Cascading Crystal Chandelier At Brimfield

Our 'Dressing Area' Light

Brass Crab

This time I came home with two light fixtures – one for the bedroom which is a large cascading crystal chandelier, the other for the dressing area is a small crystal chandelier, and a brass crab – that was a gift to my boyfriend.

For anyone planning to take the trip in the future, here are a few tips that I always suggest to newcomers.

1. The show is three times a year:  May is the best, because dealers have been hoarding their stuff all winter and are ready to sell.  July is the worst, its very hot and many dealers choose to only come in May and September.
2. Weekdays are the prime shopping days: The show starts on Tuesdays, and weekdays are often when the professional buyers come to shop.  Sometimes dealers even buy from each other early in the week then sell their purchases at the same show later on.  I suggest that if you can take the time to go for more than one day, do it and to plan to head there on a Thursday and Friday.  Thursday you will still find a lot of great deals and the selection will not be picked over. On Fridays, the J & J’s field opens, which is where I seem to find the best stuff.  You do have to pay to enter J & J’s but it’s always where the best vendors set up shop.
3. Go early!  This time we made the mistake to leave at 9 am.  We should have left my mother’s house at 7 am. A drive that typically takes 25 – 30 mins took us 2.5 hours. We were stuck in traffic the entire way! It was horrendous!
4. Some fields are better than others: J & J’s is the best, but they do not open until Friday.  May’s is the second best.  I hit those two first, then make the trek down the road into the others.
5. Go with a plan, know what kind of things you have in mind: This way you’ll be able to scan the shops more quickly and be less overwhelmed by the amount of merchandise.  I usually create a small list of “stuff” that would be nice to have.  You shouldn’t however be too set on specifics because you may not find what you’re looking for and will feel unsuccessful.  For example, this time I knew I would like to find lights for the bedroom, dressing room, and entryway.  As well as a sculpture for over the bed.  Lastly, I’m always on the lookout for a nice little object to display on the bookcase.
6. Dress appropriately:  It can be very dusty, muddy and hot all at once at Brimfield and you must be prepared for all sorts of weather. This year it rained entire week before the show.  I brought with me: my wellies, my comfortable shoes, jeans, a sun hat and wore a few layers.  I didn’t end up using the wellies but I was thankful for being over prepared.
7. Cash is good! Checks are too! Some dealers except credit cards, but you will typically have to pay tax when purchasing with cards.  They love checks, because they don’t have to make change, but cash is great for bargaining.
8. Bargain! I typically ask for about 10 – 15% less than the asking price and they usually accept my offer.  Sometimes we just meet in the middle. I’ve also learned, when they tell you the price, hesitate and they may even come down without you having to say a word.

*The booth where the lights were purchased is Antique Lighting Guild based out of Saco, Me – they’re currently remodeling their site (antiquelightingguild.com) so they can be contacted through lighitingguild@aol.com.

It’s that time of year again when I will be trucking up to the Brimfield Antiques Show in hopes of finding the greatest treasures! I’m looking for both work and my home and the expectations are high this year. The week began on Tuesday (5/8) and I’m sure those who were lucky enough to be there on day one have already snatched up the best pieces. Luckily though, there is plenty to go around and I still think I have a chance. I’ll be tweeting and Instagram’ing great finds – probably many that I won’t be able to take home.  I hope to see you there and most of all enjoy! Wish me luck! Here are a few of my favorite finds from last year’s shows.

Purple Bottles

French Ticking Galore

Doll Body Parts

Rocking Horse

Oversized Safety Pins

All photos by: Lauren Gries ©2012

Fungi Note cards set by Borealchick Designs

Coming up in the next few weeks Fourth Floor Walk Up and Borealchick Designs will be teaming up for a giveaway!  For those of you who love handcrafted paper goods and stationary, this is your lucky chance win some lovely designs!

Wildeflower Pocket Jotter by Borealchick Designs

Kelli Shedd of Borealchick Designs is based in Northern – far Northern New Hampshire.  The designs Kelli creates are whimsical translations of the beautiful environment in which she resides. The most popular products Borealchick Designs produces are the unique blank gift cards (suitable for all occasions) & the stylish yet functional pocket jotters for your everyday lists & adventures.  New this spring is the first line of wedding stationary & accessories including custom menus, place cards, buntings and table decorations.  All items are printed on paper made of partially or %100 recycled materials, and always sensitive to nature.

Tea Inspired Notecards by Borealchick Designs

Kelli says of her company, “The most satisfying aspect of owning Borealchick Designs is being able to share my artistic passion & creativity with others.”

Floral Pocket Jotter by Borealchick Designs

Please join us in the continuing celebration of Fourth Floor Walk Up’s three year anniversary and take the opportunity to participate in the upcoming giveaway! I’ll choose a winner at random Monday, May, 21 at 9pm EST. GOOD LUCK!!

