Antique Shows: The Curator's Playground

One of the biggest questions we get asked at Griffin Design Source is where we find our one-of-a-kind, vintage, and antique pieces. We're about to let you in on one of our best-kept shopping secrets: antique fairs. Shopping for items outside of showrooms and traditional retail spaces will immediately give your rooms a layered look with personality and character that you can't replicate. The start of October means that antique fair season is officially in full swing. See which shows made our must-shop list below.

Rhinebeck Antique Fair

Rhinebeck, NY

October 13-14

Check out that console. Loving those Ming lamps with black shades too.

Graphic art with bold pops of color.

Lots of great crusty wooden pieces and accessories. Perfect for a beach house.

So many knick-knacks- it's easy to miss something. Love the owls.

Don't you just want to scour through those amazing fabric remnants? Folk art is also amazing.

Round Top Antiques Fair

Smithville, TX

October 3-6

Antique basket and oyster serving dishes.

Booth at the fair.

Vintage numbers and letters.

Texas-meets-Elvis. The possibilities are endless with that baroque headboard.

An ombré array of ribbons.

Antique taxidermy mounts and intaglios.

Booth at Round Top.

A collection of Swedish clocks.

Washington Antiques Show

Washington, CT

October 5-7

Antique chaise, tapestry, and drum table.

Ceramic vessels and an eagle.

Period pieces.

Love the mirror with gilded edges.

Booth overview.

Great quilts.

Notice the real horse hair tail and mane.

When you're in Washington, CT, stay here:

The Mayflower Inn and Spa

 

The focal point of this idyllic property, sitting on Litchfield Hills, is a New England country home-inspired resort, near the Steep Rock Preserve. The spa is the crown jewel of this Relais & Chateaux inn, offering an extensive treatment list that is well worth the visit, especially after a day of browsing hundreds of stalls at the antiques fair.

If you can't make it to any of the antique fairs this year, your next best-bet is to browse online auctions and auction houses in your area. We have our eye on:

 The Stair Galleries: Properties of a Lady

October 5th, 6pm EST

Faience Asparagus-Formed Tureens

French Faience Dinner Plates

Faux Bamboo Telephone Tables

Glass and Chrome Lucite Coffee Table

Neoclassical Garden Armchairs

Gilt Metal Bird Leg Floor Lamp

Fall Favorite: Sister Parish Design

There are few things we love more at GDS than fall and Sister Parish Design. Sister Parish personifies classic American decor with a part opulent, part cozy, cottage vibe. Sister is the grande dame of American interior design and with names like Kennedy, Rockefeller, Whitney, Paley, and Vanderbilt on her client list, it's no wonder why. We're still taking a page, or three, out of her book. She once said, "Innovation is often the ability to reach into the past and bring back what is good, what is beautiful, what is useful, what is lasting." The Home Collection from Sister Parish Design is just that-- beautiful, modern home accessories outfitted in lasting, quintessential Sister Parish prints. See our favorite Sister Parish Design finds below, along with her signature looks that were just as good then as they are now:

Swatches of Sister Parish Textiles

Sister Parish Design, the current fabric, wallpaper, and home collection branch of the famed design firm, took what Sister did best-- layering prints--and created a varied home collection of signature trays, dog beds, and more. 

Classic Sister Parish Table Setting

Sister Parish & GDS tip: Don't be afraid to mix prints and colors. Many times, trying to match fabrics and colors looks just like that, trying. Instead, don't over-think. Go with what feels right. And in most cases, your gut won't lead you astray. We especially love the napkins and placemats. 

Table Setting Closeup

Mixing traditional summer colors like red, white, and blue, with a fall-inspired fabric, like this floral, automatically changes the seasonality of your pieces. 

The "Sister" Tote Bag

Nothing is more classic and versatile than a canvas tote. The new collection of tote bags, weekenders, and shoppers is the perfect gift for your design-minded friend. 

