Malibu Home Staging

In the midst of all the crazy busy-busy of filling an Italian Villa in Ojai, California from top to bottom {remember I'm doing everything from the toothpaste to the towels to the towel racks! More on this at the end of the week}, I've been pulled in to work on staging a home for one of my most favorite (and biggest) clients. It's a mega gorgeous piece of property in Malibu. With so much on my plate, I've brought in my friend Kam to work with on the interiors. I will do all the outdoor areas. Kam is part of a group who does amazing, lightening fast set ups, thus allowing clients to get top dollar for their estates; check it out here:
DESIGNED TO MOVE


Home staging, used to facilitate and expedite selling luxury properties, is a big business in residential real estate, especially in California. Kam used to own a home decor store called Creme Fresh (we met when she started frequenting Vintageweave) in an area known as 'the Valley", but has since closed it and does mainly interior design and home staging. I'm really looking forward to working with her--more pics as they develop.
Kam will do inside, and I'll do exterior, which includes three outdoor areas. How will I possibly find the time? Easy! I plan to hook intravenously to a Starbucks and fire up my clone machine.......


We're meeting at the crack of dawn tomorrow to strategize....wee hours of the morning, mainly because my Ojai project is heating up and the move is scheduled for later this week. But I get to travel along the ocean soaking in one of the most gorgeous coastlines in the world so I'm pretty excited for every stage of this project...

Of course, when trying to sell a home it doesn't hurt that BARBARA STREISAND is your next door neighbor! "Spying from this balcony" might be a selling point!

Brillante Web Blog Award-thrice!

THANK YOU....

......to Shawn, Kris Kialoa, and Ann for the beautiful honor of awarding French Pedestals and Dreams a Brillante WebBlog Award! Being a newbie to the world of blogging, not sure what this award means but it sounds nice!

I will try to come back and properly play by the rules of the awards, but right now my plate is a wee bit overflowing! Do know that I am truly honored by your thoughtfulness even though commitments prevent me from doing all that is required when one is bestowed such an honor.

 I humbly thank you all and while I can not send a proper thank you gift basket to each of you, here's a picture of one I would send if I could!

A film worthy of your SENSES

A really fun part of my job is that I am pulled in to work on some fun set designs.

I adore film sets. It's why I'm a raging movie buff....I just love soaking in the sets..... the cinematography....the costumes.....
And when it's a period film? Well they just leave me sopping up my chin!

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE RELEASE OF THIS MOVIE!


{After the annoying advertisement}, View a peek into a treat for the senses! *

*Vintageweave did NOT play a part in the set of this particular film;
*This reminder of the upcoming film is in part thanks to fly-housebydesign.blogspot. Thanks!

Grab the Shopping Cart!

{Cart Picture: Wikepedia}

More shopping! More creations from antique items! More antiques! More Fun! Oh....It's just making me giddy! You, too, dear friends?

Let's be drunk with happiness together! Both hands on the Shopping Cart Handle and away we go.....

Made from antique French shutters. There's been a very large one created, now a smaller cabinet fashioned from antique shutters cut to size with the masterful painting of some truly artistic hands who blend it all seamlessly;



Chic Mirror: Vintage French Zinc with a scallop copper detail added---many sizes available. Shown: Tabletop size: $1275. (Sorry about the flash! I had to take a picture before it was loaded on the truck as one of my clients snapped this up before I could share it with all of you.) More being made in this size and in floor sizes. It can be crated and Freight Shipped anywhere in the Continental US.


I'm having trouble getting this one in the cart. Grab one end will ya'?
Reclaimed wood with new stain and fabulous French Zinc top---where Elegance meets Rustic....



Many Vintage French Bottle Dryer Racks are in stock as they stacked in the shopping cart just nicely. As shown and larger sizes only (no small sizes this time); Shown: $675.
Loving the old French beer bottles--great green color! I think displayed as a trio with a yellow daisy would love Summer Fab; Bottles: $22/ea


Know that bar shelf thingy at the bottom of the cart? These slide in nicely there.
It started with antique scroll brackets and zinc. So popular, that the well ran dry for the antique brackets so reproduction brackets were found with similar detailing. Reclaimed Zinc wrapped around wood completes the stunning shelf. 4, 6 and 8 foot increments. These will soon be on the website, but you may custom order yours now by emailing or calling us. Shown: 6 foot $500.

Ok this one will just flatten the cart, but I love it so....perfect on a pea gravel patio, don't you agree?

Email us (vintageweave@aol.com) with further inquires-or leave a comment here and we'll try to accommodate all custom orders, too!

New Arrivals for July!

{Industrial Table for any chic space! $700 and up}

New acquisitions are arriving daily at Vintageweave!

Some are selling faster than we can add to the website or do a proper mailing to announce, but here's a few of my favorites that we placed around the shop today. More later this week.....!
As always, email us with inquiries or if you want to go on the Wish List for something similar......
{Swedish Dresser! Call for pricing}
{Garden Art! Call for pricing on similar pieces as this one has sold}

Mattress Springs Reborn

In my quest for green, eco-friendly mattresses for several clients, I've visited many, many warehouses where the experts have taken me from start to finish and back again in the mattress-making process. I've seen more mattress springs than I care to remember!

