This weekend, we visited Milwaukee (my husband’s hometown). Don’t underestimate this mid-western city. To begin with, The Milwaukee Art Museum, expanded in 2001 by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is one of the most beautiful and impressive structures in the country with two enormous metal wings soaring out over Lake Michigan. And then there is the food, and I’m not just talking about Kopps Frozen Custard, which is delicious all year round. Milwaukee has many excellent restaurants, like Sanford, which made Gourmet magazines list of the top 50 Restaurants in America. Thanks in part to the new Milwaukee Public Market, fresh ingredients from local farmers are brought into the city every day. We treated ourselves to steak and truffle frites at Carnevor restaurant on Saturday night-(a great rib-eye topped with melted butter, and great service). For me, starting the morning sipping a latte and munching on fresh baked scones at Milwaukee’s own Alterra Coffee at the Lake is my idea of heaven. Of course, no trip to Milwaukee would be complete without stopping by our favorite local consignment shop, Chattel Changers, on Capitol Drive in Shorewood. The knowledgeable owners of Chattel Changers sell furniture, antiques, decorative accessories, fine jewelry, china, silver, crystal, glassware, pictures, and collectibles.
Here are some of the treasures I found. I love to imagine the interiors of the homes where many of these items once lived. The next time there is a house tour in this area, please count me and Lauren in!
These elegant German dinner cups, saucers, and dessert plates from the 1930′s were part of a collection of a dozen or so. They were all different from each other and many of them had different markings including the one below, from Bavaria:Vintage jewelry (below) is one of Lauren’s passions. Many of these small accessories, pins, and bracelets were very inexpensively priced at under $15. Maybe it was a good thing that Lauren wasn’t with me on this trip. It would have been hard to get her to leave!Many complete china dinnerware collections were for sale. I’ve always like the way the Chattel Changer experts tuck their coffee cups into each other in a circle.It could be that I had Valentine’s day on my brain, but these bright red sherbet glasses caught my eye. They’d also look wonderful during the holiday entertaining season. I’d much rather purchase these than buy a knock-off at a retail store.Speaking of entertaining, how elegant is this lusterware cream and sugar set (below), complete with its own matching tray? For those of you who love blue and white kitchens, these antique English blue and white canisters (below) are a great find. We’ve noticed many pieces of English Beswick pottery on our trips to Milwaukee. This one was a great example. Look at that face!
Here’s what the stamp looks like:This pair of tall ceramic lamps caught my eye. They have raised snowflake patterns around the perimeter. They’d be really pretty in a bedroom with the right lampshades.And, last but not least, the best find of the day? This amazing Japanese silver platter and service including coffee pot, sugar, creamer and waste pot with lid. All in mint condition. The owner said she was clearing out an estate and found the entire set hidden in a closet covered in black. It had been there for decades.The platter was absolutely exquisite, extra large in size, with a really unique and beautiful pattern engraved in the surface. I could not walk away from this piece–it spoke to me. I think it will be perfect as the basis of Lauren’s first bar. Cocktails anyone? -S & L

At Brimfield this past weekend, we found many smaller dealers who traveled from all over the country with their treasures. This dealer (below) came from Freeport, Maine, just down the road from Lauren’s alma mater, Bowdoin College. Not surprisingly, she had an extensive collection of beautiful vintage coverlets and blankets. Many of her wares were made by Bates Manufacturing, one of the most successful mills of its kind in Lewiston, Maine (in fact, until the 1960′s the Bates mill served as Maine’s largest employer). The coverlet I’m holding was machine made with a wonderful jacquard pattern. Its pristine white was just so irresistible. It is now happily living on Lauren’s bed…$40 later. This piece was handmade. The flaxen color yarn was amazing.
There were stacks of them! When we asked how to get the faded discoloration out of the white coverlets, the dealer recommended washing them with a detergent called Biz. Great tip! We’ll definitely be trying that. Spray and Wash for stains is ok, too.
This peach and white pom pom blanket (pictured below) was absolutely gorgeous and so original.  We’re definitely going to think of these the next time we’ve got a young girl’s room to decorate.  It seemed that many of the most interesting pieces were twin size.  Adorable, no?
Lauren spotted these wood and tin round boxes (below) made in a factory in Newark, New Jersey.  We couldn’t find their dealer to ask what they were originally used for, but they’re most unusual and would make for a wonderful accessory.
Finding a French pine table like this one in excellent condition is rare.  If you see one like this in your travels, you should purchase it if you can.  It has so many uses and will live happily amongst other antiques and modern pieces.  It’s a side board for a dining room, a sofa table, or even a kitchen table. Great piece!
I’ve always had a weakness for brown transferware. It’s not easy to find, but a dealer from Virginia had a large collection for sale.  These salad plates are stamped by Masons of England (Ironstone). This particular pattern originally dates from the 1860′s.  These were replicated in the early 1900′s and sold in Macy’s department stores.  They are wonderful to hang on a wall for decoration, or of course to use.
This is an original transferware cake plate.  The shape is very hard to find. Aren’t the handles beautiful? This would be a wonderful wedding gift.
Or these? Cream and sugar, so sweet.
Do we have any purple lovers out there? We’ve never seen such a large collection of violet transferware, but this dealer was showing this lot prominently in honor of violet being an important color this fall.
We saw a lot of garden furniture for sale. I just love this iron bench. I can just see Lauren and I sitting side by side on a summer day sipping lemonade.  Hurry up, summer’s nearly gone!  Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts.  – S

