Shopping in Madrid - El Rastro Market

El Rastro market in Madrid.

I am still enjoying my memories (and over 2000 photos) of last month's trip to Spain with my husband. We spent the first week in the Andalusia area (south) and enjoyed the wonderful beaches, historic venues and, of course, the markets. I previously wrote about these southern markets link to posting.

We also enjoyed shopping in Madrid - a huge, remarkably pedestrian-friendly city. One of the "Top Ten Madrid" is El Rastro, the most famous flea market in all of Spain.

El Rastro de Madrid or simply el Rastro is the most popular open air flea market in Madrid (Spain). It is held every Sunday and public holiday during the year and is located along Plaza de Cascorro and Ribera de Curtidores, between Calle Embajadores and theRonda de Toledo (just south of La Latina metro station).

A great variety of products (new and used) can be found at el Rastro. A number of antique shops in the local area are also open on Sunday. link to article

Shopping at the Market - I bought one of these lovely scarves - a wonderful deal!

We happened to be in the city on a Sunday so, like 1000's of others, walked over - it was less than two miles from our apartment's Austrias neighborhood (near Royal Palace).

The weather was sunny and slightly cool - perfect for this kind of activity. We discovered that a LOT of people thought the same thing - it was a very crowded but largely respectful event. We had been warned that this is a place to be on the lookout for pick-pockets and thieves but didn't sense or observe any danger or shenanigans.

I bought two of these lovely bracelets and decided to keep both. The inserts are not stones but beans - how clever.

I found many, many reasonable items and added to my gift and souvenir inventory.

Classical Musicians at the Market.

Shoppers at El Rastro Market

Here's an interesting side-note: The word "rastro" means "trail" and refers to the animal innards that were once dragged through this ancient working-class street. (from DK Eyewitness Travel).  

I ended up buying a number of things - mostly in set so twos. Most people were willing to bargain but only if you bought more than one item - so that is what I did.  

This is a great market with some excellent prices - I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area! 

Patterned Fabrics - Paisley

I love patterns on upholstered pieces although I recognize that they need to be carefully planned and integrated. The bold use of patterns is a good thing - it shows confidence and provides an element of interest and intrigue. Few patterns have thad the sustaining power of paisleys.  Here's a little bit of history:

Paisley is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian and Indian origin. It resembles a twisted teardrop that is kidney-shaped. When it is made into a pattern, it is sometimes called “Persian pickles” by American traditionalists, especially when it is designed on quilts and textiles. There are many stories about the origin of paisley. But whatever they are, one thing is clear—it has gone a long way and it has influenced many designs around the globe. You can see paisleys in textiles, wallpapers, and many others. They usually come in patterns and are sometimes called boteh, palme, ambi or carrey. link to article 

In doing this research, I learned that the word "Paisley" comes from a mill in Scotland where it had been manufactured for some time.  There are many, many versions of paisley and they come in all colors of the rainbow - some are depicted above. Others have been added to my "fabrics pinterest board" - link. They are very trendy now and may always have been trendy - the colors and patterns work so well in so many settings.

I have several paisley fabrics in my "fabric room" and haven't used it as often as I should. It is trendy and never looses its edginess.  I will have to double up on my efforts to use this great pattern.

Here are the few pieces I have with a paisley fabric - both heavy woven fabrics!

The top chair also has an ottoman and is done in a nice great pattern - the bottom club chair is upholstered in brown and dark cream - both great looks! 

Slipper Chairs are Deceiving!

A new client stopped by over the weekend to look at a set of neutral club chairs for her new townhouse in Chattanooga, a great city on the Tennessee/Georgia border. She had her eye on a clean-cut set with comfortable arms and a back cushion. While here, she checked out some of my additional inventory and spied a set of neutral slipper chairs she had seen online but was not even considering. She thought they would be too something .... too petite, too low, too dainty, too uncomfortable - too something! But she tried them out and fell for the shape, size, comfort - the whole package. A little later they exited in her trusty Toyota Sienna to travel to her new space.