Can't get enough Sister Parish? Check out our Sister Parish Design Pinterest board to see even more from the design genius. 

all photos courtesy of Sister Parish Design

Personal Shopper: The Best from Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware just debuted their Fall 2012 lookbooks. We expected to see pages of muted Belgian linen, distressed wood furniture, and industrial accessories. Instead, we were greeted with French art deco and midcentury pieces. Their comprehensive source guide is massive, not to mention even bigger with two additional new source guides: one for small spaces and another for baby and child. Sifting through the plethora of offerings can be a bit daunting. We've selected our must-have pieces from Restoration Hardware's new fall releases.

all photos courtesy of Restoration Hardware

We have a few loves from this look: the slender candlestick desk lamps are perfect for an office space, buffet, smaller table or mantle. Source Tip: go for the metal shade over the linen. We also love these wing chairs; they're definitely not your typical "catalogue" wing chair. And the black walnut armoire is gorgeous. For such a large piece, it doesn't feel too bulky.

We love the nautical vibe of this mirror, handmade from beveled and mitered glass. The French art deco-inspired desk is a new departure from the industrial look that has been synonymous with the brand in recent years. 

The French art deco look continues with the prism lighting, and mirrored tables. Our other obsession here? Black. Black is back! And we're all for it. Check out our Pinterest board for more of our favorite ink-hued picks. 

Hello polished steel, double-frame Italian Carrera marble washstand. The simplicity of this 50's-inspired  bath collection is gorgeous. We want it all. 

This bed is a reproduction of a 19th-century French military officer's bed, down to the finials and aged brass. It's also available in a full or twin. 

RH has never produced a platform bed, so it's nice to see this upholstered one. Everyone can use a faux fur throw somewhere in their house and this oversized one is ideal for a bedroom. Another must is the cantilevered midcentury armchair, available in 12 different leathers. 

Very few spaces can handle the scale of something as large as this tufted sectional. It's a great alternative for media room seating or to cozy up with blankets and magazines and kick back for a weekend retreat! This unique piece lends itself to industrial chic and could just as easily be the perfect piece for your winter mountain home. Source tip: Mix metals! We like the brass finish on the mirrors combined with the iron finish on the chandelier. 

Here is the swing arm version of the French column lamp we just showed you. The black linen minimizes the big scale of the oversized Chersterfield chairs and sofa. 

Another one of our absolute must-haves. This stacked-wood table is great for a small dining room or a breakfast nook, along with the new midcentury dining chairs framing the window. 

This nickel bar cart, paying homage to Milo Baughman's iconic midcentury designs, is an absolute stunner. We're also huge fans of the 60's leather link bench. 

Parisian art deco crystal lighting is one of the big trends in RH's revamped look. Their black and white limited-edition photography is also special. It's hard to find mass-produced artwork that feels curated. And their photography collection is just that. 

Hot Off The Press: GDS in HGTV Magazine

We're so excited to be featured in the pages of HGTV magazine's most recent issue! HGTV gives an all-access-pass look into Ramey's home in Denver. Take a peek below and we'll give you a step-by-step breakdown on how to mix patterns and paint colors like a pro! Big thanks again to HGTV for the great article.

all photos courtesy of HGTV
photography by David Tsay, styling by Matthew Gleason

Choosing classic colors for the exterior gives a newer home a lived-in feeling with a sense of history. Adding a big pop of color, like a red door, keeps things interesting.  

all paint/fabric images courtesy of Phillip Friedman/Studio D

Exterior paint picks.

Family photos always add warmth and keep any design from being too serious. Ramey's tip: When it comes to hanging frames, "you don't have to measure everything out. Just go with what looks good."

A graphic neutral, like this sturdy wool runner fabric, pairs with virtually any bold print. Case in point: Quadrille's coral and chartreuse fabric used on the console skirt.

 Is there anything more delicious than bright coral paired with rich dark chocolate and a hit of citrusy chartreuse? I think not. Ramey used the curtain fabric as a starting point for the room and went from there. Ramey's tip: when mixing prints and colors, focus on choosing colors that compliment each other, not patterns. 

Ramey designed the living room around a rug she found on a trip to LA. She mixed in a brown flora print on the club chairs, along with a hint of rust in thelamp shades. The light blue velvet sofa lightens the space.

Living room paint and fabric swatches.

Ramey's tip: garage and estate sales are full of buried treasure. Just make sure to see items beyond their current condition. Ramey scored, finding the headboards at a garage sale and her mother, an artist, painted them with a monkey scene. The dresser was another major find at a vintage shop in Florida.

