INTERVIEW :: BRINI MAXWELL

I'm so excited to share with you this short interview with the fabulous vintage-loving hostess, Brini Maxwell! I spoke with Brini about thrifting in New York, her love of vintage and what inspires her. For more on Brini, check out her website and blog. Thanks, Brini!

Tell us about yourself!
Well, I've been described as a "prototypical, pre-feminist 1960's homemaker" and that description fits, though I have been known to champion women's rights in a very feminist way from time to time. I'm all about hospitality and gracious living. I like creating a lovely environment and atmosphere for friends and loved ones and a big part of that has to do with thrifting.

You describe yourself as "part Donna Reed, part Mary Tyler Moore". Who is another fabulous gal from the mid 20th century we should all know about and why?
Actually, that's how the Style network described me when I was doing my show. I prefer to be described as one part Doris Day, one part Mary Tyler Moore and one part Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White's character on MTM). Among those, many yung-uns may not know much about Doris Day. She was America's sweetheart in the 50's and 60's - a very popular actress (the top female box-office draw in the 60's) and in later years an animal rights activist. She's exemplified by a warm, natural style of acting that made her seem like someone you'd want to have coffee with. On top of that, she was an incredible clothes horse, wearing the most beautiful styles in all her films and her subsequent television show in the late 60's and early 70's.

What draws you to vintage housewares and furniture? What's your vintage style and why?
I think vintage items are a treat for the eye. Aside from the fact that they were designed at a time when industrial and interior design was at a peak in America and abroad, they have a novelty in that they are familiar but forgotten aspects of daily life from our past. The environments I create have not only the now-ubiquitous furniture from the era, but also the ephemera - telephones, color-stories, appliances, publications. I take great care in assembling these environments to reflect a particular year.

Currently I'm in the process of renovating my Chelsea, NY apartment in an early 70's style with touches of chinoiserie and Hollywood regency. I'm mixing modern and traditional furnishings and accessories and redoing the kitchen with vintage appliances, including a Frigidaire Flair stove. I've just found vintage NOS tile that I'll be using on the floor and backsplash through RetroRenovation.com, a site run by my friend Pam.

  
For those of us living in the fly-over states, tell us about thrifting and vintage shopping in New York!
New York is an interesting market for thrifting. Most people think it's thrifted out, but if you have a sharp eye you can still find some fun bargains, even in the heart of the city. There's an enormous Salvation Army plant store on 46th St that is on two levels and they usually have something unusual. I also love to go out to Long Island, up to Westchester and out to New Jersey to look for things. There are so many great communities that have little thrift shops that are chock full of great vintage items that they locals don't understand the value of.

One of my very favorite shops recently closed. It was run by a synagogue that used to house a school on the south shore of Long Island and was actually in the gym. There were tables spread with treasures and ephemera that had been untouched since they had first been put out years ago. New stuff was constantly being added. There was always something to buy there.

What are your three best thrifting tips?
Train your eye :: It's important to know what you're looking at and what you're looking for. I've become so good at going through clothing racks that all I need to do is walk down the asile and look closely while running my hands along the clothing on the rack and I can spot vintage by the appearance and feel of the fabric.

Go regularly :: Turnover is constant at these shops and you never know when that item you're looking for will be put out on the floor.

Have a positive attitude :: More than once I've gone to a thrift shop with an intention to find a very specific item - I needed a vintage ice crusher and I set out to find one. I went to one store and knew it would be there. It was. Another time I wanted a specific book. I was able to find it in another store on the very first try. Whether you're looking for something specific or just some wonderful finds, knowing you'll be successful before you leave the house is a great mindset to have. You attract the good stuff to you that way.

For tips on how to implement your finds, pick up DVDs of Brini's show and copies her book, check out Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living.

Photos ::  Bradford Noble, Noblephoto.com

AN INTERVIEW WITH INALUXE

I'm very excited to share a short interview with the amazing Kristina and Jason of the fabulous illustration studio INALUXE. If you aren't familiar with their work you will soon be obsessed after seeing their work below. Their über modtastic illustration work has been featured in magazines such as Real Living and Uppercase. Most recently they were invited to be a part of the Artists Portfolio of Prints, and the Year of Colour created by Kate Spade. Enjoy the interview!

