Mark Twain house gets major grant

The historic Mark Twain House and Museum is the recipients of a 65,000.00 grant. The grant, given by the Hartford Financial services group will be used to help pay for a restoration consultant and to funds two "free visit" days at the House museum.

The Mark Twain House like many non profit museum houses, has suffered due to the recession and this grant comes as welcome news.

The high style Gothic House with Tiffany designed interiors was home to Mark Twain one of America's best known authors..

You can learn more about the Twain house at their website:
http://www.marktwainhouse.org/

Antique-of-the-Week: A great Wall Sconce with cut glass globe

This week we are offering another great wall sconce! this one has a wonderful cut glass globe. Black cast iron with some great details this would look great anywhere in your victorian home. Priced at ONLY 95.00 this one will go fast! We can ship this for 17.50 anywhere in the lower US.

More photos and detail are available on our website or you can contact me at victiques@hotmail.com. We accept paypal as well.

http://www.antiques.com/dealers/34818/Victorian-Antiquities

Each week Antiques-of-the-Week features a great piece from our inventory. If you do not see what you are looking for just ask. Only a  fraction of our inventory is on our website.

Victorian Design: The "art' of Victorian Lampshades

This shade kit is from TLC Lampshdes. http://www.tcl-inc.com/kits.htm

The elaborate victorian lamp, so highly coveted today, didn't start out that way of course. Early lighting was simple and in fact thought of as 'utilitaian". Lights were brought out at night but during the day regulated to a shelf or in nore affluent homes the "lamp room" where lamps were stored during the day and brought out by the staff. Early lighting especially oil lamps required frequent cleaning and this task was best done out of sight.
As advances in lighting took place like gas lights and then electric lighting, lighting became more a fixture.

Early bulbs put out little light but were considered so advanced and forward thinking they were proudly displayed. As lighting became more advanced the glare from those bulbs became more apparent and in typically victorian fashion it was decided the lighting, like everything else in the home should be a thing of beauty and sophistication. Glass shades were created and eventually table lamps which were more 'globe' based were treated to finely detailed silk shades.

This shade is from Victorian lamp shade supply. http://www.victorianlampshadesupply.com/lamp_shade_kits.html

Of course few of those shades are still around as they were fragile. Today it is no problem to find old table lamp bases and floor lamps at very reasonable prices. but they dont look right with modern shades in older homes. Fortunately there are a number of manufacturer of new "old" shades but they are very pricey. However if you are handy there are a number of companies now making kits which will allow you to have that great shade for that old lamp base you have sitting around collecting dust. In fact most of the shade kit companies have complete instructions and even videos of how to make shades. Proficiency with a glue gun helps but they are well within the abilities of most people.

One word of caution, you should not use high watt bulbs with fabric shades as they give off excessive heat. In fact withe the advent of CFL's a  fabric shade is a great way to disguise those ugly bulbs and add a little warmth to the light given off.

Restoration Resources: Period Victorian Bath Fixtures

Finding a period clawfoot tub is realatively easy. You can find them online all the time as people 'modernize' their bathrooms and get rid of that old tub. Salvage shops always have them in stock but often without hardware or if it has any it need replating The problem has often been finding period fixtures to go with them.

Fortunately there are several manufacturers now reproducing historic fixtures. Sunrise specialty , http://www.sunrisespecialty.com/ , has been around for many years and offers a wide selection of old style hardware to finish your clawfoot project. Their  catalog is availale on line and seems to have most everything you need to to complete your project.

Coming soon we will  be showing you how to restore a clawfoot tub, AND, how to paint and stencil the exterior to make it a one of a kind  showstopper.

Antique of the Week: Victorian Rennaisance Revival Wall Sconce Light

This week's  offering is very special. A Rennaisance Revival Victorian Wall sconce light. We 'think' this started out life as a gas lamp and was converted. This is a huge sconce (over 20 inches tall) and was probably in a mansion or a commercial building like a hotel.

Simply wonderful etched designs on the globe which is 8 inches across. If you follow gaslight globes on Ebay you know how expensive just a globe is, so our price of 375.00 is really reasonable for this remarkable light.
More details, and photos, on our website:

http://www.antiques.com/dealers/34818/Victorian-Antiquities

Antique-of-the-week is a series bringing rare and unusal items of the victorian era to you. More information may be obtained by contacting us at victiques@gmail.com

Antique-of-the-week: A Murano Bowl

Something a bit different from our usual antique offerings. Today we have this huge Murano Glass bowl.. This Bowl is 17 3/4 inches across and 5 inches deep. A lovely swirl; pink and while. This bowl still has its original tag on it.

Murano Italian Glass is quite  collectable and larger art bowls like this are hard to find. Priced at 100.00 its a perfect center bowl for fruit or maybe you desire the ultimate artistic cereal bowl? Gorgeous example of the glassmaker art.. Priced at 100.00 you can see more details on this and our other offerings on our website:
http://www.antiques.com/dealers/34818/Victorian-Antiquities

Antique of the week features great antique aimed at old house owners who are on  a budget. Our inventory is huge and many items are not on our website, so if you are looking for something in particular just ask us we may have it or know where to find it.

