Updates--Part Deux--The Brady 'Kitschen' and Dining Room

Well the short post yesterday worked out well...aka, it didn't take me 3 hours to get my computer to cooperate.  So we'll try the same format once again, shall we?

I don't think I've posted any recent pics of the Kitschen and Dining Room.  Everything's a work in progress and even tiny changes make a HUGE difference, don'tcha know.

 To make more room in the dining room, I took the leaf out of the table and reduced the number of chairs around it to four.  I then used the two 'leftover' sweet Sculptra chairs at the breakfast bar.  I like this set up much better....and it saves me from having to recover the three stools which had been at the bar...I bloody well hated those things anyway!

 Some of my first paintings on the wall above the buffet/hutch and a sweet little aqua 'Jamaica' tea towel to cover up some of the scratches on the top of the Sculptra table until I can refinish it...poor little lamb wasn't respected and was abused before I adopted it.

The vintage barbecue pitcher I bought a couple of months ago looks sooo cute on the counter!  Needs some daisies or black eyed susans in it though!  And how cute are these little owl salt and pepper shakers?  Even though the laundry is the 'owl' room, I just couldn't let these poppits out of the kitschen!  They were my great-grandmother's and sat in her kitchen as long as I can remember...my dad assures me that they also were there as long as he can remember as well!  Their little orange waistcoats and jade jackets match the 'kitschen' perfectly!  They remind me of the old 'Owl Jolson' cartoon.....

The pantry sits in the space between the kitschen and the living room.  When they installed the laminate flooring, it made the floor so high that we couldn't get the pantry door back on!  So I have to keep the thing uber neat and tidy!

 I adore this spice chart!  It tells you which spices work best with what dish!  The date at the bottom is 1967.  Check out the psychedelic graphics!

 My birthday was a week ago.  NO.  I will not tell you how old I am.  But I WILL introduce you to our new housemate here at the Brady Ponderosa.....the sweet sago palm mom got me as a present!  Fits perfectly in the hairpin legged plant stand...which I think I'll be painting black soon.

 As I was taking these pics, I realized that I have never shown you the inside of the revamped mid-'60s Hotpoint fridge!  Well, here he is......

I soooo love the cooling panel in the back!  Looks so cool!  The shelves were quite rusted when I found them....in various places around the basement.  So I painted them aqua to match the butter panel in the door.  It's a slightly darker aqua than the rest of the door....

 Here's a closeup of the starburst and diamond pattern on the butter door.  I think it may be my favourite thing in my kitschen....

Stay tuned!  Living room tomorrow!!

Gotcha Covered!...Broyhill Sculptra Chairs Get 'Dolled' Up!

Well dahlinks, I've gotten my new old dining room chairs recovered in that smash smash fabric I showed you the other day!  They look amazing, don't you fink?

 

Please forgive the truly annoying and random quality of the photos!  My camera is really weird about taking pics at night, even with the night setting on!

 

Case in point:  This photo was taken within seconds of the first, yet the lighting is perfect.

And yes, that is the original early '70s white on white fake stone laminate in the entryway!  Isn't it just tacky fab??  I luuuuuurve it!  And I'd love to keep it, but it's beginning to discolour ever so slightly in spots so it'll likely go with the 'Ugliest Carpet In the Free World' and the horrible early '90s laminate in the kitchen (which is waaaay more discoloured and proves that stuff in the '70s on back was much better and longer lived than the crap they've been producing for the last 20 years or so).  Maybe I can find some old stock or some new and similar to replace it?  Any of you lovelies have any ideas?

 

Chairs that Jackson Pollock would be pleased to have din dins on, I reckon!

Pip Pip Cheerio was not impressed by the whole event and passed out after the first chair was done....

 

I found the stamps on the bottom of the chairs and, if I'm reading the numbers correctly, I believe this set was made in September of 1958.  That would make it VERY early (second year) of the Sculptra collection!

Here's an inspirational Sculptra image!  God, how I love this set!  I'm actually beginning to love it as much, if not more than my much coveted Brasilia!

Head on over and visit Pam on Retro Renovation to read more on Sculptra AND Brasilia!...or just to read up on more mid century fabulousness!  Best blog EVER!