Your work has such a mid-century modern feel. Was this a happy accident or did you set out to create this look?
It was all purely by accident - a 'happy accident' as you say.  I've always loved bold graphic patterns, and colour. My influences come more from artists like Henri Matisse and Mark Rothko than say mid century design or illustration. I've always been a little partial to Japanese art too - the space and composition of the work has appealed to me since the age of 10. Funny how we carry these things with us, and they are life changing in our art.

Where do you find your inspiration for your illustrations?
It's hard to say. It might be the texture on a brick wall, or the softness of an old wooden floor. Maybe it's a textile weave, such as linen. With regard to shapes -  that really just happens when I get the paint brushes and paint out. It's very much a journey, not so much a specific destination. It's a process of elimination alot of the time. Ten designs might get filtered down to one finished design.  But there's no guarantee!

Does your home also have a Mid-century modern feel to it?
Our home is a mish-mash of all eras.  It's more of an eclectic mix of objects and furniture from the early 1900s to today.  We have broad taste in terms of what appeals, and can't really seem to settle on one era or style. Sometimes it's awkward trying to make it all work, and fit into an interior space, but we get there. I think buying an object you love is just so natural - regardless of style. Having said that, we do own several mid century pieces that we just love.

Do you like being surrounded by vintage items?
Most definately! There's that wonderful history in a vintage piece. And on an aesthetic level they are just so beautiful, for so many reasons. The term "they just don't make 'em like this anymore..." comes up a lot.

Do you like thrifting?
Love it. I love looking for everything from furniture, home decor to fashion accessories. Jason always heads over to the books, and records. It's not often we come home empty handed.

What are some of your favorite things to collect?
I'm going through a ceramic porcelain phase at the moment. I don't collect any particular style, or designer - it's purely visual appeal for me, and the mix is diverse. It might be the colour, pattern, or the shape that draws me in. The only criteria is that they are small - sugar bowls, sake cups, tea cups, etc. Aside from this, it's anything goes, but I do love vintage fabric, particularly linen for its crispness.

Jason's record collection is varied, but usually he cherry picks the easy listening and country records one usually finds discarded at thrift stores. Books gerenally include older copies of literary classics - ie: anything by Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, and even Ian Flemming - how can you go past James Bond 007!

And we both love old reference books. ACES!

Thanks, Kristina and Jason! See more of their work at the INALUXE shop and on their blog.

VINTAGE COLLECTIONS WITH LISA CONGDON

I am very excited to share a short interview I just did with the fabulous Lisa Congdon. She recently authored a book entitled Collection a Day based on her year-long project and blog of the same name. I thought she'd be the perfect person to ask about starting a collection of vintage objects. Enjoy...

Why did you start your collections of vintage objects? where did/do you find them?
I started collecting when I was a kid. In the introduction to my book, I tell a story about how my mom started most of my collections for me. Dolls, plastic horses, etc. I wasn't necessarily collecting vintage items back then (though some of my dolls were antique), but I definitely got the "collector's bug". Plus I think I'm hard wired as a collector. No matter how hard I try not to collect, I can't help myself!

I started collecting vintage stuff about 18 years ago. I was in a relationship with another woman who was obsessed with collecting. She introduced me to the flea market and it was all over. From there I became obsessed with antique malls and garage sales too. I still go to mostly flea markets and antique malls (especially when I am traveling) and I do go occasionally to thrift stores. We have great thrifting in San Francisco.

What are your three favorite collections?
My favorite collections are:
:: my vintage mid-century Scandinavian + Japanese kitchenware collection
:: my vintage school supply collection
:: my tiny vintage portrait collection (I collect tiny tiny vintage photos -- mostly snapshots of people's faces)

How and where do you store your collections?
Some of my collections are on display in my home and studio. They are a combination of my favorite collections and a few that are just easy to display or are really decorative. I have some arranged in shadowboxes in my studio which hang on the wall. In my apartment I keep lots of things on shelves and on my credenza, usually grouped together. Like, all my orange pottery is grouped together on one shelf in my living room. My enamelware collection is housed in my kitchen (of course!), along with my plate collection. Little collections are scattered in spots throughout the house. Collections that I don't use for display are stored in my studio in bins, boxes and flat files. I'm pretty organized around my collections. I take really good care of them, which is important. They are often really fragile or susceptible to damage from heat, moisture or sun light.

