Posts by Mary Jo Bowling
John Lum, John Lum Architecture, San FranciscoThe BlobIn 1958, the The Blob referred to a black-and-white horror movie about an amorphous, people-eating hunk of goo from outer space.
Starting today, more than 500 artworks by Northern California artists will be sold in a massive estate sale. The works are from the collection of Charles H. Curley, a prolific collector of paintings, drawings, pottery and sculpture.
Bad weather may be putting a damper on estate sales this weekend, but that doesn't mean there isn't something out there for the determined shopper. From Petaluma to San Leandro, deal mongers will find some interesting goods.
In the majority of the interiors we feature, the furnishings and fixtures are exquisitely crafted, limited-edition or one-of-a-kind items--but not always. There are at least two reasons to use off-the-shelf items from mass-market retailers: They are readily available and they don't bust the budget. We asked some of our favorite designers to share their own little big-box secrets.
Woodworker Florian Roeper is nervous. He’s sewing leather sleeves for three of his resin-topped tables he has made using tricks and techniques picked up from an elderly saddle maker in Half Moon Bay.
Maybe it's because of the holidays, but looking at the wares of this Alameda estate sale made me nostalgic for my grandmother. Most of us are familiar with these kinds of goods: the furniture speaks to another era, tabletops are full of tchotkes (gifts from grandchildren?) and the kitchen is loaded with dinnerware and serving items (remnants from family dinners past?). If you like to get creative and renovate furniture, if you have a older adult on your holiday list or if your tastes run more to the trad than rad, this could be the sale for you.
Petaluma may be my favorite small town for vintage and antique shopping. But the sport is never more fun than around the holidays. This weekend, in addition to the Holiday Crafterino event on Sunday, the tiny town will host The Harvest Barn Estate Collective. It's a big monthly event that benefits a local private school, but even if you are more Grinch than civic-minded, you'll find plenty to explore.
I once had a conversation with a revered interior designer who had a shop in San Francisco (he's since moved to New York) that went like this:Me: "What do you say to people who say you get all of your wares at flea markets and estate sales?"Him: "I say: I've got it. You want it? You've got to pay me for it."I started shopping estates sales the next week.
To be honest, I don't know if the owners of this Berkeley apartment building were technically hoarders. But I do know this: When Rick Hudson of Hudson's Antiques & Estate Liquidation says you have to see an estate sale to believe it, you better take notice. This man doesn't exaggerate.
The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show is one of my favorite design events of the year. Not only are fantastic decorative arts on view and for sale, but the lecture series makes the event more than just a pretty face. And if the word "lecture" has negative connotations for you, don't worry—these presentations are great fun.
