Monday 5 August 2013

Purchases pour la maison

I mentioned last week that we would be taking a wee trip to the auction rooms here in Malvern.  We saw quite a few lots that we liked but on the day, the furniture was selling for higher than we had agreed to pay and thus, we missed out.  However, there were a few other 'bits n bobs' that we agreed to have a cheeky bid on and hence, one did not come home empty handed! I am pleased to say, several were of a crafting variety- specifically cross stitch which I am yet to master, but the pictures are all the more appreciated for my lack of patience.  Here are some snaps I took- apologies for the lack of artistry of photography.  I know I should 'stage' them a little more but we are still dishevelled from the move! (That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it for a little longer)

I was delighted to win this.  It was in a bundle of what I initially thought was 5 pictures but it turned out to be 10- all of which are quite large.  I have decided to go with a Noah's Arc theme for Michael's room and have several pieces already.  This is such a find and works out to have been £2 ish! I admire the skill and craftsmanship in addition to the theme, not to mention the green border.

 This was also in the bundle/lot along with another large sampler.  It doesn't have much age to it and so doesn't hold value in many eyes but I love it.  It's simple and naive but very neat and reminds me of place mats my mum had when we were little.  I have a few samplers now and will be looking for a little corner to display them all together soon.

 These have to be my favourite though.  When we went on Wednesday afternoon to view the lots, we took the girls with us who saw this little pram and loved it.  I thought it was cute but have watched antiques raod trip/ bargain hunt et. al and know that these can be collectable and thought my husband would never agree to buying it.  I hadn't realised the chair was in the same lot so when the bidding started at £2, I thought it would be rude not to at least have a few goes and as you can see, it paid off.  They're more shabby than chic, and I love them.  The chair is really heavy, solid wood and very comfortable.  It shall be my new sewing chair in my sewing room just as soon as I get round to organising it!

This isn't actually an auction buy.  They didn't have any lamps there much to my dismay as I would like quite a few.  But my husband, knowing I wanted one scoured the carboot (He's done 4 this month) and then happened serendipitously upon an antiques shop so asked the proprietor if he had any.  This shop, I was informed, was full to the rafters with furniture stacked on top of each other with bric-a-brac dotted in between.  The old man took my husband straight to this lamp- the only wooden one they had in the shop and after haggling, my husband came back with this oak beatuy and the shade was thrown in too.  They were double the price on ebay, without the shade (or plug) and we'd have had to arrange collection.   I think I could get used to living here; auction on my doorstep and antique shops cheaper than ebay!

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