Dust Nuggets film now on Amazon Prime

The other year I was able to source and loan a few props to this film project that was produced and shot in my area. I got invited to the pre screening last fall and the expectation was that it would be entered in the festival circuit with a local screening later this year. I am certain COVID put a dent in that. They did, however, make the flick available on Amazon Prime! If you are local, you will love the on location scenes from great places like the Reading Airport and McArdles Pub. If you are a music lover, the smooth jazz soundtrack, rock and roll business theme and witty portrayal of a young gal trying to propel the band she manages to the top of the charts. Told in a dreamy, flashback format, the tragic end opens the flick and follows with how these characters got there. Check it out now on Amazon Prime.

In the credits!

In other news, I have been adding new items to Etsy and chairish plus have some more to do as I work through them. I have a super little china hutch that is cleaning up great and will offer for local pick up real cheap, if you are looking for one, reach out!

Better pics to follow!

This amazing Selig chair is now available! Looks better from the back if you can believe that!

Also I have been practicing my caning in preparation for restoring a seat on an early Marcel Breuer Cesca chair. My stool project turned out great! I chose a super finish called Rubio Monocoat which was a great 0 VOC, all natural finish. It is in Cotton White and gives a great white wash look that shows the grain of the oak beautifully. The caning took about 2 full days to weave. This piece is currently for sake in my Etsy shop and I can do more in the custom color of your choice. Message me for info and I will show you all the cool colors available for your stool!

Hand caned original by madmodworldvintaGe. Custom orders welcome!

Traditional cane weave is 7 steps.

I decided To sign my art!

My job is really heating up now so I have very limited availability from now through probably late Oct/early Nov when I am released from my census duties. I will continue to service sales and inquiries as fast as I can. I have some upholstery projects I am currently shopping for fabric so look forward to some new restorations soon!

XO Malissa

Caning-learn a new skill.

Circa 1950’s Gavina (Italy) production Marcel Breuer ‘Cesca’ chair imported by Knoll

I have been back to work for about a month now. In this time, I picked up a really awesome set of Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs. These were designed in 1928 and sadly never copyrighted by him so probably one of the most knocked off chair ever. You may remember it from the 70s or 80s when it seemed to make a comeback in American kitchens. The chrome cantilever base is very distinctive and Breuer gets credit for being one of the first to use it in a chair design. The Cesca chair was manufactured first by Thonet in Yugoslavia and later (by the 50s) at Gavina in Italy. Around this time, Knoll began to import the chair for it’s distribution. They eventually bought the rights from Gavina and today are the authorized producer of the chair. I really hesitated to take these on as I knew they would be hard to authenticate and honestly, one chair needs to be re-caned. But, there is a great story here and an even greater appreciation of this chair after seeing them in person.

My set lived with a former Knoll executive whose daughter I found on Craigslist selling some vintage Knoll fabrics (I now own two tubs of amazing and colorful vintage designs!) as she is cleaning out his home. He did not retire from Knoll but worked there for maybe 20 years in the 50s/70s. This knowledge definitely helped my decision as I could date them to that era and I know Knoll was importing them from Gavina at that time. There are sticker residue on all 4 the size and placement of Gavina’s labels as well, although none retain them. The black finish is awesome on this chair and is much sexier than the natural. A key quality mark for me is the fact that these are hand caned. Most of these chairs, including today’s production by Knoll feature machine woven cane sheets and not hand woven cane. It’s a work of art when you see a hand woven piece. Even knowing I would need to take on that skill to repair one of the seats to make this set sellable, I was still willing to invest in them. This is what I do, after all..,,,preserve these fine pieces of history and make them usable for the next generation of fans and appreciators, So here I am, recently visiting my local cane supply shop (yes, I got one handy!) and walking out with an awl, pegs and reed plus a little oak kit stool so I can do a practice round before I start on the Cesca seat, There are 7 steps to hand caning plus some calluses.

Example of how a Gavina chair from this Era would be labeled.

