On Friday we went to a local festival.  The entire village has individual garage sales and a massive flea market too.  Of course,  sausages, deep fried onions, elephant ears, . . . → Read More: Pullman Revolving Seat Bed Davenport]]> We took a couple of days off recently and had intended to work around the house.  Intended to…

On Friday we went to a local festival.  The entire village has individual garage sales and a massive flea market too.  Of course,  sausages, deep fried onions, elephant ears, local sweet corn and fresh lemonade are callling to you the entire time.  We call this “fair food”.

We picked up a couple of nice, old Singer sewing machines, a model 15 and a model 27.  I’ll post those photos after I clean them up a bit.  I also picked up a super cool vintage bun cutter – which I intend to try out soon.  Dennis got a great deal on a railroad lantern and I picked up a 1930-ish cookbook.

On Saturday, we decided to take a little road trip to Michigan and stopped at an antique store.   We saw this:

Pullman Revolving Seat Bed Davenport

We’d been looking for this type of sofa for a while.  We found a loveseat that we purchased from a couple near Cleveland.  Unfortunately, the pull-out bed had been removed.  Still, it’s beautiful and looks great.

So we happened upon this full-size sofa for a really good price.  Again, the bed frame had been removed.  (Dang it!)  It’s beautiful and in great shape.  It needs to be reupholstered (the brown burlap isn’t working for me) but it’s really in great structural shape and the quartersawn oak is lovely.

Here’s my problem.  The seat and back of the sofa are wider than the standard 54″ upholstery width.  Directional fabric is based on that width so I can’t really turn it 90 degrees and use it that way.  I’m not sure that I want to seam it (either down the middle or in two sections), but I don’t really want a solid color either.  Anyy suggestions?  I’ve never upholstered anything this large before.  It’s straight pieces, so it shouldn’t be difficult — it’s just the fabric width that’s tripping me up.

Advice, please!

Technorati Tags: Antiques, couch, davenport, Pullman Revolviing Seat Bed Davenport, sofa

Dennis called his buddy Rob (who has helped us move the old Tappan upstairs, helped hang the upper butler’s pantry cupboards and more) and up the Grand came and back down the Tappan went. . . . → Read More: It’s finally here!! Sound the alarm!]]> After a couple of years, it was time for the new old stove to come upstairs and earn it’s keep.

Dennis called his buddy Rob (who has helped us move the old Tappan upstairs, helped hang the upper butler’s pantry cupboards and more) and up the Grand came and back down the Tappan went. Of course, it was the hottest, stickiest day we’ve had in a while. Just perfect for moving big heavy appliances.

I still haven’t found replacement handles for it yet. But the replacements function well and aren’t too flashy.

I thought I’d miss the Tappan being up here, but really, this is so much nicer. It fits the fridge better and even though there’s only a few inches clearance, it seems to open up the room.

It still needs some sprucing up, but it’s in great shape for a 70+ year old appliance.

The Grand stove manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio next to the G.E. monitor top.

If anyone knows where I can find vintage or reproduction Bakelite handles, please let me know.

I need to find two of these ivory Bakelite handles.

Technorati Tags: American Four Square, Bakelite, GE Monitor top, Grand Stove, Monitor Top, oven, refrigerator, stove, Vintage appliances

So we determined we would go with the unfitted kitchen.  It was more in keeping with the era of the house and kinder to our budget.  We had the basic . . . → Read More: Restoring the pantry – Part 3]]> Moving on…. if you missed part 1 and part 2 of this exciting adventure, see “Kitchen Reno – part 1″ here and then here.

So we determined we would go with the unfitted kitchen.  It was more in keeping with the era of the house and kinder to our budget.  We had the basic components.  Next up?   A little research for me.  Demolition for Dennis.

No doubt about it, he loves this stuff.

