Ebay wins: Lloyd loom

I love Lloyd Loom furniture. We have a few chairs and laundry baskets, but in the past month some more interesting pieces have come up on Ebay, of which I've managed to win a couple.

First, this is a chest style that I'd not seen before. It needs a little repair but should be straightforward:



From the Ebay description:
Lloyd loom 3ft tall slender chest, bronzey gold colour, with opening door for storage. In excellent condition generally except that knob is missing on door and door chain needs joining up. But the feet are there and the basket work isn't broken. 35& half inches tall. across 18 inches. depth of storage space 2.5ft


Next, this stool. Comes from a different buyer but is in the same faded gold colour, so they'll make a great set for the bathroom perhaps.



From the Ebay description:
Original Lloyd Loom stool by W. Lusty & Sons Ltd. It is gold in colour and would look great as a dressing table stool or in equally in the bathroom. Height 48cm, Width 50cm, Length 32cm

Ebay win: painted firescreen

I'm a big fan of fire screens... I've found they're useful not only for redirecting heat but also hiding messy corners, whether they have fireplaces in them or not. :-)

So when I saw this I couldn't resist...



From the Ebay description:
A small Victorian fire screen with wonderful hand-painted floral decoration. It measures 33" high x 20" wide. There are many signs of general use, wear to the fluting on the legs & 1 panel is split as shown, but the wood is a wonderful colour.

a stained glass Xmas present

Dad got Dave and I a great Xmas present this year... an antique stained glass window that he spotted in a Reclaim yard, that he says will go perfectly in the bathroom of the cottage.



Thanks a lot Dad. :-)

Ebay win: door handles & a large trivet

It's been a week for wrought iron. Two things came up on Ebay that we liked enough to bid on, and luckily we won both.

First, my favourites: some ornate door handles:



From the Ebay description:
Pair of 18th(?) century wrought iron decorative door handles with thread. They measure 16cm long each, thread is 6cm long.


Second, a large Victorian-era trivet:



From the Ebay description:
This is a wonderfully characterful if slightly wonky (but remarkably sturdy)
Victorian wrought Iron Trivet or Footman. I believe they were used for warming plates, kettles etc beside an open fire. It has nicely shaped cabriole legs at the front and makes a nostalgic display item or a usable accessory if you are lucky enough to have an open fire!

Ebay win: bentwood chairs

I stumbled across these chairs recently and loved them from first sight. Not only do I love the styling of the arms, they're a brilliant size: armchairs of a sort, but actually quite compact. It looks like it should be a pretty straightforward re-upholstery job too when the time comes.



From the description:
Two rather special 1920's/30's Art Deco reclining armchairs. Can be upright or reclined. Chairs need upholstering with a sympathetic material to suit their style, and one needs some very minor repair work which will be totally invisible when complete. A very simple restoration which will yield stunning results.

The restoration talked about is very simple: basically just one of the arms has come loose but all the parts are there. Just a case of some strategically placed glue/screws.

Ebay win: iron balustrading

We got lucky recently and picked up some old wrought iron stair balustrading that I'm sure will come in handy for some of the outdoor stairs, probably on the old house.



From the Ebay description:

11 Pieces of wrought iron stair balustrade, it is well made in heavy iron and looks like its hand made . I bought it second hand about 15 years ago but have never used it. It is in good condition been stored inside, looks like it has only had one coat of paint on it from new so not to hard to clean down.

2 Corner Bits are 36 ins high 12 ins bottom edges.
2 Flat centre bits 36 ins high 16 ins across bottom edge.
1 Flat end bit 36 ins high 8 1/2 ins across bottom edge.
1 3 way centre post 40 ins high 7 ins across bottom edge.
3 angle stair poles 36 ins to top tip 8 ins across bottom edge.
2 Angle stair poles 34 1/4 ins to top tip 8 ins across bottom edge.

Ebay win: flywire door

Every so often things like this come up and, if they're conveniently located for collection and in good condition, I take a punt on putting in a low bid. And very occasionally, I win. :-)

We're going to need one of these on every outside door and this is the first I've found so far. You can buy new 'old style' replicas but figured if I can get the real thing for a price of a cup of coffee, why not.



From the description:
Antique fly screen door from back veranda - an Australian icon. It's in Kew. It's very heritage, but unfortunately we have no use for it. Pickup only please. It's 765mm x 2025mm.

Ebay win: stained glass lampshade

At last! I've lost track of the number of these I've bid on over the years. Finally I won one. It's an old stained glass lampshade, which will be perfect to have as a little feature light above the front door of the cottage.



