eBay Find of the Day: Asian Modern Lamps

Have I maybe mentioned once or twice on this blog how much I love vintage lamps? They're just so ... weird (in an awesome way, of course).

Take this pair of midcentury cast-stone "Asian Modern" Buddha bust lamps, for instance, which measure an impressive 40 inches tall.

Pop a couple of black drum shades on these babies and place them at opposite ends of a console table, and they'll make quite the dramatic statement.

They're a bargain, too -- especially when you consider that a nearly identical set whose auction ends about the same time has already been bid up to more than $150.

Current bid for the pair pictured above: $20.

eBay Find of the Day: Lounge Chairs

I'm totally digging these swanky Asian Modern-style midcentury armchairs. Love the red and black combo, too -- so dramatic.

Snap 'em up before someone else does!

Current bid: $199, or you can "Buy It Now" for $799. (Hurry -- the auction ends Friday evening.)

Retail Therapy: Form Vintage Modern

Tucked amidst the cozy traditionalism of College Avenue in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood is a store with a decidedly more modern bent: Form Vintage Modern.

Classic teak, walnut, and rosewood furniture by Eames, Knoll, Wegner, and other design luminaries (as well as less-celebrated makers) comfortably rubs shoulders with newer items from the likes of Modernica, Flos, and Vitra in the showroom, owned by husband-and-wife team Joe and Lindsay Kunis.

Judiciously mixed in with the clean-lined Danish modern furnishings is a smattering of pieces with more elaborate Hollywood Regency styling: A pair of red lacquered nightstands (which may or may not be by James Mont) as well as Asian modern consoles and sideboards, a faux bamboo occasional table, and a pair of brass wheat-sheaf side tables. The combination works because the items all have a simple elegance and sophistication. Though midcentury is the store’s unifying theme, it’s more eclectic than you might expect. “We specialize in things that are unusual and relatively accessible,” Joe Kunis says.

Rounding out Form’s offerings are reissues of George Nelson’s iconic Bubble Lamps, new midcentury-style sofas and chairs from Bombast, and Alessi tableware. Delicate pottery by Emeryville ceramicist Sara Paloma as well as colorful blown glass and vintage ceramics grace many of the tables and shelves. Seventies Op-Art serigraphs share a bright exuberance with contemporary work by local artists such as Bethany Ayres and Justin O’Neill.

Although roughly 90 percent of Form’s wares are vintage, everything in the store is in pristine condition. If it’s not mint (and most of it is), then the Kunises have it refinished and reupholstered so that it shines like new. And unlike a lot of high-end showrooms with similarly pedigreed stock, the vibe at Form is laid-back and friendly, and Joe is happy to chat and to fill in his customers about each piece and its maker.

Prices for signed sideboards, chairs, tables, and dinette sets are not for budget shoppers -- they run several hundred to a few thousand dollars apiece -- but still compare favorably to similar stores in San Francisco and other large cities, making an excursion worth your while if you’re on the hunt for classic, collectible furnishings. (Plus, Kunis says that prices for many vintage items are negotiable.)

Most of the store’s accessories cost under $100, and many can be had for less than $50. You can also snag relative bargains by keeping an eye out for the shop’s occasional eBay auctions (they have a few up now, so be sure to check them out).

Form Vintage Modern is located at 5330 College Avenue in Oakland, six blocks south of the Rockridge BART station, and is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon until 6 p.m.

(Note: This post -- written by me -- originally appeared on another site.)

eBay Find of the Day: Turquoise Ceramic Lamps

I know, I know -- I blog about lighting with obscene frequency. But really, can you ever have enough great lamps? I think not.

Take these beauties, for instance: Look at that mouth-watering color. Consider their stately proportions and classic form. Feel yourself get just a little bit giddy about how awesome they'll look on a pair of end tables, an entry console, or your bedside nightstands.

See what I'm saying? Now, grab these before some other lucky soul nabs 'em. (But hurry -- the auction ends at 6:45 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday.)

Current bid: $99 for the pair.

Cool Stuff: Huge Sale at Turquoise

I got an email the other day from the lovely and talented Vanessa De Vargas -- a fellow blogger as well as a Los Angeles interior designer and furniture store owner -- announcing a huge sale at her shop, Turquoise LA. (Whether you call Vanessa's dramatic, super-glam style "Hollywood Regency," "Asian Modern," or "Midcentury Fabulous," I totally salivate over it.)

Vanessa is making room for new inventory, so between now and August 10, everything in her Venice shop and online store is 40% off. (If you're not in the L.A. area, Vanessa can help arrange for shipping.)

Some of the items I'm tempted to scoop up:

Pair of Black Cane Chairs: were $1,500, now $900

Pair of Louis XV-Style Chairs: were $1,600, now $960

Bamboo Armchair: was $500, now $300

Pair of White Cane Chairs: were $1,350, now $810

Star Mirror: was $500, now $300

Ornate White Mirror: was $300, now $180

Green Italian Glass Vase: was $125, now $75

Black Faux-Bamboo Dresser: Was $800, now $480

Red Chinese Buffet: was $400, now $240

Black Asian Cabinet: was $1,400, now $840

Red Lacquered Table: was $375, now $225

Three-Tiered Side Table: was $275, now $165

White Ceramic Lamp: was $600, now $360

Onyx Lamp: was $600, now $360

Check out these and other Turquoise treasures here.