Retail Therapy: L.A.'s Voila!

I first became acquainted with Los Angeles shop Voila! when I visited their booth at the last SF20 show. It was filled with gorgeously repurposed vintage industrial furnishings and darkly glamorous objets, and it was pretty much love at first sight.

I was excited to visit the Voila! showroom on North La Brea during our last trip to Southern California, but alas, it was closed the day we stopped by.

These new photos of the shop, shot by Sam Frost for a recent feature on 1stdibs, make me more determined than ever to get there.

I'm absolutely mesmerized by store owner Katrien Van der Schueren's inspired mix of dark, weird, and wonderful Belgian antiques and curiosities. And though I'm positive that everything here is way out of my price range, I could definitely kill an hour or two furtively fondling it all -- not to mention taking inspiration for future eBay scouting missions.

Read the 1stdibs article on Voila! here -- and browse the shop's online offerings here.

Cool Stuff: Rustic Rolling Bins

I spotted these wooden storage bins on the U.K.'s Rose & Grey, and thought they were great. You could use them to corral kids' toys, stack clean towels in the bathroom, hold files and paperwork in your home office, or put them to use in any number of other household settings.

But at £55 (about $90) a pop? Not so much. Though I'm not crafty in the slightest, even I think it would be simplicity itself -- not to mention a whole lot cheaper -- to make something similar on your own.

A quick eBay search turned up hundreds of vintage wooden crates, for instance, or you can find them at just about any flea market. Heck, you probably have a couple already sitting in your basement.

Then just pick up some screw-on casters at your local hardware store or home center and voila -- a set of handy, utilitarian-chic rolling bins for a few bucks apiece.

Etsy Find: Mini Goals Chalkboards

Somehow, the "to-do" list would seem a little less onerous on one of these sweet Mini Goals Chalkboards from Etsy seller Mary Kate McDevitt. Above: Today Chalkboard, $25

Today I Will Chalkboard, $25

Yesterday Chalkboard, $25

Check out all of McDevitt's Etsy offerings right here.

Cool Stuff: Noun: A Person's Place for Things

Sweet (mostly) vintage goodies from Noun: A Person's Place for Things, which recently opened an online outpost of its wonderful Portland, Oregon brick-and-mortar boutique. Clockwise from top left: Vintage Anatomy Charts, $25; Porcelain Pear Vases, $14 each; Vintage Green Wooden Boat, $17; Precise Tabletop Adding Machine, $28; Cherry Blossom Cups and Saucers, $12 a pair; Vintage Black Desktop Fan, $61

Check out all of Noun's charming wares right here.

Deal of the Day: 20% Off at Sweetshorn Vintage

Etsy seller Sweetshorn Vintage (previously blogged here) has a great deal just for More Ways to Waste Time readers: 20 percent off everything through the end of April.

Above, some of my Sweetshorn picks. Clockwise from top left: Colorful Bowling Pins, $28.80 after discount; Vintage Globe, $54.40 after discount; Modern Number Canisters, $25.60 after discount; Decorative Asian Dishes, $11.20 after discount; Globe Bank, $22.40 after discount; Horse Vase, $19.20 after discount

See all of the great vintage finds in the Sweetshorn shop right here, and take advantage of the savings by using coupon code MWTWT at checkout between now and Thursday, April 30. Thanks, Alia!

Etsy Find of the Day: Sweetshorn Vintage Letter and Number Vessels

I love how Etsy seller Sweetshorn Vintage has embellished a collection of vases, canisters, and other glass vessels with bright, graphic vintage letter and number labels. Above: Modern Number Canisters, $28 for two

Clockwise from top left: Small Number Vase, $24; Poison Vial, $12; Large Number Vase, $32; Alphabet Vase, $32; Vintage Medical Jar, $14

See all of Sweetshorn Vintage's Etsy offerings right here.

Cool Stuff: New at Three Potato Four

Lots of vintage cuteness just landed in everyone's favorite mom-and-pop e-shop, the Reston, Virginia-based Three Potato Four.

My faves:

British Bus Rollsign Route Numbers, $35 each

Miniature Green Bicycle, $40

Cash Register Price Flags, $8 each

Carpenter Wood Letters and Numbers, $8 each

Turquoise Cafeteria Tray, $48

Rx Metal Prescription File Boxes, $30 each

Old School Classroom Ruler, $80

Check out all of Three Potato Four's cherry-picked wares right here -- but don't dawdle, as they typically sell out in a flash.

Etsy Find of the Day: Peacock Envy

Tons of awesome vintage from Etsy seller Peacock Envy. Above: Orange and Red Mini Creamers, $16

Clockwise from top left: Norwegian Saga Norsk Tureen, $31; Mushroom Pencil Holder, $9; Wooden Apple Dish, $14

Clockwise: Pair of Brass Deer, $24; Red Shoe Form, $16; Six Blue Floral Trays, $27; Red Play Register, $24

Clockwise: Figgjo Flint Flower Teacup and Saucer, $21; Swedish Leaf Dish Set, $21; Pair of Pedestal Flower Cups, $17; Owl Cutting Board, $27; Patchwork Mugs, $24 for four; Vera Napkins, $22

Check out all of the items in Peacock Envy's Etsy shop right here.

Objects of Lust: Revamped Vintage at Lotus Bleu

I'm positively drooling over the latest crop of reinvented vintage chairs from San Francisco boutique Lotus Bleu (earlier versions blogged here). The French/Vietnamese-flavored Hayes Valley shop takes pedigreed midcentury seating and updates it with vibrant and feminine fabrics, to gorgeous effect. Above: Slipper Chair, $1,550

Midcentury Sprung Rocker, $1,350

Reclining Lounge With Ottoman, $1,550

Vintage Armchair, $750

Rocker and Ottoman, $1,650

Wingback Lounge Chair, $2,450

Armchair, $750

Danish Armchair, $750

Danish Modern Armchair, $1,550

Granted, I'll probably never be in a position to drop $1,500 or more on a single chair, but these are inspiring me to take a fresh look at flea market furniture and fun fabrics. (In fact, Lotus Bleu can even reupholster that hand-me-down from Grandma for you in one of these amazing Robert Le Heros fabrics.)

See more of Lotus Bleu's updated vintage seating here -- and peruse the shop's other beautiful offerings here.

Cool Stuff: Pictures from the Point

For one reason or another, we've missed the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire for the last few months. But Nick and I were determined to get there yesterday, and it was wonderful to be back. The weather was gorgeous, the people-watching excellent, and the offerings enticing. I was especially drawn to the wealth of vintage-industrial wares at the Faire this month. Oh, to live in a loft!

(I wasn't the only local blogger snapping shots at the flea market, of course. It's fascinating how different people can experience the same thing in such varied ways, isn't it? Hannah, for one, focused on whimsical vintage ephemera. I have a feeling Victoria was there, too, and will soon be posting her own snaps. I wonder what drew her eye?)

Here's what caught mine:

All that great stuff, and what did we bring home? Four vintage melamine plates for $4. Like most everyone else, we're trying to curtail our spending as much as possible right now. Sigh.

(P.S. My previous trips to the Point are documented here and here.)