eBay Find of the Day: Sea Fans

Did you see the post on Karen Robertson's framed sea fans (pictured below) on the Katiedid blog? Robertson's tinted fans are so beautiful, but I have a feeling they cost a pretty penny.

Then the cheapskate in me recalled seeing dozens of dried sea fans on eBay for just a few bucks each. I like them just fine in their natural state, but I bet you could soak these fans in a little dyed water and dry them flat in the sun for a similar tinted effect.

Lay their delicate, lacy forms on a tabletop or dresser for a bit of contrasting texture and interest (the black specimen pictured above would look great against a light-colored surface, while the lighter Bahama fan shown here would look striking against deep-toned wood or another dark background).

Other ideas: Tuck the fans' stems into narrow-necked vases or bottles for an otherworldly display, or frame them as Robertson does to create unique, naturalist art for your walls.

Current bids: $6 and $11, respectively.

(By the way, if you don't already have Katiedid's lovely blog on your bookmarks list, click on over and check it out.)

Retail Therapy: I Spy Vintage Decor & More

Remember the great vintage store I mentioned, where we picked up our new credenza the other day?

Formerly the Drug Store on Mission, Lynnore Goldfarb's funky shop has a new name, I Spy Vintage Decor & More, and a new location on San Francisco's Market Street.

Neither fussily high-end nor secondhand skeeve, I Spy strikes the perfect balance for a vintage furnishings store: Its aesthetic leans toward the bold and slightly kitschy, but its selection is well edited and thoughtfully presented. The store features well-made, frequently signed items dating from the 1920s to the 1970s, with the emphasis on the latter half of that time span.

Housed in a shop formed by five adjoining rooms, the home-like space allows Goldfarb to create vignettes with her wares, topping Danish dining sets with midcentury pottery, ceramics, and glass, for instance, and grouping vintage sofas with complimentary lamps, occasional tables, textiles, and accessories.

One room serves as the I Spy Gallery, which is currently exhibiting contemporary work by artist Dana Robson (aka Aquarabbit). Other art includes flea market finds such as paint-by-numbers masterpieces, big-eyed Kewpies, and vintage botanicals, still lifes, abstracts.


I Spy's prices are fair -- it's not the place to bargain hunt, but you won't be scandalized by the price tags, either. Pottery and glassware is generally under $100; vintage draperies are about $200 a set; art and lighting ranges from $70 to several hundred dollars; and furnishings are a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars, depending on vintage and provenance. More importantly, though, the shop's vibe is fun and friendly, and its wares colorful and interesting.

It may be just the place to find (as we did) that retro treasure you've been hunting down for ages, or to discover some little tchotchke that you didn't know you needed -- but that you can't leave without.

I Spy is located at 1845 Market Street (at Guerrero) and is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12 to 7 p.m.; the phone number is 415-282-0544. I Spy's website isn't quite up and running yet, but you can check out the store's MySpace page here.

Update: I Spy is closing its doors as of August 30, 2007.

Cool Stuff: Sarah Finn's Lasercut Designs

I just spotted this really lovely and intricate lasercut placemat at A+R, where it sells for $25. When I clicked through to find out more about it, I discovered that its creator, Sarah Finn, has a whole line of similarly delicate and beautiful lasercut wood products, which I immediately fell for as well.

Working in a converted farmhouse near the Alps, the German architect uses lasers to render highly detailed computer-generated patterns in maple, mahogany, and cherry veneers. The results are breathtaking and ethereal, but also have a sense of organic earthiness to them.

A selection of Finn's products (available in the U.S. through A+R):

Candle Holder, $56

Coasters, $40 for eight

"Coral" Coasters, $34 for four

Napkin Rings, $22 for six

Olion Table Light, $260

Find out more about the designer and her lovely lasercut creations here.

eBay Find of the Day: Milo Baughman Coffee Table

If you saw my post on furniture designer Milo Baughman awhile back, you know that his pieces can fetch thousands of dollars at auction and from high-end vintage furniture dealers.

But if you're diligent, you can turn up Baughman originals for a lot less on eBay. Take this Milo Baughman coffee table, for instance.

Featuring Baughman's signature burlwood (in this case, gorgeous olive ash burl), the table measures an impressive 40 inches square and would be a truly stunning centerpiece in a modern-glam living room.

Current bid: $159.

Cool Stuff: Snow & Graham Papers

I stopped in at Berkeley’s wonderful Cody’s Books yesterday, and while I was browsing there I spotted a rack filled with the most gorgeous sheets of wrapping paper from Chicago’s Snow & Graham. I wound up buying several different patterns (and not a single book -- go figure).