National Night Out provided opportunities for community building

Last night was National Night Out and communities from across the country celebrated by closing off streets, having block parties and meeting with local policemen in an effort to make their community a better place. The 400 Block of Arsenal in the Holy Cross neighborhood of Indianapolis held its 5th event for National Night out.

Victorian Design: Tassels and Tiebacks

Victorian drapes area most unique confection. Complex layers, originally designed to keep the heat in and the cold out during the Victorina Era.  They created a cozy feel that many of us who design in the victorian style love. Its hard to imagine  living in the typical suburban home with its white plastic windows open for all to see Fishbowl effect..

Creating that look can be expensive , however there are ways to get that grand look without breaking the bank. Timing is often everything and one of your best resources may be things you already have. Scrap fabric or even old silk scarves can be use to create tiebacks. Ribbon often sold around the  holidays and especially after Chruistmas can be bought for pennies on the dollar. The same goes for tassels which are often found at the holidays. Cording can also be found cheaply as well. To add some drama consider using beads. Everyone has some Mardi Gras beads laying around.

Window treatments can be elaborate confections and Theatre on a grand scale by simply thinking out of the box. I  always check the clearance areas of craft stores and Fabric shops. Even places like Big Lots and TJ Maxx often have close out tiebacks with fringe for just a few dollars that originally sold for 50-60 dollars. I keep a sealed tupperware storage box and whever I come across something I think might work in the future, I put it in there. TIP: Old vintage cameos pins can make a very effective tieback. I've also used vintage hatpins and even strands of pearls in tieback design. Reproduction tassels are now quite affordable, thanks to the import trade, but dont forget to keep an eye out for the occaisonal original. They are often highly collected but many dealers overlook them .

"Lambrequins and the Chimney Gallery": Victorian design history

“Lambrequins and the Gallery Chimney” is not the latest Harry Potter Blockbuster but rather refers to elements of period Victorian Design popular from about 1870-1885.

The fireplace was the focal point in the Victorian era. It was a place for entertaining, a place where the family congregated and as such was an important place in the Victorian home. Much as we might decorated  a fireplace mantle for Christmas. The Victorian mantle was an ever changing, ever decorated, point in the home. Warmer weather brought a significant change in how the mantle looked. It was not needed to heat the home so it was decorated and decorated and decorated.

Some of you may be familiar with the term “Lambrequin’ as a drapery, typically attached to a cornice however Lambrequin also refers to a piece of elaborately decorated material drapes on a fireplace mantle shelf. It was hand sewn and often with tassels or fringe. The quality of the sewing was critical, as this was viewed by guests, as they perused the many items on it.

The Lambrequin also served to ‘dress up an older plainer slate or marble mantle which were viewed as out of date by the 1870’s when all manner of elaborately faux painted and stenciled slate and cast iron mantle became popular. Victorians, being frugal were not going to toss out an expensive mantle because it was out of date. Another updating technique was to place elaborate screen in front of these mantles. As mass woodworking techniques came into being, one could order their mantle at the local lumberyard. In fact as things became more ‘co-ordinated’ amount the wealthy, firms like Herter Bros, offered matching drapery cornices and over-mantles so one had a truly perfect look.  You could order new wood over-mantles , sometimes ebonized to match an older cast iron mantle with multiple shelves often backed with multiple beveled mirrors.

These over-mantles with shelves went on to be called “gallery chimneys” in the Victorian era. Of course this look is easy to recreate with antiques and even for those who lack a fireplace, one can bring in a salvaged mantle attach it to a wall, put a summer cover in front of the opening and instant ‘decorative fireplace.”. With the advent of the shingle and craftsman styles these went by the wayside. Mantles were simplified and over-mantes were often taken off and put in an attic , basement or even tossed out. Period sewn Lambrequins are rare today and original examples of the sewn period Victorian textiles can bring thousands.

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Antique of the Week: An Aesthetic Gentleman's Chair

It seems like its been forever since we did antique of the week what with my work to document and save Fairmount..

Have been going through the warehouse pulling pieces for our next round of upholstery and came across this nice dark red Aesthetic Gentleman's Chair.. As you can see it has one minor upholstry issue near the right front but its an east fix with a little patchwork or you could use this as its. Happy to make minor repair/patch at the list price. We can reupholster in your choice of fabric for additional charges.Nice size comfortable chair that you can actually use and sit in.

Price for this nice solid chair 125.00 dollars and you can pick up in our Indy location or we can arrange pickup in Cincinnati. Do you need a mantle? The partially stripped mantle is for sale too. 200.00 or much more after we trip and refinish it. If you feel handy you could save some major bucks! Cash or Paypal. Contact us at victiques@gmail.com for details. We can work with your shipper as well.

Antique of the week is a periodic series showcasing affordable antiques for homeowners who are cash strapped due to restoration. Better hurry on this one, we will start reupholstery in August so but it now.