WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH ALL THE SPAM?!!

OK I need your help.  What is up with all the" Anonymous" spam comments I've been receiving lately?  Is anyone else experiencing this?  Is this a Blogspot issue?  Is there a fix besides turning on the annoying code that everyone hates to enter?

I can't wait to get my website up and running.......and just a little teaser....new website....new name...new everything coming soon and in soon I mean this summer so don't get too excited just yet.  All I can say is.....I'm loving the new direction and hope you will too.

In the meantime, I must stop these spam comments.....they are making me want to do this (in my fur hat of course):

INSTAGRAM = INSTA-GREATNESS

Do you follow me on Instagram?  This app has become my new best friend and I document most of my adventures and fabulous finds.  Tomorrow is the Nashville Flea so you will definitely see some inspiring shots.  I'm also headed to the Magic City Art Connection show in Birmingham this weekend.  Last year I came home with a fun piece from artist Chad Moore entitled "Poison Apple" that some of you will remember reading about.  If not, read about it here.

Anyway, take away message is follow me on Instagram.  I won't let you down!  Have a great weekend everyone.  I can't wait for mine to begin.

http://instagram.com/chateauagogo?ref=badge

MURPHY-MILLER CHAIR AND THE KROEHLER FURNITURE COMPANY

I love mid-century modern chairs.  Over the weekend I scored a mid-century office chair with original label: Murphy-Miller Inc.  Of course I had to research the history of this piece so I could share this great knowledge with you lovelies.  Here is what I found out:

The Murphy-Miller Furniture Company was located in Owensboro, KY and began in the early 1900s.  They  specialized in commercial furniture. They were purchased by the mega furniture company, Kroehler Manufacturing in 1964. Kroehler was the second-largest furniture maker in the United States at the time.  In 1981 Kroehler was acquired by the ATR Group of Northbrook, which put the company up for sale. By the early 2000s, furniture was still manufactured under the Kroehler name by two unrelated companies, one in North Carolina and the other in Ontario, Canada.

My chair dates from the 1960s.  Same styles are priced anywhere from $100-$400 per chair on eBay and etsy.  If you need this chair in your life, let me know.  It is going into inventory.

Ways to style this chair in today's design:

AWKWARD ESTATE SALE PHOTOS

Estates sales are great.  Not only can you find great deals on vintage pieces, you can also be inspired by interiors and architectural details from the past.  Every now and then you stumble upon a sale that is a time capsule and you're not sure from what period.  That happened this weekend and I just had to share.

Hopefully you have all seen the book "Awkward Family Photos".  Well, I want to do a book called Awkward Estate Sale Photos.  I'm going to try and dig up some photos of my late grandmother's house.  Let's just say she had some "interesting" things and thank goodness I did not get her taste in design (God rest her soul :).  

What is the craziest thing you've ever seen at a sale?

(artificial flowers, paneling, multi-colored shag carpet, Victorian settee, gilded frames....oh my)

(Thick red shag, flocked wallpaper and a fountain in the bonus room?? hmmm.....)

(an entire back staircase devoted to cat pictures)

(I am pretty sure my grandmother had this lamp)

(anyone need a hair clip?)

MANUEL CANOVAS KAZAN FABRIC

One of my new favorites: Manuel Canovas Kazan in their Spring 2013 collection.  I first saw the Kazan pattern in Living Etc this month and then noticed it last night in the new Elle Decor.

DOROTHY THORPE - LUCITE FLOOR LAMP

My other lamp score this weekend is a lucite floor lamp attributed to designer Dorothy Thorpe.  For those of you not familiar with this mid-century designer, I've supplied a little history below.

"Until the advent of the Mad Men television series, Dorothy Thorpe’s designs languished in relative obscurity, but once Don Draper began drinking out of her now famous roly poly glasses with the silver band rim, her mid-century creations skyrocketed to fame once again.

Dorothy Thorpe of Glendale, California was a world-renowned artist and designer who worked in many media, including glassware. Her career started during the depression days when she decided to make a tumbler from a beer bottle. She saw the sun shining through a beer bottle which had been placed on the window sill and decided to cut the neck off and decorate it with raffia. She gave one of her first creations to her brother who took it to MGM Studios where he worked. Clark Gable saw the glass and liked it so much that he ordered six dozen thereby launching Thorpe’s career.

In a few short years, Dorothy C. Thorpe became famous for her original creations in crystal ware. She had no formal design training, yet she did all her own sketches and drawings. She marketed her first pieces through a small Hollywood gift shop. Soon, buyers from the largest and best known shops saw her work and placed orders. Her list of customers included many of the Hollywood Studios and stars as well as wealthy and famous people, including Princess Grace of Monaco and the Shah of Iran. Besides tableware, Dorothy Thorpe created glass decorations and lamps for the Mormon Temple at Idaho Falls, windows for St. John’s Academy at Camarillo and pieces for several museums. She won many awards and was listed in Who’s Who in American Art. Dorothy Thorpe also created china, silver and linens and worked with plastics and resins.

In the middle of the 20th Century, Dorothy Thorpe began to experiment with lucite and began to add it to some of her regular pieces as well as creating new pieces. Among the most common are the “pretzel” silver band candle holders."

Here are some other examples of Dorothy Thorpe lucite greatness that I hope I can add to my collection some day:

MARBRO LAMPS

Well I had another fabulous weekend sourcing great pieces for the shop which I'll be revealing throughout the week.  If you've been following me, you know I have the best luck at finding amazing lamps (Phyllis Morris, Murano Glass, Stiffel, etc...). I don't know what it is but if you need to find a great lamp with great history, I'm your girl. 