I know these are meant for wrapping gifts, but I think they’re pretty enough to frame – and that’s exactly what I plan to do. (My definition of “art” is very loose -- and my budget for it is very tight. So $2.75 per “print” is right up my alley.)

Some of my favorite Snow & Graham designs:

Pamplemousse

Dandelions

Anemone

Flora

Chinois Cherry

Chocolate Cherry

Fronds

Eucalyptus

Vibrant Mum

Online, Snow & Graham paper and stationery is available from PaperMojo and LuxePaperie.

eBay Find of the Day: Thomas Paul Plates

This 20-piece Thomas Paul Kimono Melamine Dinnerware Set is perfect for summer barbecues or casual everyday dining.

The plates would also make colorful decorations grouped together and hung on a wall, and the trays would add a shot of summery color when set atop a dresser to hold jewelry or loose change, or placed on a coffee- or side table and topped with a trio of bud vases.

Originally priced at $120, the discontinued set is $35 with eBay's Buy It Now option.

House in Progress: Presto Chango

Nick and I have been hunting for a Danish teak credenza forever (on eBay and craigslist, and in what seems like every vintage store for miles around). But we could never find one locally with the exact look or the dimensions we were after or that wasn't way out of our budget.

I did spot some nice ones on eBay, but they always got bid up into the stratosphere -- and they all seemed to be located in Maine, Rhode Island, or some other distant province from which freighting would have cost more than the credenza itself.

Finally, though, the exact credenza we'd been dreaming about showed up on eBay, and it was local! We bid, won (it wasn't the total steal we'd been holding out for, but the price was very fair), and picked up our new credenza today.

(By the way, the seller has a great little shop called I Spy Vintage Decor & More on Market Street in San Francisco; I took a bunch of pictures of her other wares that I'll post here soon.)

I thought it might be fun to share "before" and "after" pix with you all, so here's the credenza in its new home. I think it's just right for this spot in our living room. What do you think?

(In case you're wondering what the heck else is going on with the room, the color scheme is sort of in transition. I got sick of the red and have been migrating in some lime green, but it hasn't all quite come together yet. The rather generic red-coral art is all wrong, for instance, as is the traditional red-and-camel area rug -- but I haven't yet figured out what to do instead. In fact, our entire aesthetic is sort of in transition right now, so the room probably looks a little schizophrenic. It's very much a work in progress, so if anyone out there has any suggestions, I'm all ears ... )

Objects of Lust: New at IKEA UK

I guess I have England on the brain today.

In addition to spending hours ogling the goodies from British textile designer Clarissa Hulse and dragging my poor, arthouse-movie-loving husband to the Brit horror flick 28 Weeks Later (hey, I like a good zombie movie as much as the next girl), I found myself surfing around this evening on IKEA's UK site. (And I wonder why I don't get any work done.)

There I found a lot of the same old, same old we have here -- but then I stumbled upon some very cool new seating that we don't:

I LOVE the aqua color of this Hamra Chaise (475 pounds, or about $950). And the shape is so totally early-Sixties' psychiatrist's office, don't you think?

Doesn't this Karlstad Chair (245 pounds, or $490) remind you a bit of the (nearly $3,000) Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair?

And this Tirup Swivel Chair (215 pounds, or $430)? Also super cute.

I have my fingers crossed that these are coming soon to a Swedish superstore near me (and at more attainable prices than the exchange-rate'll-get-ya-every-time ones listed here). But in the meantime, I'll be lusting after them from afar.

Oh, and I found a couple of new things that I was delighted to discover are available in the U.S. as well:


I might just have to get this adorable Bastis Krona Dog and Cat Bed ($70) for my beloved Welsh Corgi, Bonnie. The little chin rest kills me.

And how awesome are these Vika Fintorp Table Legs ($7.50 to 10 each)? I think they'd look great paired with a glossy black Vika Grevsta Table Top ($70) -- sort of a downmarket version of John Reeves' 995 pound ($1,990) inside-out baroque Louis Table from Heals.

Anyway, I think I know where I'll be tomorrow ...

Etsy Find of the Day: Owl Wall Graphic

There's something so endearing about this owl wall graphic from Etsy seller One Up Designs. I don't know what it is, but he just makes me smile.

And at only $20, I think he'll soon find a new perch ...

(P.S. The big-eyed guy comes in a choice of 32 colors.)