Before Shabby Chic, there was Antiquing

Antiqued antique, small, serpentine dresser. $195.

I'm not referring to "antiquing" as in shopping for antiques, but rather a refinishing method that did homage to the look of age.

This little 2-drawer dresser is an "antiqued antique"!
It's in very good condition. Dovetail drawer construction. Top drawer is serpentine.

Original brass drawer pulls and wheels.

Here's a closer look at the Persian-style area rug the dresser is sitting on (UPDATE: RUG SOLD):

Like new area rug, 4'4" x 6'5". Persian-style, durable manmade fibers. $48 SOLD

Theo's and Thornwood, chocolate in 2 formats

Our very cheerful Fedex driver pulled up this morning and what he brought was indeed good cheer: our order of Theo's Sipping Chocolate and Chipotle Sipping Chocolate. These are destined for our new venture, Kenmore Coffee & Tea, which is the coffee kiosk in the parking lot next to the Post Office. Hope to be open there within the week, Lord willing. So you'll be able to get your morning beverage there on the go, or come into The Living Room and "set a spell".

And what does Thornwood have to do with chocolate?
Just the color of this queen bedroom set that was brought in a couple of days ago:


This is Thornwood's Mendocino set in "vintage mahogany" finish. Not sure why the photo makes that one drawer look darker; the vagaries of my photography, I guess.

Other pieces in this set include 2 nightstands, a 6-drawer dresser with a landscape mirror (shown here up-ended), and of course, the queen bed with its panel headboard and footboard, shaped wooden rails, and complete metal bedframe. Quite the set up.



If you are looking for a nearly-new, contemporary bedroom set, come see this one.

And try the new sipping chocolate while you sit and consider!

Jacobean tables and family dinners

We have received a beautiful dining room set, a reproduction of the English Jacobean style. We're guessing the set is walnut. What do you think?

The consignor remembers going as a child with his father, a Latvian immigrant, to purchase it from a secondhand dealer in Seattle's Belltown in about 1950. This handsome ensemble has since graced decades of family gatherings, but now it needs a new home.

The table extends from 44" wide by 5' long up to 6', 7', or 8' long. There are 5 dining chairs and 1 armchair for the head of the table, or the guest of honor.




Most impressive to me is the capacious serving buffet. With its inlaid and carved wood, it is beautiful piece for serving, storage, and display.



The (presumably) walnut veneer is accented with just a touch of birdseye maple beneath the crest of the backboard.


The original brass hardware is intact, with one casualty over the years --see buffet door on viewer's left, below; the escutcheon is still here, kept in a drawer of the buffet, but the pendant is missing:


The buffet is 68" long x 22.5" deep x 38.25" tall.
I've never seen one with a bottom drawer like this, that extends the full width. Great for holding tablecloths or treasure maps:


These pieces are all solid wood, very well constructed (e.g. dovetail drawers), and sturdy.

The finish shows its age on all pieces. The table has been refinished with an oil rub that brings out the grain beautifully, but probably needs a refresher coat.

(There are table pads, but they are quite worn.)



Click any photo to see more of our inventory in our flickr gallery.

Available at The Living Room ~Consignment Gallery & Tea~
Open 10-6 Wednesday-Saturday, and by appointment
Closed Sundays -- Tuesdays
6524 NE 181st, Suite 10, Kenmore, WA 98028
In Kenmore Plaza, by the new Post Office.
425-877-1074
www.thelivingroominkenmore.com

We accept Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal.

Booksigning was fun, prompted us to clean up!

You know how inviting company motivates a little house cleaning? Lydia Harris' booksigning did that for us. Come quick before it wears off!

For those of you who missed Lydia's booksigning for her new book, "Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting", she will be at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park tonight, Saturday, October 16. 6 pm, I think.

So, no sooner did we clear up the cookie crumbs after Lydia's tea party, another consignment came in. As if the empty table were calling them through the ether...



...these 12 ceramic frames came in and took over the table. One for each month of the year. Aren't they charming? I could see a creative teacher making use of these in her classroom, but my imagination can't cover all possibilities. Where might you use these cute frames?

By the way, this is the last day of our "Make Room to Swing (with) the Cat" Sale. Hope to see you on this sunny Saturday.

Blessings...

"Enough-room-to-swing-(with)-a-cat" SALE now through Saturday, Oct 16

**See disclaimer at the bottom of this post.

We definitely don't have dancing room in The Living Room today, with or without a cat. But sometimes the mood to dance strikes, so...

... that means another 10%-OFF-EVERYTHING sale now through Saturday, October 16: dressers, couches, tables of all sorts, hutches, curios, lamps, beds, original art, and lots of housewares! There are many items already marked down 10, 20, and 30%, so take another 10% off through Saturday!

(Please mention where you heard about this sale in order to be sure to get the discount.)

Warning: when you come to browse, you'll find there's some serious visual overload in here, so if you don't see what you are looking for, please ask. It may be right in front of you! This actually happened today :^)

**Can you tell I had a photo of a dancing cat to look at, but not of a dancing man?