Fall sale on now. Meet my latest restoration!

Join me in my Etsy shop for my fall sale! 15% off many items. Find them in the Clearance section. Shipping to your door. 💗. Reach out if you need help with anything.

Live now!

My latest restoration is now complete! I took a fantastic mid century upholstered chair that had seen better days, chose some amazing fabric and had my upholsterer work some magic. The seat cushion is all new foam and there is added Dacron and stuffing as needed. This amazing fabric is an orangy red cotton velvet called Como and is part of the Michelle Nussbaumer line for Clarence House Textiles. It is luxurious and the light just bounces beautifully off it, I love the color so much. It will be nice with a neutral space and a great warm accent piece. The fabric is high quality and the specs have it coming in as a super sturdy choice. When you invest in a piece like this you want it beautiful and sturdy. Buy the best fabric you can afford. I sourced this at a discount rate and it is worth about $200/yard retail. Top of the line, made in Italy and designer. What more can you ask for? No big box mcm knockoff will compare to the real deal with high end fabric, just sayin, without further adieu…..

Taken in the late rvening setting sun, thid pic, no filter required, goves you a look at the Way the light bounces snd pops that color.

From th backside of the light you get a feel of the real color. It is quite the chameleon. A lovely piece- mid century only better! Available now and coming soon to my chairish shop where you can get an instant shipping quote.

That’s all for now. Taking my Pearsall couch to the upholsterer this weekend! It will be a while until it is done, I am sure, but I cannot wait! Our old couch is on it’s last legs! Stay tuned!

Here we go! Barn couch save!

XO Malissa

Heading into fall and freedom!

Hey all! Crazy times at the office while census ops are in full swing. We are supposed to be done by Sept 30th and we will probably be done with our work before that. My last day is coming soon! It’s been a wild ride but I am thankful for all the money they pumped into my savings account and I am ready to focus on things here as I prepare for life as a homeschool mom! Who would have thought 2020 would be such a whacky year?! The cyber school is working out great for my son, who broke his femur a month ago! Yes, been dealing with a full schedule and all of this on top of it. I got this! It’s almost over.

I have just picked up some fun items at my wholesaler and am pricing them and will be adding to my retail space at Fleetwood Antique Mall later today. Will also list them on my website for those of you who need shipping. Here’s a preview!

I grabbed some super textiles, a Bunch Of cool retro coaster sets and even a singLe set of mud cloth placemats.

Update on my current restoration! I should be picking this up complete later in the week, but I got a sneak peak of my latest piece in restoration! What I know: this adorable chair was found a few blocks from where I grew up. It is small in size but super sexy. It’s original fabric was great but had seen better days and the foam in the seat needed replaced. I do not know who the maker is of the chair, but I do know it is going to look and feel fantastic in the new threads I picked! Como Velvet from designer Michelle Nussbaumer for Clarence House textiles is very expensive, but I got a connection and scored this tomato red for only $30/yard. It probably retails for closer to $200/yard in the real world! This is heavy duty and gorgeous, the two things you need when investing into a project you want to outlive you. I love this orangey red which will make a super accent piece and it will have all the right details! As you will see, it is getting the royal treatment with all internals rebuilt as needed for a comfy structure. It will be photographed and listed as soon as I get it in my grubby hands!

I love how this velvet shimmers in the light, bouncing between red and orange hues. It will be an awesome warm accent peRfect for an eClectic or period room. Mid century style updated with modern threads and ready for another life!

Stay tuned for final pics! If you are in the market for a new upholstered chair, please consider either chair I have ready to go! They are beauties!

Stop by my retail space soon as I am stocking with great gifts and fall camping items. The antique mall will be hosting a crafting event on Sept 5th with vendors and food. The event link is pinned to the top of my Facebook page or click here: https://facebook.com/events/s/covid-craft-fair-with-mayfield/762461624580659/?ti=icl

I think this is all the updates for now. Reach out if I can help you! I am moving things pretty fast this year so if you see something you love, jump on it! XO Malissa

New stuff!

Lots of things finding homes right now! It’s awesome but I am definitely running ragged! Spent today picking up some great Lane pieces. The dining room is Rhythm and includes table with 2 leaves and custom table pads, 4 side chairs plus 2 captains chairs and a gorgeous credenza with reversible panel inserts- cane on one side and wood on the other. I am partial to the cane, of course! I will be refurbishing the chairs but not until things slow down a bit. Meanwhile expect things to trickle into my shops. Here’s a preview!

Lane Perception long coffee table….some blemishes.

Lane Perception square end table pair. On hold!

Lane Rhythm dining table, 2 leaves and custom taBle pads. On hold!

Lane Rhythm credenza with center drawers and side cabinets. Left side has small drawer inside too! Lots of storage and in wonderful vintage condition!

Lane rhytHm dining chairs set of 6, 2 are arm chairs. Seats will be replaced soon. Stay tuned.

Super large set of taylorstone cathay! This lattern is amazing and atomic in a Very relative modern colorway.

In other news….coming soon!

I was very fortunate to connect with a rep for Clarence House Textiles, a purveyor of high end designer fabrics. She offered me some fabulous items for well under wholesale. I decided to jump in and redo this awesome chair and selected this tomato red velvet. If you check their website, it is called Como, a collection by Michelle Nussbaumer. It is a cotton velvet in an orange red and it will make an awesome accent in a dynamic space. I expect the chair to be finished in about 3 weeks. If you are considering adding a new piece to your home, please consider adding this chair or one of my other fabulous restored pieces to your home.

Clarence House textiles does not import from china. They are a top notch company with a stuNning selection. I am thrilled to be able to access some overruns at discounted pricing. Looking forwarded to more fun restorations making old things new and beautiful again.

Thanks for your support! I am totally going nuts right now obtaining shipping quotes and working with clients. I have about 2 months, maybe 3 until I am turned loose again and can do my own thing. In the meantime, I am working as much as I can!
XO MALISSA

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