At the cane shop buying supplies. I had to wait for them to reopen after covid-19

How to tell if a piece is hand caned? This is important to note. A machine caned piece is inserted into a channel and finished by gluing a spline piece into the channel. It is tricky but not difficult to remove and install. Hand caning consists of weaving a frame through drilled holes in the frame. The pattern made on the edge has a fisheye pattern. Instead of a channel, you will see that pattern and little nodules at each hole.

What is the going rate for hand cane repair? It is generally charged by the hole. This seat has 100 holes! A fair price is about $2 per hole plus materials.

Before I start the chair seat, I am going to try my hand at a small stool. It is oak and I will be using a fabulous product called Rubio Monocoat to finish the wood. I chose ‘Cotton white’ which will give it a nice white washed finish letting the grain show through. Monocoat is a oil based finish that seeps into the pores and gardens into a durable finish. It also is plant based, 0% VOC, food safe, child safe and sustainable. I ordered a second color, charcoal, and hope I enjoy this and the finished product is marketable! Perhaps I can make a custom colored stool just for you as there are many cool colors to choose from! Will see where this takes me! Stay tuned got updates.

Thanks to everyone who have been making purchases! I have been steadily moving things this whole time. Will need to have some fun restocking soon but work is keeping me busy!

XO Malissa

Early Saarinen Restored, more doctor office stuff and lots leaving!

It’s been about a month since I checked in. I started back at work with limited hours 2 weeks ago, It was weird after being home for 5 weeks. During this time, I was so surprised with all the support I received! Lots of things have left and are continuing to leave! I cracked into the last DOCTOR HOUSE boxes and am working through listing more medical goodies. I found some cool stuff! Check out my Etsy and check back as I have more to list. I have some things in my eBay as well,

While I was home and the sewing machine was handy, I decided to tear into the Saarinen 72 side chair pair. I got them tore apart, new foam in the seats, new upholstery crafted from a (supposed) vintage Knoll Greek key woven tweed. It looks fantastic and I took care in matching the pattern up on both. The fiberglass backs had some love too and I reinforced some cracks in the base of one with some epoxy and gave them a new coat of paint. They are fantastic, I originally sold them on consignment as ‘project’ pieces. Sadly, the eBay buyer forced a return on me and I pretty much lost everything and had to pay his $60 shipping fees. The only way I was going to come out ahead was to put the time in them. They are now listed in my markets. They are super as a pair but would also look great in a mismatched set around your table. They are definitely early production as noted by the fiberglass backs. The earliest had different legs, but they date to the 50s/60s for sure. They are comfy now and stylish and ready to rock your world!

PaiR of restored eero saarinen 72 side chairs, fiberglass backs made by Knoll.

I just sold the credenza part of the China hutch in my retail space. I will be adding hairpin legs to the top and using it as a display, once it is converted it will be ‘available’ for purchase. I think it will look handsome! The space is all set up and if you are popping by the Mall and staff is there, you can get a private showing. They are not officially open, but will take appointments. That said, if you’d like to shop my space, either reach out to me or call the mall for an appointment. Hopefully they will be open soon for regular shipping. We are going stir crazy but safety is first. Please remember your PPE when heading into any store in the state. I will announce when they schedule a grand reopening!

ReaDy for sUmmer! Picnic, camping, Boho decor!

Can’t wait to see thr hutch top oN hairpins!

i am working through listing back stock and if you enjoyed the vintage medical items, you may want to check in on my Etsy. I started going through the last 3 boxes of stuff and am getting it listed. I also found me a box of PPE! That is coming in handy since I need to wear it in the office all day and the handmade ones just aren’t that breathable. I really tried to take advantage of my time at home knowing the rest of my year will be complete census insanity. Kindly bear with me as I do intend to do both well, but will need to flex around a busy work schedule.

Shop madmodworldvintage on eTsy! 💗

Thanks to all my clients near and far that are keeping me excited about this little business while I am working my temporary gig and stockpiling some money. It had been the best thing for my family and sanity even though I am working double time. With the extension of census operations, I will now be working through most of the year! Keep sane and if you need shipping assistance, reach out!

XO Malissa ✌️

No Touch Pick-ups, a whole new world.