Luck shined upon me twice this weekend, the first one being a signed and numbered Marbro Brass Lamp with Elephant head details, Greek Key base and original handmade lampshade.  Now I agree, this lamp isn't my typical style but my philosophy is, if you find a piece that is really heavy, signed and numbered, buy it.  It is probably something with worth.

From 1stdibs:

Pair Marbro Brass Table Lamps With Elephant Heads

·        

Brass bodies, cast in the form of urns, and adorned with an elephant head on each side, are surmounted by cast brass foliate ferrules. Filigreed base, dual light sockets, and chain pulls.

TITLE:

Pair Marbro Brass Table Lamps With Elephant Heads

PRICE:

Sold

CREATOR:	Marbro Lamp Co.
COUNTRY:	USA
CREATION DATE:	Circa 1970s

MATERIALS:	Brass body, original silk shades with minor wear.
CONDITION:	Excellent original condition

Here is a post taken from Swank Lighting on the Marbro Lamp Company regarding their quality and their history:

"You often hear the phrase “they don’t make them like they used to…” applied to many items, like cars, appliances, and yes, even home furnishings. Without doubt, the Marbro Lamp Company was a business that created high-quality products the likes of which are rarely seen today, and their influence can still be found in many homes across the world. 

The Marbro Lamp Company began by Morris Markoff and his brother soon after the end of World War II. The small shop they started was located in the garment district of Los Angeles. Immediately demonstrating an eye for great style and good tastes, many of the Markoff’s brother’s early clients were movie stars and celebrities looking for one-of-a-kind products. They offered a wide selection of antiques and accessories, including furniture and animal figurines. They were most well-known for their lamps, however, and it is their lamp products that continue to make an impact today. The Markoff brothers scoured the globe for gorgeous lamp parts to create their products---they found alabaster and glass bases in Italy, porcelain bases in Japan and China, brass parts in India and crystal bases in France and Germany. Lamps were also made from sculptures and other items that customers brought to the workshop. 

The Markoff brothers didn’t get just anyone to work on their one-of-a-kind lamp creations; they assembled quite the team of experts and artisans (often older workers in their 50s and 60s prized for their expertise). Wood bases and metal caps were made in the workshop. With a staff of nearly 40, all painting and tinting took place on site. Even the lampshades were made by hand by women at the company. Exemplifying their dedication to customization, the Marbro lamps were never made with just plain brass, instead tinted with a special recipe that was kept secret from the public. Their lamps were made to order per a customer’s specifications. Working with interior designers and upscale furniture stores only, orders through the shop could take as long as 75 to 90 days to finish, but customers were happy to wait that long for their products, knowing full and well how great they’d come out. As you might imagine, the prices of these lamps at the time were high (up to $4000 for some) but many people continued to purchase the lamps both for their quality and as an investment.

In 1987, the Marbro Lamp Company was purchased by the Masco Corporation, a company that had recently begun acquiring furniture manufacturers. Production under Masco continued until December of 1990 when the manufacturing plant in Los Angeles was closed. All the remaining inventory of Marbro lamps moved to another company, LaBarge Mirrors in Michigan, which was also owned by Masco. Though different reports state different lengths of time, the Marbro product line was eventually dissolved by the Masco Corporation when they began selling off many of their other furniture companies. This spelled the end for new Marbro lamps.

Once one of the most important Mid-Century lamp manufacturers, Marbro Lamp Company's lamps still continue to retain fans and fetch a lot of money. Not just because the business no longer exists, but because of the gorgeous, quality products the company produced for nearly five decades. Marbro Lighting Company lamps don’t have any one specific look, rather, they encompass a whole range of colors, shapes and styles. They do have one very important thing in common, and that’s exquisitely high quality. Whether Murano glass, alabaster, brass, or porcelain, Marbro lamps continue to be a source of good taste and inspiration in countless homes today."

WEST ELM MUST HAVE

I stopped by West Elm today and fell in love with the Huron line of outdoor furniture made of all weather rope. The line includes a side table, coffee table, ottoman, chair and sofa.  I love all the pieces!

MYSTERY LAMP

Say hello to my sexy new addition.  Isn't she gorgeous!  I'm seriously in love.  I've been trying to find one online but can't seem to find anything even remotely close.  Let me know if you come across anything with a similar vibe. 

In her new home....

CREWEL TO BE KIND

Crewel work has a rich history, stretching as far back as the early Medieval period.  Crewel embroidery is simply embroidery done with wool threads. It enjoyed popularity in the Jacobean period with elaborate designs of stylized flowers, birds, and beasts displayed on household goods and clothing.  It had a revival in the 1970s and is showing up again with a modern twist from designers and retailers such as Jonathan Adler, West Elm and Anthropologie.

The vintage pieces can go kitschy fast but I've found a few art pieces lately that I love including this wonderful piece.  Do you have crewel goodness around your house?

ARE YOU A FAN?

The Fan Chair aka Peacock Chair named for its resemblance to a peacock's fanned tail feathers became popular in the 1970s however their origin dates back to the 19th century with the introduction of rattan from China. They have seen somewhat of a revival over the past two years and are popping up in design magazines, photo shoots and advertisements.  I picked one up this weekend for the shop that is in excellent condition.  

Are you a fan of the FAN?  Do you like them painted or oh naturale?