Design House Sneak Peek - October 2011

The October Design House is prepped and ready!  We're featuring lots of new items, so many in fact that we had to open the barn too!  We'll be featuring new sideboards, beds, upholstery, mirrors, and lighting this month.  And to top things off we just unpacked a new shipment of art too!  Here are a few sneak peek pictures, we've posted a few more at luckettstore.com.  See you Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm!

Upstairs you'll find this great leather chair with a lived in feel.  The chair is paired with metal and industrial accessories including this arch top mirror, an industrial cabinet, and this very balanced light fixture.

Lighting options abound this month.  The light catches this curvy lamp in all the right places.  Amy and Suzanne paired this lamp with a burlap shade with script writing.  One of the focuses of the October Design House is to show you how to incorporate heavier woven textiles in your decorating, and here is one very attractive option.

Reclaimed wood pieces are all the rage right now.  Downstairs in the living room you'll find this great reclaimed wood coffee table paired with a curvy sofa.  Moss and topiaries add a great pop of color to this vignette.

Henry freshly painted this upstairs bedroom a warm camel color.  We have lots of fresh ideas in this room for using mirrored accents like the bed and dresser shown here.  Other mirrored accents throughout the house include trays and lamps.

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Mark your calendars, our October Design House event will take place Friday, September 30th through Sunday, October 2nd.  The Design House building is on the same property as The Old Lucketts Store and will be open 10a.m. to 5p.m. each day.

 

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October Design House - New Artwork Sneak Peek!

I was able to sneak into the Design House again today.  Last week we previewed some of the elements we're featuring in the October Design House which include burlap textures, some spooky decorations in select rooms, and a color palette of creams, camels & grays with touches of blues and teals. 

Another shipment of furniture arrived a few days ago and Henry was busy putting some new beds together on Sunday.  Here is Henry again on painting duty in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Now on to the fun stuff....   Amy and Suzanne are super excited about a huge shipment of art that just arrived.  Some of the pieces are already hung, while others are still under wraps. Here are a few pieces from the October Design House, which will feature a ton of new art, including gallery-wrapped canvas giclees, whimsical metal sculptures, botanical prints, equestrian art, and a group of "magical" images on canvas.  

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Mark your calendars, our October Design House event will take place Friday, September 30th through Sunday, October 2nd.  The Design House building is on the same property as The Old Lucketts Store and will be open 10a.m. to 5p.m. each day.

 

If you'd like to receive email reminders about our special events, please visit our e-mail newsletter subscription page.

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What the...What? (#6) Revealed!

Thank you to everyone who viewed our sixth installment of "What the...What?"  If you weren't sure just what that carved wooden object was, you'll be excited to know it's an antique stamp.  This cute one had a peacock on it, but these stamps came in all sorts of designs and were used to stamp fabrics or make patterned wallpaper.  These intricate designs are hand carved --- amazing!

Here is the full wooden fabric stamp.  This example was about 10 inches by 8 inches.

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What the...What? (#6)

We have a special phrase around the store when we find things in our travels that are particularly unusual, odd, confusing, or sometimes hideous.  When we come across one of these items, we like to use one of our favorite Lucketts-isms, "What the... What?"  Here is one of those items from the store.

See if you can guess what this is and leave us a comment if you think you know!  We'll reveal the item's true identity and purpose later this week.  

Can you identify this item from The Old Lucketts Store and tell us what it was once used for?

What the... What?

Leave a comment if you know!

Design elements for the October Design House

September is flying by and we're already less than two weeks away from the next Design House event.  Although the house is officially closed until the 30th, Amy and Kim were hard at work reworking the spaces last week.  Here is a page from our Design Notebook that features some of the elements and themes we'll be featuring in the house for October.  We'll be posting additional pictures this week as the house progresses...stay tuned!

If you're looking for more creepy inspiration, please check out yesterday's post which features pictures of how The Old Lucketts Store is getting ready for Halloween.

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Mark your calendars, our October Design House event will take place Friday, September 30th through Sunday, October 2nd.  The Design House building is on the same property as The Old Lucketts Store and will be open 10a.m. to 5p.m. each day.

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The dark side...

Adjust your eyes. This is the prettiest picture you'll see all post.

When I think of the fall, I think of the autumn leaves, warm browns & gold tones, and my favorite cozy sweater.  At Lucketts, the fall also brings on the darker side...  the iron cauldrons, the test tubes, the once treasured baby dolls that now have chipped paint and in just the right light, seem to cast a sinister little smirk...