Eliza, Ramey's daughter, picked the the lattice quilts herself. Ramey skirted the bed in Sister Parish's Chou Chou fabric. The mirror belonged to Ramey's grandmother and all it needed was a quick coat of high-gloss coral paint freshened it up.

Ramey's tip: flip-flop fabric to make it work for your space. "The curtain fabric stripes were supposed to hang vertically, but we rotated the fabric so it was horizontal instead," she said. "Horizontal stripes are easier to live with in a small room."

Update the traditional "red" dining room with a raspberry shade. Ramey pulled the raspberry color from the striped curtain fabric and had grasscloth wallpaper dyed to match. She picked up the chartreuse used on the dining chairs from the rug. As for the leopard print seats, she said, "I knew that fabric would wear like iron." 

The 411: Limestone For Your Kitchen

Limestone is hands-down one of our favorite kitchen design staples at GDS. It's striking, timeless, and contrary to popular belief, low maintenance. After years of working at the ultimate tile source, Ann Sacks, Ramey has a special knack for all things stone and tile. Williams-Sonoma's kitchen design website, cultivate.com, caught up with Ramey to get her top tips and need-to-know info about using limestone in your kitchen. Check it out here:

Photo by: Emily Redfield

Designed by: Griffin Design Source Denver, CO

My husband and I built our Denver home in 2006.  One of my favorite elements of our kitchen is our French limestone floors and countertops. To me, limestone is the ultimate kitchen luxury. I indulge in it because it tells a story, it lives with you and can grow old with you.  

We have 16” x 16” limestone floors and limestone slab countertops in my kitchen [photo above]. Let me first say that I am a messy cook, my husband and I entertain often, and I love margaritas. Even so, our countertops look as good today, if not better, than when it was installed almost six years ago. When friends come over they often ask, “Why doesn’t your countertop stain?”

Photo by: Emily Redfield
Designed by: Griffin Design Source Denver, CO

First, let me help dispel some of the myths regarding limestone. The main component of any stone geologically classified as limestone, marble, travertine or onyx is calcium carbonate (also referred to as calcite). The molecule of calcium carbonate is broken (destroyed actually) by contact with pH active substances; primarily acids such as lemon juice. The destruction of the calcium carbonate molecules on the surface of the stone produces the dullness that is usually (and incorrectly) referred to as a “stain.” It is a mark of corrosion, etched on the surface of the stone.

So what does all of this technical jargon actually mean? Let me give you an example.

One summer evening, I ordered sushi take out. That night, we were a little lazy about clean up, leaving a few paper bags on the floor next to our trash bin. The next morning I came down to find that somehow a stray soy sauce packet or three had leaked and the floor had a 14” white circle smack dab in the middle of one of the tiles. I scrambled to call my local stone experts, and guess what? It was easily repaired the following week. It wasn’t ruined, it wasn’t a disaster and frankly, it was a pretty easy fix.  

Photo by: Courtesy of Ann Sacks

Luckily, our limestone floor had an impregnating sealer on it. When the soy sauce leaked, it left only shallow etching. My local stone expert, Chris Dundas of Marble Tec Systems in Denver, was able to remove the mark by sanding the surface using industrial diamond abrasives. Had the soy sauce etched the stone more deeply, Chris would have then used a poultice.

True, limestone may etch, and it may erode in places where there is a lot of water. However, you will not find a more forgiving material. Limestone will continue to patina, developing a sheen like a perfectly broken-in pair of leather boots. It is a workhorse and a highly underrated one at that. In a week, the etching marks will be hardly noticeable because limestone is a living finish that is constantly changing, maturing, and in my opinion, improving. 

Another point of consideration for a stone floor is the durability and permeability of natural stone flooring. A wood floor will buckle with prolonged exposure to water. Usually the wood flooring will need to be replaced. With natural stone floors a leak would not damage the floor. And by the way, have you ever walked across a stone floor with radiant heat underneath? It’s heaven!

Here are a few of my favorites limestones:

• French Blue, available at Ann Sacks
• Antique Dalle de Bourgogne, available at Paris Ceramics 
• Pierre Noir Belgain Limestone, available at Ann Sacks 
• Suede Limestone, available at Ann Sacks