I purchased Jane Powell’s Bungalow Kitchens as well as Bungalow Bathrooms.    I also became an avid reader of the House Blogs web site, American Bungalow forums and other resources.    We found out that homeowners who couldn’t afford subway tile would often have the plaster scored to look like tile.    A couple of coats of oil-based paint gave the plaster the kind of sheen that resembled tile.    Well, that’s what we had here!    The lower wall was separated from the upper by a chair rail.    The lower wall (about 5 feet) was scored and the upper wall (also about 5 feet) was smooth plaster.    Unfortunately, the walls have been painted so many times, the score lines were disappearing.    The solution?    Heat gun.

Now, for some reason, the heat gun has been my domain since we moved in.  We’ve used it alot.  Alot.  A whole lot. I don’t know if Dennis figured I had more experience in this area because of the whole blow dryer thing or what.   But the heat gun and I are good friends. So I set out to strip the old paint off those lower walls.    You know, a room seems small until you start stripping paint off the walls.  Then it’s massive.

Let’s take another quick peek at the room as it was when we moved in.

The bottom wall (the scored part) was green.  I don’t know exactly what color green, it was not      exactly hunter green and not really pine green.  It was kind of in between those two.  The chair rail was burgundy latex and the upper wall and trim was white latex.    Inside the cabinets (and inside the small closet in the bathroom/pantry was BRIGHT! YELLOW! PAINT!    It was older paint, so it was apparent that those cabinets had been painted long ago – BRIGHT! YELLOW!

I began to stripping.  It was tedious.  I burned my hand 3,000 times. I burned the wall a few    times too. The saving grace: the lower walls had not been washed down or sanded prior to a couple of those coats of paint.  Once you got a piece started, you could peel that paint off in sheets.  I finally got down to the bottom layer.  It was a warm white – amazingly close to what we had picked for the lower color.

Next step, removing cabinets.

The kitchen after (most) of the lower paint had been stripped off.

We tore those upper cabinets down one Friday night.  We had both worked all day and we should not have been wielding hammers in close proximity to one another.  The good news was we took two walls of upper cabinets down in one night and didn’t kill or maime each other.  The lower cabinets soon followed, except for the cabinet that housed the sink.

Coming next:  hidden treasure, the search for the perfect yellow paint, and the trouble with plaster.

Technorati Tags: American Four Square, free standing kitchen, kitchen, Monitor Top, Napanee, Renovations, Tappan, unfitted kitchen

Specifically, I am looking for replacement ivory colored bakelite handles similar to the ones shown here:

They are approximately six inches in length and, if I recall correctly, the measurement for the placement of the . . . → Read More: Need some help with vintage stove parts]]> Hey guys, I really need some assistance on getting some vintage stove parts or having them recreated.

Specifically, I am looking for replacement ivory colored bakelite handles similar to the ones shown here:

They are approximately six inches in length and, if I recall correctly, the measurement for the placement of the screws is approximately four inches.

I’ve contacted all the usual vintage appliance places, but so far, nada.

I also inquired into getting a custom casting and…yowza! It was not an inexpensive proposition.

Does anyone have a good source for replacements or know of someone who could replicate them for me?

Second part I need is the little bracket type hinge part. I know that description stinks. I’ll post photos later.

Any help would be appreciated.

Technorati Tags: Grand Stove Co., vintage, vintage oven, vintage stove

Any help would be appreciated.

Technorati Tags: Antiques, vintage fruit

It . . . → Read More: I don’t know art, but I like it….]]> At a local antique shop recently, I noticed a sketch that I liked quite a bit. It was in a pretty crappy frame and the glass could use a little cleaning, but it was a quaint landscape, that is how I imagine the area we live in would have looked many years ago.

It wasn’t much money, but, you know, sometimes, not much money is a lot of money — like any non-pay week.

Our town and surrounding towns had a winter fest a couple of weeks ago, and there were incentives for buyers. The sketch was still there so, with the discount offered by the store, we purchased it. At the bottom of the sketch, there is a cute row of ducks. The signatures are hard to read, one is very light, the other (within the sketch) is typical artist scrawl.

We believe the artist is Henry Mortikar Rosenberg.