I think slipper chairs are under-appreciated and, while I usually carry at least 3-4, they do sell more slowly because of the kind of thinking reflected by my customer. I wish my online customers could have the experience of actually seeing and sitting on these great chairs.

I have just finished reading an article in the May issue of Elle Decor link to online magazine called "The Top 10 Slipper Chairs". Two designers discuss slipper chairs and identify some that have caught their eye. I found the article charming and reflective of my good opinion of slipper chairs.

The armless slipper chair was invented to suit the needs of Victorian women dressed in sweeping gowns, who required a low seat on which to perch while putting on their footwear. But it may have found its true purpose as an entertainment essential. Its compact size and open sides allow a guest to swivel from one conversation to the another with ease.

People tend to love sitting in slipper chairs ... they generally have deep and wide seats, which make them very comfortable for lounging. 

 The slipper chairs can work particularly well in certain situations/settings:

• where space is a premium - they take up much less space than armed chairs and yet provide an ample sitting platform
• settings that require shifting of furniture to meet different needs/group sizes - they are easy to move around and can even be stowed away in discreet corners when not in use
• in front of views - the low profile hides less and allows the eye to glaze over and behind the chairs (THIS is one of the big reasons my client bought them since they were being placed in front of a big picture window)
• in small bedrooms as bedside seating

I love the variation in style and shapes and hope to convince more and more people to try them out - they will not be disappointed! 

 

In Honor of Earth Day - Waste Not/Want Not

In honor of earth day, I'd like to demonstrate (again) the magical transformation of old, dated, sometimes "ready for the dumpster" upholstered furniture into beautiful better-than-new pieces for any style of home. Outdated furniture contributes significantly to the massive amount of landfill requirements in this country alone.

Between 1960 and 2008 the population of the United States has grown 69%. The number of households has increased 94% in the same time due to each household being statistically smaller. The amount of upholstered furniture we are throwing away into landfills has increased six times from the 1960 figures to those of 2008. Though the numbers have increased each decade the real jump occurred in the 1980’s and has climbed since then. link to article

Not only does the refurbishing and continued use of furniture make environmental sense, it also ensures that you get a much better product than those readily available today.

Here, through photos, are some examples from my current inventory! Enjoy!

I purchased this set of chairs at an estate sale in Buckhead (Atlanta). One of the legs had been repaired and, therefore, I decided to go with full-lenght skirts. 

This was one of three Goodwill Industries chairs I bought that day.

This settee also came from Goodwill Industries - it has GREAT bones!

This wonderful gilded chair was purchased at Scott's Antique Markets in March. It came from an estate and the original gilding was in great condition - needing only buffing and polishing (and a very slight brass finish rub-on). 

I bought this great styled (70's) chair during a recent trip to New Orleans. The woodwork was refinished with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre and the piece upholstered in cream linen with brown linen accents and back.

This chair was purchased through a Craigslist ad in the area. It has great lines and bones and the fabric just enhances it so well!

This great set was purchased through a Craigslist ad from a young couple who had been given the chair and ottoman for their first apartment. The finish is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Old White - distressed) and the fabric is a wonderful linen-blend toile that I've used before. 

Another Goodwill Industries purchase - this one has down composition and great lines! 

This wonderful set had been upholstered in leather and is very solidly made. I refinished the woodwork in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Cream) and selected a chocolate brown linen fabric. 

This chair is a Goodwill Industries purchase. It has wonderful lines and great turned legs. The fabric is a heavy pale mint matelasse.

This great set was purchased through a Craigslist ad from a young couple near mid-town Atlanta. It is manufactured by Charles Stewart - a very high-end North Carolina manufacturer and exceptionally well made.

This chair was purchased an estate sale in my general neighborhood. It was custom made and now has a new chalk paint finish and blue and white cotton ticking fabric.