I hope this note finds you healthy and hiding out! We are sheltering in place and I have generally only been leaving home to pick up some groceries about 5 miles from home, once a week. It’s so easy to feel out of touch from the rest of the world! My husband is still working and thank God, as I may kill him if he is here all day, every day! Can anyone relate?! 😂. My kids started home school assignments and they are stressing me out a little. This is not working well for my underachiever and I am going insane micromanaging him. Successes are: I made some fantastic cookies that have been deployed to a friend’s birthday solitary celebration, we have been eating like rock stars and my husband smoked a pork butt for the most wonderful pulled pork ever, and I spent two days sewing us some masks….eventually we have to leave. Ha

My chairish shop is 100% functional and I had a chair picked up last week headed to the Midwest. I could get used to this no touch thing! I don’t have to lift a finger! My best shipper is back on the west coast taking a break so at this time, I suggest anyone needing a large piece shipped check my chairish shop for instant pricing. If you are new to chairish and make an account, you will get a $20 coupon via email that will apply toward any service fees. This market is pretty high end but know you are getting top notch service throughout. Your item is insured and handled with care. Please message or call me if you need help!
USPS/FED EX/UPS are all functional and any smaller packaged will go out promptly. If you are eyeing any smalls in my shop and want to negotiate, please shout! My goal is to eliminate my small items. Flea market season is on hold and I will be back to work for most of the summer and probably cannot manage a live show. I can do porch/driveway pick up for the locals, take PayPal for remote payment and whatever you need to feel comfortable. I think there are limited hours at the antique mall, meaning,if someone is there working, you can purchase things if you call ahead, or, I can access my inventory to retrieve items. I would gladly run out to grab something right now if need be.

Don’t forget to check out my website! I have listed a bunch of new items I have available from my wholesaler, Primitives by Kathy. All prices include shipping.

Working on getting 3 of these cute deco tables ready. Two are like this one and the other is halfmoon shaped. They all feature cobalt mirroRed glass. I took them on because i enjoyed their colorful style and deco stuff is fun.

i am currently working on a few projects and trying to add backstock to my shops. I got plenty of merchandise sitting around! Let me know if you are looking for something, I may have it! STAY SAFE my peeps!

XO MALISSA

Hanging in there….

Hope this update finds you and yours heathy, safe and hunkered down. I am using the down time to get some projects done and my storage areas organized. I have had some shopper interaction and wanted to share that my closest Greyhound Station is closed until further notice. Chairish is still coordinating shippers and last I checked with Jackie, she was still moving things across the country. In lieu of planning anything in the present, I am all for taking deposits to hold items and will ship or deliver when things improve. It’s a bit more budget friendly as well! If there is something you are eyeing….and more so now that you are sitting at home staring at your space more than ever, I am here to help! That said, I am going to try to get some back stock listed and I do have some furniture to get ready. I will be back at work when this passes and I do expect to be working most of the summer at this point, in my fast paced, 40 plus hour a week gig. I encourage you to reach out for direct pricing. Both of my markets are charging 20% in fees these days so I can save you a little by shopping direct with me.

I have just added some gift packages to my website! What a better way to send some cheer to your mid century loving friends across the country of across the street! Perfect for Easter, birthdays or just as a pick me up. You have 2 choices and I will pack with tissue and make them special. I will gladly add a personalized note from you as well! You will find them in the GIFT ITEMS FOR SALE page in my website.

This kit includes 2 eAmes dots travel kits and a set of 9 eames house of cards notepads. All new old stock and so fun. PriCe includes priority shipping to lower 48.

This kit includes 1 eames dopp kit plus the set of 9 eames house of cards notepaDs, shipped.

if you want to spread some mcm cheer, head to my website and purchase your kits there! Email or text me 610-223-5758 with any additional instructions. I will ship in 24 hours or less.

I hope those of you spending more time at home are enjoying your collections and your loved ones. We are cooking, baking and taking walks on our country road, going out only for necessities and my husband is essential but has his work truck home so he does not have to report to his garage every day.

Stay safe!

XO MALISSA