We don’t know much about art and there is limited information on the web about Roseberg. Can anyone provide additional details?

Below are two (poor) photos of the sketch

Technorati Tags: art, etching, Henry Mortikar Rosenberg

After we left the Suite Lorain, Cleveland’s only vintage department store, we made a couple more quick stops. Nothing interesting to report, really.

We headed toward the Medina Antique Mall. It’s a huge place, and we never fail to find interesting things there. There is no quick trip . . . → Read More: Now that’s a pickle]]> Our Antiquing Adventure – Part III

After we left the Suite Lorain, Cleveland’s only vintage department store, we made a couple more quick stops. Nothing interesting to report, really.

We headed toward the Medina Antique Mall. It’s a huge place, and we never fail to find interesting things there. There is no quick trip to the Medina Antique Mall.

We purchased a nice McCoy bean pot (probably not vintage, but it’s in good shape and was reasonably priced), a great shaving stand – gold plated with a mirror, cup and an after shave/toilet water bottle, and a few other little things. We mostly just looked. They had the usual assortment of books, furniture, pottery, glassware, etc. They had plenty of the stuff you say “I’ve never seen anything like that before” about. What I noticed this trip was the number of pickle casters in display cases. What I really noticed was the exorbitant prices of the pickle casters in the display cases.

I don’t know anything about pickle casters. I couldn’t tell the difference between an antique caster and a good fake. I think they are beautiful, but I’m thinking that if I have to choose between spending hundreds of dollars for a pickle caster or filling the tank with fuel oil it’s a simple decision.

I must have seen 2 or 3 dozen pickle casters. Not one of them was priced in double digits. Some were $500, $700 or more (at that price would you put it on the table?). Those must have been some pickles. Those wacky Victorians! Pickle casters, butter pats, knife rests, bone dishes, egg cups, placecard holders, asparagus tongs, fish servers…they had a tool for everything.

When it came to dining, our Victorian ancestors seemed to require a utensil for every purpose and a special container for every type of food.

I like to set a nice table on special occasions. I have my everyday dishes, glasses, placemats and the like. I also have my “company” table settings. I intend to start the hunt for the Christmas tableware this weekend — “Where the heck did I put that platter with the Christmas tree on it?” I have the cut glass relish dish with all the little compartments to keep the olive juice from accosting the spiced apple rings. As for the pickles? They’ll find a place on that tray or come to the table in the jar with the Vlasic stork on the label.

Technorati Tags: Antiques, pickle castor

After the hugely successful trip to the architectural antique store, we headed toward the next store on the list. It is a shop which specializes in Art Deco stuff and . . . → Read More: The Java Jive]]> Our Antiquing Adventure, Part II
Livin’ in the past or it’s depressing when the memories of your youth are the cornerstone of an antique store

After the hugely successful trip to the architectural antique store, we headed toward the next store on the list. It is a shop which specializes in Art Deco stuff and has the tantalizing catch phrase “Cleveland’s only vintage department store”.   Well, you know, how can you not stop there?  Unfortunately, it did not have the type of merchandise we were interested it, but we both had a great time looking at all the 1950/1960 furniture, housewares, etc.  Probably not five minutes would go buy without one of us saying, “I remember those” or “My mom still has that”. Unfortunately, there was also some of “I had that” sprinkled in there too. It’s depressing when the memories of your youth are on the shelves of an antique store, okay, vintage department store (that does sound better) 

<!–more–>  This store had so much stuff – ranging from mid to late 1920s to 1960s. I purchased a folding Kodak (one of Dennis’ new hobbies) and looked at oodles of Pyrex, Corning Ware, those cool multi-colored aluminum glasses your mom made you use outside during the summer, tons of vinyl albums (Bobby Sherman…sigh, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc.). They had gobs of kitsch — tea towels, curtains, lava lamps, cigarette lighters, toys, aluminum Christmas trees [with the color wheel], hostess-type service sets with coffee decanter, cups, saucers, etc., there were more cocktail items than I can remember. Think Samantha Stevens and all the groovy things she had and it was in this shop. One half of the store was devote to vintage fashions – dresses – casual, dressy, aprons, blouses, skirts, pants, coats, hats,purses, scarves, gloves, shoes. It was fun.