This past weekend, we set out to attend the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, CT. Unfortunately, we got off to a late start (it was Lauren’s birthday the night before), and by the time we reached the field, most of the dealers were packing up their trucks. After a momentary mood swing, we soldiered on to Route 7 to find other sources for tag sale finds and affordable antiques. We had almost given up when we spotted Hank’s Used and Old Furniture store (266 Route 7, South of New Milford). I’ll say this much: Hank’s is not the place for a novice forager–it’s a mess! As for Frank, well, let’s just say it takes him a few minutes to warm up to his customers. He was a little bit testy when I attempted to negotiate a price. However, we came to an agreement, and left his establishment with a phenomenal find (see below)!
Lauren was actually the one who found this enormous collection of Anchor Hocking Fire-King glassware in white with gold trim–and she dug hard for it! The set was tucked under the bottom shelf of an innocuous bookcase where we literally had to shimmy the plates around to get them out. It’s rare to find a collection in perfect condition with all of its pieces in tact–this set seemed like it had never been used. All together it includes platters, vegetable dishes, plates, cups, and sugar and creamer. Fire-King glassware was originally produced in the 1940′s for everyday use, and comes in a variety of colors: rose-ite (creamy pink), turquoise blue, azur-ite (light pale blue), jade-ite (Martha’s favorite), white, and ivory. We paid $60 for the entire set. Wa-hoo!
Below, the outside of Hank’s store.Hank’s motto:
Here I am (below) gleefully counting how many dinner plates are in the set.  There are twenty four, and they look like they’ve never been used.
Down in the basement of the store, Hank hangs up his rocking chairs for better viewing.  These cane-backed rocking chairs with scrolled arms caught our eye.  I found a picture later in the Treasury of American Design and Antiques of an exact likeness to the chair third from the left shown here dated circa 1870. We’ll definitely go back to Hank’s the next time we’re in the area. And if you live nearby, you should check it out too! – S

The shops in Venice, at least the ones on the more popular streets, are not exactly the place to find anything terribly unique. Costume masks, faux Murano glass, and overpriced leather wallets? Yes. In order to make it to Alberto Valese’s charming little shop, we had to walk in land, off the beaten path a little bit, to Campo S.Stefano. Alberto Valese is known in Venice as one of the best handmade paper makers (he also has a store on Rue Saint Paul in Paris). We fell in love with his colorful, paper-covered notebooks. Many of Valese’s printed papers are based off of some of the oldest Venetian, Florentine, and Roman palaces in Italy. Wherever we travel, we love to pick up a notebook that’s indicitive of where we’ve been. These make a great keepsake, as well as a wonderful gift! Next time you’re visiting Venice or Paris, be sure to stop by this lovely store. – L

Below, a couple of the notebooks and one of the cards we came home with.

We’re always out scouting for great pieces.  But this week, it was our friend Kate who found an amazing pair of side tables at one of her favorite consignment stores. They’ve got beautiful classic lines, with a sturdy and practical drawer; however, what makes them unique is their profile. We’ve never seen anything like it. Have you? These end tables are finished with wood veneer stained to look like mahogany.  I think they’d look really fabulous today as end tables painted with a white lacquer finish.  Hmm, weekend project anyone?

In the photo above, you can see they are proudly stamped inside the drawer by the maker, Kroehler Manufacturing.  We had never seen this name before, so we did a little research on the company. It turns out that Kroehler Manufacturing had a long, and and at one time, prosperous history.  It began in 1902 as a family business, started by Peter E. Kroehler in Naperville, Illinois (the factory actually survived a tornado in its earliest years).  In the mid 1940′s, Kroehler Manufacturing company, with over $20 million in annual sales, was the second largest furniture maker in the country. Unfortunately, the company took a turn for the worse in the ’70s, closing its historic factory in Naperville. Since being acquired in 1981, some Kroehler furniture is still being manufactured today (and it can be found online too!). – S

For me, a sure sign of great style is when I see a dining room table surrounded by mismatched chairs (meaning the chairs were not made to go with the table). At the moment, my dining room table has large brown wicker chairs from Gardener’s Eden around it. While I like them, they’re so big that when we entertain large crowds, they’re just not practical. Recently, on a late Saturday afternoon, we stopped by Consign It on Mason Street in Greenwich, and standing on the front lawn was a set of eight French chairs including two chairs with arms, or “elbow” chairs. Excited, we wondered inside to ask about them. Unfortunately, the shopkeeper explained that they were waiting to go back to the consignee. We were disappointed, but we could totally understand why the owner of these fine chairs might have changed their mind.

Then just yesterday we stopped by again (word to all consignment shop enthusiasts: you must visit often as new items are always arriving!) and low and behold, there were the eight dining chairs tucked under a large table. Lauren actually spotted them first (my, have I trained her well). The owner explained that the consignee had changed their mind yet again, and that consigning can often be an emotional experience. People often have second thoughts about the items they offer up for sale. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Once you find great pieces, you hope to keep them forever. I decided to bring one elbow chair home with me to see how it looked with my dining room table (below).

When we looked underneath the large elbow chair we discovered a ticket from a Portuguese (thanks for correcting us, guys!) cabinetmaker showing where the chairs had been made. Very cool. They were offering all eight chairs for $315.00. We fell in love. Surely we’ll find a restorer who’ll be willing and able to bring some of the old caning back to life. A note from one of our favorite sources, Miller’s Antiques Encyclopedia, on”elbow chairs” or dining chairs with arms: Elbow chairs actually add to the value of a set of chairs. Without the arm chairs, a set is signigicantly lower in price. In fact, some dealers even try to increase the value of their chair sets by adding arms themselves. Traditionally-made elbow chairs should have slightly larger seats, so make sure to check the authenticity by comparing the seat width with a single chair from the same set. – S