Amy guarantees that some spaces in the October Design House will be reserved to show off the darker side of Lucketts.  Amy mentioned she and Suzanne have been hoarding some pieces purchased all the way back in January of this year just to feature at this Design House event!   Mark your calendars, our October Design House event will take place Friday, September 30th through Sunday, October 2nd.  The Design House building will be open 10a.m. to 5p.m. each day.  Until then, feast your eyes on some seriously creepy items (and some only creepy because of the camera angle) from around The Old Lucketts Store (always open 10-5 daily at 42350 Lucketts Road in Lucketts, VA).

(1) Left to right:  1900's lanterns from Pete; mini crow from the "Queen of Halloween" Jennifer; Heather's oil painting; glitter skulls & bones from Jennifer

(2) Left to right:  monk carving from Jenny; Jenny's vintage trunks & pulley with hook; worn out shoes from Jennifer; carving detail on Robert's curio cabinet

(3) Left to right: baby doll from Robert; Jenny's cauldron; Suzanne's wildebeest; Jennifer's phrenology head, old bottles, and test tube set

Tomorrow's post includes some of the inspiration and design elements we're working with for the October Design House, so be sure to check back tomorrow!

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Dress up time!

Closeup of rose detail on the dress.

Bolette N. is an au pair from Denmark who visited the shop last weekend with her host family.  Bolette was quite giddy when she reached the third floor of the shop and found Ann's collection of vintage clothing.

Ann was in the shop Sunday with her latest finds from Germany and took Bolette under her wing for some dress up fun.  Bolette found a vintage prom dress and some vintage jewelry that made her eyes sparkle.  Bolette said the outfit made her feel so happy that she wanted to wear it all day long.

Ann said that now that school is back in session, she's seeing a lot of girls come in the shop with their moms looking at vintage dresses for upcoming dances.  Vintage dresses and jewelry are a great way stand out from the crowd with something unusual or unexpected.  After all, why should a gorgeous party dress only have one day of fun?

The dress Bolette is wearing is $119 and the lucky silver shoes are available for $25.

The vintage rhinestone earrings ($15), bracelet ($19), and necklace ($19) mimic the delicate rhinestone straps on this party dress.

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***UPDATE:  Here is the link to Wild Thyme on Facebook.  Be sure to like this page for new info. on what Ann is bringing in to her space at The Old Lucketts Store.***

Oh where, oh where did my _______ go?

When you work the front counter, you get to hear all kinds of creative ideas and stories about where our finds end up.  For instance, two weekends ago I asked a woman who bought an over sized shutter where she was going to display it.  "I'm covering it in glass and it's going to be the top of the island in my new kitchen," she said.  Ahhhh, genius!  Our customers are so creative!  Little did our dealer Mary Lou know that the piece that caught her eye a few months ago, would be so prominently displayed in a kitchen, loved, used, and talked about for many years to come.  Here are just a few purchases over the past few days and their stories...

A cute couple stopped in over the weekend.  They're getting married in Roanoke, VA in a few weeks and picked out lots of bottles in different sizes to decorate the tables at their reception.  The same day, another woman bought handfuls of chandelier crystals.  The crystals will be attached to tags on a "wish tree" where guests at her daughter's wedding can each sign their name on a tag and write a special wish for the bride and groom.  

A musician stopped in.  He has been redoing his rec room for the last few years.  He picked up these really cool industrial canvas pillows with numbers stitched on them and a giant antique flag.  We've asked him to email us pictures when he's done decorating.  We hope he does!

We had Henry put up some lighted circus letters that spelled out "FUN" over the door.  Minutes later the owners of Cirque du Rouge tattoo parlor in DC walked in and purchased those same letters along with our favorite kudu taxidermy head (now renamed "Kale") for their shop.

We had a dad buy this industrial table to use as a desk for his 8 year old son.  Oh kid, you really have the coolest dad ever!

A couple purchased this claw foot tub.  They're using it as a water trough for their retired Thoroughbred horses.  (They said it's easier to clean!!!???)  Wow, those horses are living large!

 

If you've decorated your home with an item from The Old Lucketts Store and would like to share your story with us, please email the shop (attention: blog in the subject line).  We would love to feature your items and how you're using them.

Have a wonderful week! 

 

Fresh Off the Wagon - 09.09.11

The rain kept coming this week...  Here is a picture of our parking lot Thursday night taken from the porch looking out at one of the pavilions.  Thankfully we didn't have any major flooding issues but the wind and rain certainly kept us on our toes all week.

Our dealers dashed back and forth to their vans in between the raindrops to bring you lots of new treasures.  We're featuring several new items Fresh Off the Wagon this week.  I'll only pick a few for this post, but if you'd like to see a cross section of our new items this week, please check our Fresh Off the Wagon page on our website regularly.  The site is updated weekly with new finds.

This awesome woven chair looks so comfy and would be great to curl up in and read a book on rainy day like today.  It's offered for $189 from dealer AFS.