The Java Jive Part

In the past month or so, I have been wanting a vacuum coffee maker. I have hinted to Dennis about getting a vacuum coffee maker. I have expressed a strong desired about getting a vacuum coffee maker. I have told him outright I’d like a vacuum coffee maker for Christmas. I recited interesting factoids about vacuum coffee makers that I had read (they make the best coffee, bar none). No little idea bug seemed to be able to penetrate his skull.  Then, on Thanksgiving evening, A & E or The History Channel had a program on the history of coffee.  The whole thing was pretty interesting, but I especially found the section on vacuum coffee makers enlightening Dennis and I were watching in separate rooms.  After that segment, he comes wandering in the kitchen

Dennis: That was pretty interesting….

Me: Hmmmm?  What was that?

Dennis: That part on the vacuum coffee makers.

Me:  Oh? Yeah, it was.

Dennis: They said it makes the best coffee

Me: Really? Hmmmm. 

Dennis:  I think we should get one!

Me:  Really?  Okay. Good idea.

Sigh….Now of course, I had already picked out the pot I wanted. It is the Bodum Santos gift set, which costs, ya know, $100.00.  I also like the Bodum electric version, also, ya know, $100.00

At this time of year, my budget told me I should settle for the stove top, non-gift set pot, $50.00.

As we walked around the store, we saw several vintage vacuum coffee makers. Now, I had checked them out on eBay and saw several, but how do you know it works if it is electric? If it’s the stove top version, how do you know if they are safe?  Too risky. I felt the same way as I looked at those double bubbles on the shelves. 

“Buy me.”  It was a voice that sounded like June Allyson, gravely, but perky. I looked around. Nobody. I finished up scanning the shelf I was in front of and took one step forward. 

Voice: ”Buy me.” 

Me:  ”Who is that?

Voice:  ”It’s me, Cory, the vacuum coffee maker. Buy me.”  

Me: ”No, no. I don’t want to buy you. You’re not what I want.”

Cory: “You wanted a vacuum coffee maker. That’s what I am. Buy me.”

Me: ”No, you’re electric. I don’t know if you’ll work.”

Cory: “Got my cord, look at it, it looks new. Look at my chrome — all shiny and bright! Look at my gasket, how soft and supple it is! Touch my glass rod. It’s perfect.”

She was sounding less like June Allyson and more like Mae West.

Me: “No, now, I’m not going to do that. First, I don’t even know if you work, second, you’re chrome. I won’t be able to see the cool brewing action. Leave me alone.”

Cory:  ”I’m a Cory coffee maker.  I was named after my inventor, Harvey Cory. I’m historic.  I’m pretty.  I make an excellent cup of coffee.  I’m only 20 bucks.  Buy me.”

Me: “Okay, come on.

So away I went with my Kodak and my Cory.

We took her home, gave her a bath and made a pot of coffee. Now, normally, I don’t drink coffee in the evening. Too much caffeine. But that night, I was gonna have coffee. We examined all the bits and bobs, ground fresh beans in the KitchenAid grinder (really, you have got to get one of these!), filled her up with water and let her go.

She rumbled, she shimmied, she shook. She got quiet. We peeked in the top pot to see if she was empty. We prepared the cups, we poured, we sipped….Ah……it really was good. Not at all disappointing after such anticipation. It really is one of the smoothest cups of coffee I’ve ever had. Not at all bitter. Just steaming hot, silky smooth nirvana.  We’ve since acquired a glass stove top version — it’s a bit trickier, but we are practicing.  We have made coffee in one of these two pots everyday since we purchased Cory. Last Thursday, I took the Hamilton Beach Brewstation to the basement. She is covered up…waiting.  

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Technorati Tags: Antiques, Coffee, coffee pots, vacuum coffee pot