New arrivals and THE FRENCH LANTERN!!

While we are still unpacking and trying to get the bigger pieces photographed  I thought you would like to get a glimpse of how things are getting organized... The white capitals will go off to the painter/artist to get their tops finished to look great as accent tables.....always love the European breadboards. Moose antlers, zinc, a light primitive bench and a GREAT set of  dining chairs... Some of the smaller mirrors are stacking up...silver leaf, white, gold leaf, round bullseye and some not opened yet and the BIG ones not pictured here.... A handsome group...the yellow can of pledge shows how LARGE the first 2 are..... Sconces and framed art piling up...... Beautiful antique silver leaf frames..... And below starts a question I have for you and would LOVE to hear your opinions.  Would REALLY love for you guys to sign up in blog form HERE to hear your comments but anyway you want to respond is ok.  You remember I bought this gorgeous antique French zinc lantern this summer. Well my wonderful husband was "freelancing" again and while I was out on Sunday he hung it outside our front door.  I know I should be happy as he even  added the aged brass chains so it doesn't blow around in the next tornado.  Trouble is, I think I would rather have it angled with the zinc edge to the front instead of  glass centered above. The view would kind of look like this, above, if it were angled. So what do you think?  Should it hang like this above OR Like this above.  I Would LOVE to hear what you think.  Let's say do you like it squared or on the diagonal.....can't wait to hear the consensus! I know what my husband wants to hear from you.... And a final note, while you enjoy the new additions to the website HERE know there is still more coming soon.  Please EMAIL me with any questions. Look who I practically bumped into on the last 1/2 mile uphill of my run. I wish someone had clocked me as I'm sure it was a personal best!  I LOVE nature, don't you? Warmest regards, Bonny    Bonny Neiman Antiques & Artisan  p.973-714-4541 www.bonnyneiman.com    Trouvaille 12 Beechwood Road  Summit, NJ  Monday-Saturday 10-5:30

New arrivals and THE CURIOUS CHAIR!

THE CURIOUS CHAIR.......     A few of us at the shop have a chair obsession.  Where women oooh and aaah over jewelry we go gaga for a great chair. (let me own up to the fact that I also oooh and aaah over nice jewelry)  I digress.....Who can forget that caramel leather corner chair with the light greyish paint I brought back from France?  It was at the shop for 5 minutes and found a home with one of our dearest customers.  (I love when that happens)  It's also fun when a customer will reveal that they, too have the chair crazies. You should see us as we stand admiring the chair as if it's an adorable baby, so silly. My latest fetish are single antique chairs really not for heavy use....they act as sculptures against a wall or pulled up to a vanity. Just as you would place an object of art ON your console table these wonderful, unique, curious chairs are art placed NEXT  to the console.  Some of them are quirky enough to be conversation pieces. When I saw this picture of Axel Vervoordt's warehouse I fell in love with these old carved Swedish chairs and also felt he probably has been collecting them for years as they are hard to find.  Check out the one I have available, below. Available......19th century Oak Hall Chair. SWEDEN. H 39 w 14.25 d 16.  Price  $795.00 These fun carved chairs were sold right away at the East Hampton antique show. Available......19th century Savonarola Chair from Italy with original hand tooled leather seat and large nailheads. Make sure you notice the figures carved at the top. H 36 w 29 d 21.5.  Price $845.00 I forget who posted this picture but it was probably one of the blogs I follow listed to the left.  The quatrefoil chairs flanking the fireplace look wonderful.  Their shape adds such interest. Available are these vintage fan back chairs, look at the little circle pillows, adorable!  (use your imagination with the dated upholstery) Covered in the right fabric they would add style AND whimsy to any room. Vintage Fruitwood Fan Back Chairs. H 42 w 24 d 22.     Price $595.00 the pair I had to include the ultra feminine Louis XV boudoir chair. Available......This gilded chair photographed darker than it really is but stacked with fresh towels in the bath or with a throw and books in the boudoir spells romance and sweet dreams. It is newly covered in 19th century homespun linen. Antique Louis XV gilded and caned chair FRANCE. H  36 w 17 d 17.  Price $525.00 The spool chair has been hot for awhile so much so all the new furniture companies are carrying them now. A wonderful antique accent when you can get the real thing.  Popular clean lines au courant but added interest with the spool style. Available......19th century walnut spool chair newly covered in homespun linen.  FRANCE. H 37 w 18.5 d 18.5.  Price.  $595.00 Available......I just LOVE this little guy, talk about adding whimsy!  It  reminds me of ET or a skinny bald man which is JUST the image you want, right? It has many great details....the raised panel oval head,  fluted neck and legs .....see it IS a little person.  My most curious chair , newly covered in 19th century homespun linen with the tape and upholstery tacks. This one is sturdy enough to go in a kids room for those of you who wisely incorporate antiques in your children's rooms. Vintage walnut chair. H 38 w 14 d 14.    $695.00 Please let me know if you have any questions....enjoy the newly posted pieces HERE and we are still unpacking.  I haven't been able to get far enough away from the bigger pieces (jam packed) to photograph them but I will next letter.  New art is at the framer and lots more mirrors and interesting architecturals. and objects posted soon. Warmest regards, Bonny    Bonny Neiman Antiques & Artisan  p.973-714-4541 www.bonnyneiman.com    Trouvaille 12 Beechwood Road  Summit, NJ  Monday-Saturday 10-5:30

New Arrivals!