 It got me to thinking of all the things that could be done with a mattress spring, besides the usual melting and recycling down of the metal.

LE BEFORE....


Enter my fabulously talented French Friend! He came up with a brilliant idea and I took it from there.

What a fun way to display items in a boutique or at a party!

Imagine the possibilities.....

..............photos....host a chili cook off or bake sale and post the recipes....table seat numbers at a party.......display of vintage French pages and papers will be our use at Vintageweave!

LE AFTER...

A little piece of Ojai Heaven

Sometimes we are given an opportunity in life to work alongside beautiful souls. Other times we are given an opportunity to be surrounded by friends with beautiful hearts who support us in these endeavors...And further still there are times we may be given an opportunity to enjoy friends with beautiful hearts who support our dreams, clients with beautiful souls to work with in beautiful homes in beautiful environments surrounded by beautiful things. 

Enjoy the life and create a life to enjoy.

In our digital age, life moves fast and I often find that I pass myself in the hall. (!!)  A culprit of what others view as loading too much on my plate, I have the innate desire to accomplish an entire month's TO DO list in a day. (I've never been a relax on the beach kinda girl. I spent a month in Greece doing just that 15 years ago and that has pretty much filled the quota and carried me through...!) 

I left the crazy wall-street driven corporate life to foster and feed my creative soul but still find the yearning to move at a wall-street pace!   Thus it is no surprise that I am so grateful for my current project: One that allows me to move at lightening speed, juggling a million items, yet also allows a significant amount of stop and smell the roses moments throughout the day. I always take time for me--ALWAYS--(it is so important for us women to do this for ourselves!!!) but on this project it is such special me time.

I often find myself smiling saying,

........  "Thank you, God. This. is. a. beautiful. life. "

I am filling a beautiful Italian Villa.....

from appliances to linens to chic olive oils to cooking utensils  to light fixtures to mattresses to sofas to textiles...... and all things in between.

Everything to make it 100% turnkey ready. Oh such fun! I love to shop. I love to create. I love to arrange. I love to plan. I love to create smiles. I love to engage. In other words...all the things I love to do at the tippy top of my dream job list are all bundled for me to enjoy in my fast-paced, crazy-busy project. My bonus?  Homeowners with such beautiful souls.

 Join in on a wee bit of the fun...

Oh the options of Italian dinnerware! Can't decide? Let's load up a table with eight completely separate options and do this the sophisticated way: Enee, Menee, Minee, Mo.

 Client requested bright, cheerful colors and no one does cheerful Italian better than VIETRI.  Of course I could never be one for sets, so the mixture of tuscan red, butter, saffron, cream and sage are married with another VIETRI bright pattern:

 Prefer the flushed edge;  raised edges can cause scraping sounds of a knife as you cut your food. Vietri is my favorite upscale casual Italian line. The look is tumbled and hand created.  "Oh, to Grandma's  Italian farmhouse we go.... "



Lest we forget sure-to-be-lots of kiddie sleepovers, there's even a fun mixture of animals images for the kids. Vietri has five color choices, each with a different animal such as bunnies and sheep. We're going to use some of each pattern....


Just how gorgeous is this stemware?


Fabulous  metal sconces in burnished brown with hints of gold leaf...a crown fit for royalty!


A few Niermann Weeks light fixtures will provide the perfect touch:


A small round entry table and Italian dresser leave me drooling...I am so loving this dresser!

Dishwasher, washer/dryer, convection steam oven, linens, towels and so much more have been ordered. It's exciting as with that behind me I only have 7,236 things left TO DO...

Did I make you tired?  Ok, let's together stop and smell the fresh euculyptus-scented air with lavender winds , driving past the long winding road of orange groves...

We're here!

Maybe stop and enjoy a cup of tea in the side herb garden...(Wait-you have the tea. With all that I have left to do, gimme' a triple shot of espresso....)



I almost don't want to climb back down the hilltop...

What's it all about, Alfie??

When I first began the thought of this blog, my staff screamed out "Are you Crazy? Where would you find the time?".

The thought was to create an environment where our clients, customers and friends of Vintageweave could tune in to what we are up to and see new arrivals immediately. I'm constantly asked what I'm working on and my staff is always inundated with questions on where I am when I'm out of the boutique. Further, so many items arrive in the boutique and sell before we get an opportunity to get them up on the website.

It was never meant to be a design tutorial....more of a design inspiration....
....nor a political or personal forum.....I can always begin one of those LATER.....
It doesn't strive to win awards or cause controversy....
Given the opportunity it IS made to make you smile, laugh, drool and dream.
It is purely an extension of the Vintageweave boutique, design business, and website.

As it turns out updating a blog is FAR faster and easier to upload pictures and allows our regulars a solid look at new arrivals. This is a wonderful new advantage for those who aren't local and able to pop in the boutique several times a week (as many requlars do). So much of what we buy is sold prior to ever being loaded on the container (we have an extremely active WISH LIST, which travels with me at all times).

So, with that said....here are the latest and greatest shopping adventures and acquisitions. A particular source I buy from is as nice as nice can be, which always makes the treasure hunting that much more fun! Let us know if anything strikes your fancy.....these will likely never make it to the website....















Once the unpacking of the container is done, I'll be back in a couple of days.....