XX

 

This Week's Haul

Ok, kids.  I promised you a thrifty thrill today and I will not disappoint.

The Back Story:

When I decided to move into my grandparents' old house after my grandfather moved in with my parents, I knew I didn't want the dining room suite that was there.  As lovely as it was...and it really is a gorgeous suite (late '70s Pulaski Keepsake)...it just isn't remotely my style.  The china cabinet was huge...luckily my mom took it to use in her bedroom which, quite providentially is also Pulaski Keepsake!

The table, however was a different matter.  A massive, oak behemoth of a clawfoot pedestal table.  The chairs were equally massive, 4 captain's chairs with leather seats
.
Mom decided she also wanted the table when she realized that my grandfather was RUINING her own turn of the century Sears catalog pedestal table.  He's soooo bloody rough with everything and was literally pulling the thing apart.  But she refused to take it until I could find a suitable replacement as she wanted me to have something to eat on!  I tried to tell her to go ahead and take it, but as mothers are want to do, she wouldn't hear of it.

Therefore, I've been searching and scouring Craigslist, facebook selling sites, antique stores, thrift shops, and used furniture places for months trying to find the perfect dining room table.


The Rest of the Story:
 
Finally, about two weeks ago, I found a steal and I MEAN a real steal.
I'm forever searching 'Broyhill' on Craigslist.  My dream dining room is Brasilia...whose isn't, I ask you!...and I'm always hoping that I'll find some pieces on the cheap!
I didn't find any Brasilia that day, but I did find my #2 'dream dining room' listed this way:

"Nice older Broyhill dining room set with hutch. Table w/ drop down sides, extra leaf, 6 chairs (5 regular, 1 captain), hutch (54in wide, 56in tall) has nice storage (3 drawers, shelves, drop open serving station)."

The pictures, however, left no doubt as to the identity of this elusive little butterfly......SCULPTRA!!!!

And, as if just FINDING one wasn't exciting enough, the price was great.  The bad thing was that it was $200.  Now, I hear you saying "$200??  For a Sculptra suite???  And you're complaining??".  But alas, my Scottish heart won't let me ignore my budgey.  And it was $50 over what I'd promised myself I'd spend.

So I put her out of my mind until a conversation a couple of nights ago when I mentioned them to the OH.  "I can tell you want that set pretty badly.  Do you think they still have it?", he asked.
"Doubtful", says I, "Especially at that price.  Even someone who doesn't know what it is or worth will have snagged it by now."

But I was still thinking about it when we hung up.  Determined that I really SHOULD buy the darn thing even if it was slightly above my budgey, I went on Craiglist and searched for the ad, not expecting it to be there.
Not only was it there, but........they'd reduced it to $150!!  That was the official, "Please come get me and take me home, Miss Doll!!"
My dad helped me move her in and the old dining room out today!

And here she is, in all her glory, in MY dining room.  I seriously have been pinching myself for the last few hours!  My arm is quite blue!

The table is slightly curved at the ends.  The ends are drop leaf, so it can be made into a very small table and there's also an extra leaf to make it even longer!

 

The Buffet/Hutch is in two pieces.  The right side pulls down to make a serving area and reveal shelves.  It'll make a great laptop desk!

 

Please overlook 'The Ugliest Carpet In the Free World'.  I actually got in trouble back in the '80s when my grandmother put it in.  I actually TOLD her how ugly it was.  Not a smart thing for an 8 year old to do.  It is, however, the next thing being ripped out of this house and replaced with black and white checks!!

 

And on the inside of the top drawer, THE label!

 

There's only 1 captain's chair.  It's got some condition issues, but it's something that can be masked until I can have it professionally redone.

 

There are 5 of these bad boys!  This one and two of the others have their original seat covers.  The other two have a horrible pinkish red cover.  All of these will be coming off this weekend!  I've been saving this fabric.....

....for months.  I found it at Habitat for $2, but when I bought it, I was expecting to be covering 4 chairs, not 6!  So I may cover the captain's and one side chair in solid blue.

Well, there she is, This Week's Haul!!

Did you muchkins find any goodies or steals this week?

People, Get Ready....

Hello, my dears!  Today's post will be a tiny peek at what the next 'This Week's Haul' post will be.  I'll leave you with this....and the anticipation of what's to come...