I always get the best shots of my husband, this one of him taking a break during a Brimfield rainstorm. (always rains at Brimfield). I wish we had gotten stuck in a jewelry tent as I never seem to have time to jewelry shop. This is exactly how we feel right now as my container from France arrived last week when we were in Brimfield.  Unpacking has begun and it is always so exciting to see my finds again after a few months.  Tons of boxes and packing  materials!!!!  When the collection is placed all together I always wish I could give you tours through the garages. You would drool along with me! When I'm at the shop my sisters go through the storage and place SOLD tags on things which I ignore, of course. Anyway, I don't have time for a regular blog but wanted you all to meet and read Monika's blog from Splendid Willow, below. I am always inspired by her postings and this one particularly resonates with me and I think it will with you too. Please sign up for her blog as her point of view is helpful and full of inspiration. In the meantime enjoy the new arrival postings from Europe HERE and EMAIL ME with any questions. In the next several days I will be posting many new pieces.  Things have been flying out of the store already so if you are local you may want to stop by to see some of the new treasures. In The Spotlight: Meet Michelle Niday Let me introduce you to the talented, LA based interior designer, Michelle Niday. We first met through my store when she purchased not one but two of my blankets. We started to talk about design and she shared some pictures of her home with me (I showed you a tiny glimpse some time back). Our cyber connection evolved into fun phone chats and had Michelle lived any closer I would have been regularly banging on her front door. I like this girl (she is warm, fun and clever) and I like her approach to design! Her beautiful home is featured in the current fall/winter issue of Country French (I picked up my copy at Barnes & Noble). And what a home she shares with her partner, Corey Young (a mega talented general contractor)! They live in a fabulous loft that was once part of a 1920s toy factory. (Pay attention to those fantastic windows!). My Scandinavian blanket looking good on Michelle's pretty chaise!        I have have been wanting to share our design conversations with you for quite a while. The following are the questions I bombarded her with along with her graceful responses. Enjoy - you might just walk away with a few design tricks! Q: How do you describe your personal design style? MN: I try to harmonize and to juxtapose timeless contemporary with timeworn antiques. I enjoy working with neutral colors, organic textures and graphic patterns to achieve an exciting space. Monika: OK, STOP right there! I have a very serious crush on that table in front of Michelle's lovely French sofa. She tells me that it is a very old cheese table from France and that it has a lovely patina and the most perfect scale. She knows how envious I am... Q: What design elements do you never grow tired off? MN: Vintage European (Italian/French) plaster sculptures of the human body (feet, hands torso, all good!), stripes, chandeliers, textural rugs like Jute or Seagrass, giant clam shells, vintage charcoal sketches of the human body, architectural fragments/objects (wood, metal), Belgian linen and Vellum books! Q: What 5 things can anybody do to quickly beautify a room? MN:  1. PAINT: You can simply paint the 4 walls in an exciting dark or pure white color or try the absence of all color, black (BM Black Suede looks terrific if done in a flat finish) or do an interesting treatment ie: paint stripes, horizontally or vertically, or paint a graphic pattern. You could even try painting a floor! 2. REMOVING: If your room has particularly pretty flooring or windows/moldings, try removing curtains or rugs and letting the attractive moldings and floor become the focal points. 3. EDIT: Remove everything from your room. And I mean everything (even wall hangings)! Slowly reintroduce pieces back in to the scheme, trying things in different places until you get a more pleasing look. 4. FLOAT: Try pulling a major piece away from a wall ( sofa, even a bed) go one step further and try angling this piece (again, much easier when room is empty!). 5. REPEAT: Try grouping your favorite collections or paintings. Usually the collected pieces become much more impactful and interesting when placed together. Q: What in your opinion is an absolute no-no when designing a room? (I love Michelle's answers where she mixes dont's with do's!) MN: No THEME rooms allowed please!  - Do not use poly-fill in pillows. Instead use at least 90/10 down preferably 75/25 (super soft and squishy!) - Do not hang curtains that are too short or hung too low! In my opinion, curtains should be hung as high as possible over the window and the length should just break on the floor much like a man's pant cuff breaks on his shoes! Interlining a drape well allows even inexpensive drape fabric to look like a million bucks! Trust me even a muslin fabric will look really fab! - Do not use lots of little upholstered pieces. Instead use less, but use pieces that have a grander scale! - Do not create a room that is just a pretty face, it must actually function for you! - Do not create a "period" room. Instead MIX pieces artfully using your favorite eras and styles to create a room with personality and timelessness! - Do not be timid, do not be afraid to make a mistake. Imperfection often makes a perfect room! Lastly:  Michelle, please share one personal design trick with us! MN: I always infuse a room with at least one or two objects/furniture that have a natural patina versus a manufactured patina as in "You can fool some of the people all of the time.......but you can not fool all of the people all of the time..." It is certainly fine to use some pieces which have man made patina but I believe the human eye picks this up either unconsciously or consciously whether or not the entire room is filled with reproductions! (This is Michelle's wonderful and personal kitchen!). Now was that interesting or what, folks! I learned a lot and I hope you did too! Thank you Michelle for sharing your thoughts on design with us. You are one talented and inspirational gal. I look forward to seeing more of your work (and I look forward to many more fun chats!). Michelle is one busy lady renovating and decorating many clients homes (incl. several celebrities' homes such as the lovely Ali Landry's). She is also finds time to be in charge of set designs for TV shows. Hop over here if you want to learn more about her work. And you can always follow Michelle on Pinterest - here. Warmest regards, Bonny    Bonny Neiman Antiques & Artisan  p.973-714-4541 www.bonnyneiman.com    Trouvaille 12 Beechwood Road  Summit, NJ  Monday-Saturday 10-5:30