit our store in Greenwood Village. There’s a feeling I can’t quite put my finger on, that happens when someone you admire actually likes what you do. You just feel like you’re doing something right. Validation, I guess? Whatever it is, it put smiles on all our faces!

Here are a few more photos from the show…

 

While we sold a great deal of merchandise at the show, some pieces did make their way back to our store. Stop in and see what you need for your summer decorating!