Swapatorium

Coffee Table Contest

This is our current coffee table. I did have a Richard Schultz petal table for the past month, but I couldn't make it fit. So back to the old Nelson. I did a count yesterday and came up with fifteen different ones that we have had since we've been married. Fifteen years of marriage and fifteen coffee tables.  We've probably had even more couches, but that's another story. 

I am constantly rearranging the things on the table top.  It's a fun way to switch out collections and books.  The sunglasses all came from the garage sale of a little old lady a couple of weeks ago.  They are 1970s high-end designer shades and were 50 cents each.  The lenses are HUGE.  Gary Baseman sent me the top book in the middle stack.  He's a big vintage photo collector and I sent him some images for his collection.  In exchange, he sent me a box of some his products.  He's a super nice guy!  The stuffed rabbit is a beuys bunny made by etsy seller, das kaninchen.

I haven't had a contest since the old Swapatorium, so it's time.  The contest is, What's On Your Coffee Table?  Send me a photo and I'll pick my favorite. The winner will get a $25 gift certificate from Amazon.  The deadline is Friday, May 30, 2008.  Email all pics to swapatorium@yahoo.com with the title Coffee Table so I know it isn't spam.  Good luck!

Canceled until further notice.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges

I have not found many work badges in all our years of shopping. I have seen them on eBay, but I prefer finding them on my own.

This is where the badges are displayed. The Foam Bowl is by Marcel Wanders, the rag chair is by Tejo Remy for Droog, the nesting tables are by Gaetano Pesce, and the pillow is from Urban Outfitters (I like the pillow because it's a collage).  All the pieces of furniture were purchased over 10 years ago.  I would say 75% of our home furnishings are second hand, but we also enjoy new design. 

How Much Wood

This is our collection of vintage wood figures which sits in our kitchen. We have picked them up over the years while out junking.  They are mainly from Denmark, although there are some from Sweden, Finland, and 3 from Japan. My favorites are the squirrel, hedgehog, and bird.

Display

The number one question I get asked when buying vintage photos is, What are you going to do with them?  I usually reply with, I just like them. Well, that is the bottom line.  I never get tired of looking at them. Most of them are filed away, but I do have some sprinkled throughout the house, like the wrestlers and boxers shown above. I didn't set out to collect those topics.  John and I just happened to find them all at once at an outdoor antique show where they were laid out on a table in the *gasp* hot, bright sun. The original owner had been collecting them for years and was tired of them. We were able to buy the whole collection for an excellent price and since they were already framed, were easy to display. There are twenty others that are stored away.  I like to rotate the arrangement every couple of months.

The cool wrestling figures were made in the 1940s by LL Rittgers from Chicago. They belong to my husband who loves his work. I'd like to learn more about him, but information and figures are hard to find.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!