Continuing on with the woven theme, here is a sweet glass topped wicker table and chair set.  The table top measures 30" round.  This one is from dealer code CHD for $198 this week.

This goes on the all time favorite list.  This beauty is made from pieces of reclaimed wood.  I can just imagine it in another lifetime in a general store, or maybe it would go perfectly someplace else... like MY KITCHEN!  The hutch measures approximately 68"wide x 18"deep x 94"high and is $1,950 from dealer CNS.

Stay dry and have a lovely (hopefully sunny) weekend!

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Design Dilemma - Choosing a Coffee Table

We'll be trying to answer some Design Dilemma questions we frequently receive.  Here's a common one:  "Hi!   I have a new apartment and need to buy a coffee table.  I always take measurements of things I like but I never buy anything.  It seems that there’s a lot out there, and you can use just about anything as a coffee table nowadays.  I like the idea of using something unexpected, but I'm just not clear on how the measurements relate to each other and if the scale & piece would really work in my space.  Please help!  ~ Coffee Table Jitters

 

Answer:  Dear Jitters,  Coffee tables can be confusing, but they're so much fun!  There are so many different shapes, styles, and finish options out there.  I hate to say this, but most anything goes!  There are a lot of things that can function like a coffee table too, for example industrial carts, an over-sized ottoman, or two small and low tables side by side.  A lot of it does come down to what you like and what inspires you, but there are some standard measurements and formulas you can refer to.  

Here are a few ideas from our Design Notebook. The pictures were taken at The Old Lucketts Store or our Design House and reflect items we try to find and buy up on our travels.  Best of luck!  Your Friends at The Old Lucketts Store.  

More importantly, what vintage items do YOU think would do great double-duty as a unique coffee table?

If you have a question for us or a Design Dilemma that you'd like help solving, please leave a comment to this post and we'll try to feature it in a future blog post.

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Jewelry Bar

First things first.  A very special thank you to everyone who joined us this past weekend for our September Design House.  We had such a good time that we kept the house open and rockin' an extra day and stayed open for Labor Day.  We've already started planning for the next event which will be Friday, September 30th through Sunday, October 2nd.  Check us out and see what kooky and spooky things we'll be decking the house with later this month!

One thing I love about The Old Lucketts Store is the endless inspiration.  Another thing I love is the reasonable pricing.   One of our dealers, Jennifer, has set up a jewelry and findings station in her booth on the first floor.  She has ball chain lanyards for sale along with a diverse assortment of trinkets and charms to make your own necklace.  Such a cute idea Jennifer - and the prices are super reasonable too!  

Jennifer used vintage metal bowls, desert dishes, and cake plates to separate her trinkets.  A few other bursts of her creativity in this picture include a chalkboard made from an antique frame and a really cool console table with a feed sack top covered in glass.

 

You can dress up your chain with framed vintage photo pendants, spell something with tile letters, or add findings like vintage watch faces, old bulbs, and metal numbers.

 

Vintage champagne glasses filled with with framed pendants.  Prices vary by finding and design choice, but you can make a really unique necklace for around $20.

 

A few parting words...    Have a wonderful week!

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September 2011 Design House - More Finishing Touches!

I was able to sneak in the Design House again today for you.  The house is open tomorrow through Sunday Monday 10-5 each day.  (We just added a day!  The Design House and the store WILL be open for Labor Day on Monday, September 5th.)   Here are a few pictures I took today.  We hope you can join us this weekend at the September Design House for a TON of new furniture, fresh design ideas, great people, great music, and a great time!  

Pull up a chair and relax.  Amy and Suzanne have accessorized the house with these colorful pillows - a great inexpensive way to add instant color and texture to any space. 

A to die for kitchen island up on the second floor with exposed wine storage.  In the background we have another glass front cabinet for even more storage flanked by two antique architectural columns.

 

This beautiful and functional multi-drawer vintage cabinet on the second floor caught my eye immediately.  Oh and check out the great light that mimics an antique scale - so unique!

 

A beachy and more serene feel in the large master bedroom upstairs.  Neutrals that work anywhere, including this hardwood coffee table.

Don't just dress up your home.  Amy has added a selection of new necklaces, which are great gifts or go ahead and treat yourself!

The wall color in the "yellow room" upstairs is carried through on these lovely metal bird trays.

Unique lighting and a variety of both open and glass front cabinets this month.

Outside we have a schoolhouse full of chairs and a selection of vintage metal lockers (it's September after all!).  And yes, that piece by the red door is an old vent off the top of a barn and turned into a light fixture.

A big thank you to everyone who followed our blog posts and Facebook posts as we prepped this month's Design House.  And here is a little reminder of how far we've come this month...

If you would like to see more pictures of the September Design House, please "Like" The Old Lucketts Store on Facebook and take a peek at our photo album.