Monday, June 15, 2009

Shopping with Eddie Ross, Part II

So here's Part II of fabulous shopping fun! Top Design Contestant/Bravo TV, Martha Stewart editor, and designer Eddie Ross led a group of design aficionados through Atlanta's Scott's Antique Market last Saturday. Southern Accents magazine also showed up to document the fun - here's hoping that story makes it into an issue soon!

Jaithan, me, and Eddie are all smiles at the end of a profitable adventure - there was so much to see (and buy)!

Fabrics:  one of the biggest surprises (for me) at Scott's was the large quantity of beautiful fabrics in full bolts.  I'm used to seeing scraps for sale here and there, but this is enough to do large pieces of furniture.  

Some of the finds were real shockers - including a bolt of deeply discounted Kelly Wearstler fabric!!! 
Talk about a steal. Isn't this beautiful?

Eddie fell in love with this colorful crewelwork with touches of melon and celery shades. If you follow Eddie's blog at all, you know what a fan he is of crewel - and how good he is at making this style look fresh and new.

Prints:  another of my favorite finds was this booth of prints and old maps from Prints Charming Soho (recently featured in Martha Stewart Living). Framing is an obvious choice, of course, but obvious isn't Eddie!  Here, he suggests blowing up this wonderful pattern and transferring it to stencils for pattern on a floor cloth, wall, or fabric.

Another great idea?  Decoupage - and rather than damaging a beautiful sheet from, say, the 1830s, buy a few favorites, copy them, and then decoupage those copies onto a piece of furniture or decorative box.  Hang the originals nearby for a great coordinated look. There were plenty of beautiful options to chose from at Scott's!
P.S. When framing small natural prints like these, blow up and copy the tiny Latin print at the bottom - and add it to the matting when framing for an art gallery look.

Or, you could go completely insane and decoupage a patterned paper (or wallpaper scraps) onto an entire bureau. Eddie really liked this plaid example. It would be stunning in a gentleman's bedroom - just steer clear of bathrooms and other damp spaces unless you like the look of peeling paper. Butcher's wax is a great way to protect a decoupage surface and keep it gleaming.

Glass:  Eddie used to run a catering company, and as a result, he knows (and loves) his glassware. After we all pawed through piles of gorgeous silver, crystal, and plates and stood around pondering what would be "practical" to buy, Eddie made my favorite comment of the day: "Do I need this? Can I live without it? NO! You can't!"

A lovely pitcher in hobnail glass.

More beautiful crystal. One of the wonderful things about this booth? Each piece is priced for separate purchase. If you collect a classic pattern, you can always replace those inevitable crack-ups later with a trip to the local antique mall or flea market. As Eddie pointed out, "why have it if you don't use it?"

Keep scrolling to see Part I, and more of Eddie's fabulous ideas!

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