My new purchase

While visiting one of my favorite antiques malls in Charleston, 17 South, I discovered this fantastic tole tray with decoupaged classical busts and insects. The tray appears to be an authentic Victorian tole tray that received a new decorative treatment in the 1960s...

 

The back has a large dragonfly and is signed "Alice H. Balterman" who worked in Cincinnati, Ohio. I'm completely in love with it and want to have a stand made for it so it can be used as a cocktail table.

The style of the tray reminds me a lot of Fornasetti...

 

such as this trompe l'oeil tray...

 

Classical busts were common decorative motifs used by Fornasetti such as this amazing umbrella stand...

 

It even reminds me of this custom Fornasetti decoupaged chest with lithographic classical images. It is dated 1962 and sold for over $85,000 during a 2oth Century Decorative Arts sale at Christie's in 2010...

 

Decoupage was also popular in the 19th century as seen in this mid-19th century Spanish chest...

 

and also this 19th century New England architect's table which is completely covered in  images...

 

Even Elsie de Wolfe loved decoupaged decorative arts...

as seen in her bed which was decorated by Tony Duquette with 18th century floral engravings and lithographs for her home "After All." He also completed a matching secretary, which is just out of the frame of the photograph to the right.

A day trip to Middle-of-Nowhere, SC

 

After hearing some good reviews of the antiques and junk stores in Walterboro, South Carolina (located an hour away from Charleston), we decided to embark on a day trip to visit this little town and pillage it, antiques wise. I was really surprised at the quantity of stores and the quality of the items. You had to dig, but I definitely made out with a couple of real finds such as a gilt faux bamboo Hollywood Regency coffee table, gilt tole electric sconce, and a fantastic portrait (amongst a few other purchases).

In addition to antiques, the town has some beautiful homes. Nothing particularly noteworthy or extraordinary, but I loved these two matching Greek Revival cottages with Greek Key friezes. If only they weren't in this particular town...

 

I searched the HABS website hoping there might be an archive of images of this small Southern town... unfortunately there were only three photographs, one of them being the first image. This is perhaps one of my favorite HABS photographs I've ever found. I love the sleeping dog in the foreground and that relatively simple cottage with its octagonal additions is so wonderful.

It's Finally Happened...

Before I was born my parents had an antiques booth which they reluctantly gave up after the birth of my little brother two years later. Although they didn't have a retail outlet, they both still collected (my mother bought rugs, and my father bought coin silver). By their example I began collecting at a very young age as well and developed an interest in all things 19th century. At 15 I began working at a local antiques mall and a year later was given a small space in the mall which I still maintain. My father recently moved to Greenville, South Carolina where we opened a booth together at Antiques on Augusta (a superb antiques mall that is a must if you're ever there). Meanwhile in Charleston, I've managed a top designer's antiques booth at 17 South Antiques, and currently consult with another antiques dealer on her space. I've always wanted a space in Charleston and recently found out one was opening at Antiques of South Windermere (the owner of this mall also owns 17 South). I jumped at the opportunity. After a quick three day trip back to Greenville and Columbia to pull from my existing inventory, my booth is now installed. Not wanting to complete devastate my other spaces, this booth is a little lacking in furniture... but it will get there. Here's a view of the transformation and my current inventory.

The space before...

It felt like a suburban mom's garage hoard. Not to mention that back wall either needed to be covered with plywood or fabric.

 

I had the owner cover the studs with plywood and I then painted the walls a dusty plum that I previously used in a former apartment. It cleaned the space up and really set it apart from the rest of the booths.

 

The next day after the installation...

 

A fantastic Empire table top mirror...

 

Three mid-19th century trunks that came out of an amazing Charleston home... they have period labels and one is even stamped "J. Ravenel Charleston SC" on the side...

 

A vignette of items on top of an Art Deco side table with a blue mirrored top...

 

A 19th century document box on a custom stand I had made... now it's the perfect height to rest a cocktail on...

 Check back as the booth and inventory changes!

I hoping to reinvent it with a Hollywood Regency twist in the coming months... just purchased a vintage brass arm chair yesterday...

Click HERE for a map of Antiques of South Windermere in Charleston