TO ENTER:

1. On Fourth Floor Walk Up leave a comment (by clicking on the comment bubble at the top right corner of this post) letting us know that you’d love to be a participant.

HOW TO GET MORE BOREALCHICK WINNING OPPORTUNITIES:

3. After following the step above you can earn an additional entry if you “Like” Fourth Floor Walk Up or Borealchick Designs on Facebook or follow on Twitter! borealchick1 or 4thfloorwalkup

4. After that step or if you already “Like” FFWU & BD, mention this giveaway to your followers and post a link on Twitter to this giveaway http://fourthfloorwalkup.com/2012/05/08/sponsor-giveaway-borealchick-designs and include the hashtag #ffwugiveaway

Important Details:

Borealchick Giveaway starts: May 10, 2012 @ 9:01 am (EST)

Borealchick Giveaway ends: May 21, 2012 @ 4:59 pm (EST)

Photos taken by: Lauren Gries & Kelli Shedd – © 2012

Entryway designed by: Alice Lane Home Design

Eclectic living room design by portland interior designer bright designlab

Everyone loves a good light in the entry. Something with impact, drama and energy that says, “Welcome!” Recently, I’ve been on the lookout for a great light because the one we originally purchased for our foyer, although beautiful wasn’t the right fit for the space. The pendant was actually an “of-the-moment” purchase that in turn caused several months of reconsideration. For a while I didn’t want to admit to myself that I had made a bad purchase but I finally had to realize that it wasn’t bad, just not right.  I have also learned that there’s nothing wrong with that, I still think it’s a great light – not for my apartment.

I’ve decided that I want to go more in the modern direction with a mid-century vibe. So I’ve settled on two specific lights.  My favorite, the Sputnik chandelier is so fun and dynamic. But the Meurice chandelier by Jonathan Adler is a close second, it’s bamboo-esq rods pull in a tiny bit of the Chinioserie feel that I am quite fond of.  I particularly am drawn to the satin brass finish because I think it will coordinate perfectly with the Scalamandre Zebra wallpaper that I’m planning to install.  The hard part, is coming up with the cash! Luckily, there are a few reproductions and eBay finds out there that I may be able to hunt down.

The Satellite Chandelier by: Design Within Reach

The Meurice Chandelier by: Jonathan Adler

My Wallpaper

source: Farm Static

As a compliment to my previous post I thought it would be nice to feature fashion shoots and beautiful interiors that have equestrian elements throughout their designs. Luxury is quite taken with the equestrian sport. There is definitely something very special about the relationship between a horse and rider, truly unexplainable. Companies like Gucci, Coach and Ralph Lauren all sell products with equestrian elements, and of course Hermes the highest level of luxury brands, sells real equestrian products – saddles, bridles and even brushes.  I have attached a video that Hermes features on their site – it gives me the chills. I hope you enjoy the following images as much as I do.

Click to follow the link to the video: Hermes Cavalier Noir

Ralph Lauren

Design By Erin McLaughlin Photography Robin Stubbert

Coach House By Erin McLaughlin Photography Robin Stubbert

Coach House By Erin McLaughlin Photography Robin Stubbert

Raquel Zimmerman in Vogue

Martha Stewart's Stable

Source: Dato Glee Galleria

Source: Dato Glee Galleria

Living Etc. – Lewis & Wood wallpaper

Lonny Mag

source unknown

Each year the beginning of May is always an emotional time for me.  Kentucky Derby weekend brings to mind memories and nostalgic thoughts of years past when I used to ride and show my horse.  May was typically the beginning of the major show season for me and we would plan a trip to New York State to show in one of the largest circuits in the country (Horse Shows in The Sun also known as H.I.T.S.).

My Horse Fiji at a Horse Show

Although, I was quite ‘small-time’, my horse and I still felt proud to be riding in the same rings as the same major professionals who grace the Olympic show rings.  Being in the presence of those you admire and aspire to be is quite amazing and it’s uncommon in many sports. Although horseback riding is not necessarily an attainable sport for the masses, there are those like my friends and I who work hard to reach the levels in which we can compete with some of the best.  Unlike many of the girls in the shows I only had one horse and would only have the opportunity to partake in these week-long horse shows 1-2 times a summer.  The rest of the season was spent at smaller weekend competitions.

Smarty Jones with the red roses

My most memorable Kentucky Derby was when my entire stable gathered at the horse show bar to watch the race that Smarty Jones won by 2 ¾ lengths.  My parents snuck me a drink, (a White Russian because the Mint Julep drink is much too strong for my taste).  At that time I would not have never thought I’d sell my horse in less than two years to move to New York City.  That was 8 years ago and my life of horses and the country is long behind me. I do hope to one day soon pick it up again but the sport is too expensive for me at this stage in my life.  The first weekend in May however, will always bring to the surface the yearning to get myself back to the stable and on a horse.  Once a horsewoman, always a horsewoman.