Shopping the Markets in Southern Spain

Near market entrance in Southern Spain

My husband, Tim, and I just returned from a wonderful two-week trip to Spain - a country we had just barely skimmed over 25 years ago when we briefly visited Barcelona. This trip was split into two parts - the first part in a time-share in the Andalusia (southern Spain) area and the second part in an apartment in central Madrid. Both parts were exceptional and I am in the midst of sorting and editing over 2500 photos in order to create two travel journals - this may take a while.

Tim is a good shopping companion

One of the great things about visiting southern Spain (Malaga Area) are the HUGE outdoor markets held in different cities/towns every day of the week. We spent several sunny, warm hours at a market not far from the city of Malaga (Arroyo de la Miel). I did most of my souvenir/gift shopping at this market and wished I had a reasonable way to buy and ship more items.

I found a number of items that were particularly well priced and a willingness to "haggle", particularly if you were buying more than one item from a seller. Not surprisingly, I ended up with "twos" of many things.

Here are some photos of this day at the market. I am sure I will come up with more "Spain" postings and probably more "shopping" postings as well!  This is a lovely area!

Nice rugs and textiles

Floral stands - these were prices at 2.5 to 3.0 euros - not bad!

The ceramics were beautifully done - very tempting but I didn't want the burden of hauling these.

Look at the great price on these oranges! 

I bought one of these necklaces - it may go my sister for her recent birthday! 

I loved these little purses and bought one for each of my granddaughters . 

I REALLY loved these textiles and the price was pretty good. I had no way of getting them home however.

Shopping - it was a lot of fun!

Yellow is the Color of Sunshine - Spring is Near

Daffodils at Gibbs Gardens website

Last Sunday, my husband and I traveled about an hour north of the Atlanta area to visit Gibbs Gardens and the first event of their season - acres and acres of daffodils. It was a beautiful day and a great outing. We became annual ticket-holders last year and are going to try to make all of their big events!

The fields of yellow just glowed in the sun and yellow is the color that most reminds me of spring and sunshine. We've have a harder-than-usual winter here in the South and spring is beckoning! Yellow is also my personal go-to color for decorating - at least 75% of my house has either some or a lot of yellow. Even on gloomy days, the rooms retain a certain amount of sunshine!

I just added a great little settee and chair (very nice Mitchell Gold products) reupholstered in a wonderful large pattern daffodil yellow and white and thought I'd use this posting to highlight it and other yellow favorites from my recent collections.

Here is the Mitchell Gold set - love this fabric!

The buffalo plaid has to be my all-time favorite bright yellow fabric - I had enough to do three pieces! 

Nice pieces from last year! I have some of the yellow and blue toile left over and am doing a bergere chair and ottoman right now - should be available soon!

Nice pieces as well - the two fabric on the lower-right chairs is actually brighter than it shows here!

Clearly, I need to keep the sunshine going with yellows and pale golds - more to come soon!

Shopping on Magazine Street in New Orleans

Magazine Street in New Orleans

My husband and I just returned from a four-day trip to New Orleans - a "pre-Mardi Gras" extravaganza! We stayed in the French Quarter (shout-out to Travelzoo link to website for some great rates on the French Quarter Wyndam - link ).

While in New Orleans,we took the cable car to the Garden District and walked to Magazine Street to check out the shops. This is the premier shopping street in the area - link.

Sidewalk near magazine street - beautiful trees!

Magazine Street was named for a “magazin,” a warehouse that was built in the late 1700s to house products awaiting export. Today this vibrant street features eclectic architecture—from the large columned Greek Revival style of the mid-19th century to the colorful Victorian cottages trimmed in quirky gingerbread millwork

 

Typical homes in the area - many decked out for Mardi Gras.

Very pricey (but interesting) shop!

My goal was to find (and perhaps purchase) some great, well-priced "refurnishable" upholstered furniture to take home. We covered many blocks of great shops although most were either slightly overpriced for me (or a LOT overpriced).

Here are some images of the area and the shops!

We had a great time visiting Magazine Street and came back with the car two days later to pick up our treasure!