What advice would you give someone beginning a collection of vintage items?
I have three main bits of advice:
1 :: Find a few collections that really resonate for you. Choose to collect a few things that you really love. I think it's important to collect stuff that's sort of challenging to find. If what you collect is easily available in every antique mall or flea market, it might be fun for about a month--but you will get bored easily. Collect stuff that is unique. Part of the fun of collecting is the "hunt".
2 :: Take good care of your collections. Vintage items are really special, and I think collectors are stewards of the past in a way. Plus, if you ever want to sell your collections (or parts of them), the better condition they are in, the better. If you have a particular collection, research how to take care of the pieces. If you collect vintage kitchenware, for example, it's probably best not to use the pieces that are the most fragile or could easily be damaged--except maybe on a special occasion. Don't put vintage things in the dishwasher or washing machine. Don't use harsh chemicals to clean them. Use common sense.
3 :: Try to find stuff that is priced reasonably. Don't get sucked into spending a lot of money on vintage collections on Ebay and other high end antique stores. If you don't feel comfortable with the price, don't buy it!! Part of the joy of collecting is finding that perfect item at $3 -- especially when you love it and it might even be worth $50!

Thanks, Lisa! To get an autographed copy of her book, visit her shop. You can also see more of Lisa's illustration work on her website.

BARBIE :: A MID-CENTURY ICON

I'm happy to share with you the following interview with my friend Scott. He collects and sells vintage Barbies, many at high prices on Ebay. I wanted to know more about this Mad Men-like mid-century icon, so I asked him some questions and he was more than willing to share his knowledge. Thanks, Scott!

Why collect vintage barbies? What makes collectors excited?
Although Mattel does "swell" reproductions of their 1960's dolls and outfits, they are of somewhat cheaper construction than their vintage counterparts, which were made from a higher grade vinyl (solid vinyl on the earlier dolls which had a porous waxiness to it that not only gave it a pleasant crayon-ish aroma but a more porcelain or waxy look and a heaviness to them, all of which combine to form a more "substantial" feeling than the hollow contemporary ones, which look and feel more like plastic.)

Also, the new dolls are all identical, whereas vintage dolls can vary greatly from one to the next... different facepaint stencils, variations in the head molds (some faces being long and narrow, others shorter and wider). Some vintage dolls were even hand painted or partially hand painted, making each one unique and different unto itself, appealing to the "art collector" side of vintage Barbie lovers.

Finally, the fact that each vintage doll is an actual artifact from the 1960's, which is important to people who came to vintage Barbie through a larger interest in the area that produced them.

  
Where do you find your vintage barbies? Is it possible to still find them in thrift/junk shops?
They don't appear very often in thrift stores due to media coverage over the years that has made everyone with a vintage Barbie think their doll is worth $1,000. Typically, thrift shop and pawn shop owners tell me that when they come across old Barbie dolls, they put them on ebay, not out in their stores. Of course, now and then you will find the occasional exception. Often the mod era dolls (1967-1970) will wind up in thrift stores and pawn shops because the owners don't recognize them as vintage dolls (the mod dolls featured a different facemold and these dolls are not typically the ones pictures in articles about vintage).

What condition to collectors expect? Is there a checklist you can suggest for someone evaluating the condition of a vintage barbie?
Basically, any vintage Barbie will sell on ebay. The question is, what differentiates a $20 doll from a $1,000 doll? Well, condition and rarity, mostly. Only the mint dolls (with no rubs or restoration to the facepaint, and hair in the original factory set and style, no body problems like missing fingers or bent legs, tanning of vinyl, green ear syndrome from the metal ear rings) are really valuable. If you find a vintage doll with any or all of the problems listed above, you are likely looking at a $20 doll in terms of Ebay value.

Where rarity is concerned, research is needed. Some types of dolls (like Bubble Cuts and Fashion Queens) are in much readier supply and easier to find in mint condition than the earlier Ponytails, for example, making them a lot less valuable. I would suggest anyone seriously interested buy a reference book and brush up, as there are so many variables that decide value.

Lastly, when checking to make sure a doll is vintage, look for patent dates of either 1958, 1962, or 1965 on the rear ends of the dolls. They should also say "Made in Japan" under the date. Avoid dolls with the 1966 butt stamp. That is a year of patent and not manufacture, and dolls with that year stamp are usually from the 80s or newer.