My horse Fiji and I showing at the H.I.T.S.

Showing my first horse Classic

There are many things to love about L’Wren Scott’s Parisian apartment that is featured in Vogue’s  May issue. The colors and the furnishings alone are enough to make me swoon but what caught my attention and started to make me think were the floors.  In some rooms they’re stained a dark ebony, in others a very light, blonde.  I love extreme dark and light floors and wanted to stain ours before we moved in.  Unfortunately, we closed 3 days before my move out date in my rental and we had only a 2 day window to move in. I’m still planning to refinish some of the floors in our place, definitely the entryway and probably the kitchen.  I guess the hard part is deciding what kind of stain to use, I think the kitchen would be beautiful in a very dark ebony and the bedroom in a blonde finish. For now, I’m just left to dream as the cost and time to refinish floors is just not feasible. Another wish to add to the list. . .

From Dark . . .

. . . To Light

Last Saturday was the perfect day for a picnic! The sun was shining the air was warm with a slight breeze and the Spring flowers were out in full bloom.  In addition to being the first picnic of the season it was also the first time I could use the Coca-Cola picnic basket set that I purchased from an antique store over the winter.
 
Nicole Rutsch of Jammy (TheArtofJam.com) was kind enough to do a jam tasting in Prospect Park with a select group of friends. She brought several of the gourmet flavors for us to try and I must say, they are fantastic! My favorite must be the Peach, Raspberry & Lavender flavor which reminds me of the perfect mid-summer evening.  A close second is surprisingly the Strawberry, Habanero and Basil flavor.  I expected to taste the Habaneros, however they’re very subtle only adding a kick of spice at the end that pairs deliciously with a sharp cheddar.
 
All Jammy products are handmade from the freshest ingredients. Nicole is the creator and designer of Jammy and her passion for the jam industry oozes through these delectable flavors.  In addition to arranging unique pairings, she brings a European flair to the table with her German roots. The logo is based on her grandmother’s script from family recipes and the jars are German made.

Is your mouth watering yet?  If so, as a reminder, Fourth Floor Walk Up is hosting a Jammy giveaway where the winner will have the choice of three of the Jammy flavors they would prefer! Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is just around the corner (May 13th) and these jams would make for a very special gift.

Please see previous Jammy giveaway post for specific details on how to enter. Winner will be chosen at random Monday, April, 30 at 9pm EST. GOOD LUCK!!

For my latest project I wanted to update the Empire style stool that my mother had given me to coordinate with my dressing table.  The stool is a beautiful example of the Empire Style with the swans, brass finish and X-form.  The cushion however, had seen better days and I thought could use an update.

This project can easily be adjusted to other kinds of stools and furniture, such as common dining chairs with removable seats. For a quick tutorial read on after the jump.

The supplies needed are:

• Plywood board cut to size- Don’t worry if you don’t have a saw to cut the piece of plywood. Hardware stores like Home Depot will cut wood to the dimensions you need for a very small fee.
• Foam padding which can be ordered online from a foam store or at any sewing supply store. I purchased my foam at Mood Fabrics. Foam comes in several thickness and firmness. Decide what kind of foam to use based upon the style and purpose of the seat.
• Dacron batting, can also be purchased from any sewing supply store.
• Dust cover material
• Staples and a staple gun – air gun is best.
• Spray Mount
• Fabric and the usual sewing supplies.

 1. Cut foam to size.

4. Remove excess material.

For sewing the cushion cover, please follow the next steps. This style of cushion is extremely simple – only the four corners need to be sewn.

Place the fabric inside-out over top of the cushion. Pin the corners so that the fabric fits snuggly around the cushion.  Remove the fabric cover and sew along the line of the pins.

Turn the fabric right-side-out trim the excess fabric in the corners.  Pull the cover over the cushion. It should be a snug fit.  Once the cover is set, staple it in place on the board, then staple the dust cover over that.

Now Fourth Floor Walk Up has grown into a place where other’s can find inspiration and use my projects as a source to learn from. It has also evolved into more than just a virtual space to store pictures and thoughts; to me its like a living thing, with a personality and responsibilities attached.  It’s something to come home to after a long days work, something that needs to be “watered” with content at least once a week and most importantly, something to keep me busy.  For the past 3 years I’ve been journaling my life, documenting my quest for the perfectly curated apartment, and uploading images of my dogs because that’s what I love to do! I’m not sure how long this blog will live for, but here’s to hoping for at least another 3 years. Happy Birthday Bloggy!

Image from: One Charming Party