From the description:
Here we have a traditional period antique exterior stained glass Canopy Porch Lamp shade from the 1930's. This beautifully shaped shade comes in very good condition for age. All stained glass panels are intact and display no cracks to the coloured glass

Ebay win: stained glass bird windows

So these were a little bit of a splurge, but it's rare to find two handpainted sections of this size and (almost) matching... plus I really liked them. :-)

They're even nicer in real life, I'm using them here just propped up against one of the conservatory windows, but at Amherst I can see these could work well either side of a door perhaps.



From the description:
Two beautiful and lovely traditional hand painted and stained glass panels, depicting two different birds. These would have been made using traditional process of hand painting, staining and then kiln fired to make all work permanent. They could be incorporated into a stained glass or leaded panel, as decorative glazing or enjoyed just as they are as light catchers. All glass is intact. The centre glass is a clear rough rolled texture and the border is a blue/green of a similar but slightly different texture. Size of each panel is approx 28.2cm x 23.5cm

Ebay win: introducing our pet cow

Yesterday we collected my new pet cow!

Although sadly it is not a real live cow, rather a cast iron version. Still functional though as a doorstopper and moneybox. She came from Ebay of course - where else would you find such an obscure object! We have decided she is a girl due to having the udders, and ignoring the horns... and she is around 1.5 foot long and a foot tall.



One day I do hope I get to have a real pet cow but until then this will suffice. :-)

Ebay win: another roof finial

Ebay is strange sometimes... you wait ages for something to come along, then suddenly you're swamped.

We've just won another gorgeous terracotta roof finial. It's even bigger than the other.

To give a sense of scale, it's pictured with a tin can. As you can see, it's huge!



From the description:
A stunning beautiful old antique terracotta large roof finial, circa 1880s. Beautifully made,finely carved with scrolled and leaf designs ,surmounted with a stylised acorn finial. The condition is also very good for age, The finial is of a large and heavy size which stands at 27.5 inches high.

Who knows what it will become: garden ornament, finial on a summerhouse or shed. I know it will be the perfect finishing touch to something we build at Amherst. I love Ebay: there's no way I'd ever have stumbled across something like this before, let alone at a price I can afford.

Ebay win: roof finial

There's not many of these that get listed these days, so we were really happy to get this. I don't know where we'll use it precisely but given we have such a steep roof, I'm sure there'll be places where it would be a great finishing touch.



From the description:
A second-hand roof top ridge blockend angled double scrolled finial. The width for the ridge is 320mm by 510mm in height. In excellent condition.

Ebay win: fence spears

We just won a bulk lot of these. I've seen similar before but there hasn't been enough of them or else they were just too expensive / too much hassle to arrange delivery. These were only 20 minutes from my sister's and the seller kindly agreed to drop them off.



From the description:
A bulk lot of 95 cast iron Victorian Pallisade fencing spearheads. 120mm long, 75mm wide, 21x17mm stub to suit 25mm RHS. New, never been used, although some are a bit rusty. Great for repairs or extensions to original or reproduction fencing

Not sure precisely how we'll use them yet, but one idea is on a fence to enclose parts of the garden near the house. It wouldn't keep out kangaroos, but they're unlikely to come close to the house anyway, but it would work for sheep.

The rough concept would be to get some old metal rods, like the kind they use in foundations (ie: cheap) which we'd then attach these spears too, spraypaint black, and voila a fancy-ish fencepost. If we spaced them eg: a spearpost every metre with wire in between, Dave reckons we'd be able to cover an area 20m x 20m square which is a reasonable size.

Ebay win: stained glass doorway

We won this set of stained glass yesterday and collected it this morning, as luckily turned out to be only 15 minutes drive away.

There are 5 pieces:

The top centre panel that goes above the door (120cm x 47cm), 2 vertical ones that run either side of the door (210cm x 42cm), and 2 smaller ones that sit atop the vertical ones to join it to the centre panel (47cm x 42cm). All measurements include the frames which are in great condition.



It looks nicer in real life than in the pictures... much more of a bronze/gold colour than orange.

It was used on an internal doorway at the house we collected it from, a 1930's era semi-detached house, but is solid enough it could be used on an outside entrance too (assuming we're allowed to have single glazed).

Ebay win: mosaic floor tiles

My idea is to make either one big or a couple of normal sized "doormats" out of these. I don't know exactly where yet but I like the colours and pattern, so it seemed too good a bargain to pass up - especially since they were just down the road from Mum's.



From the description:
"Victorian Mosaic Floor Tiles suitable for a patio. They came from the patio of an old terrace house in Prahran, Melbourne. The larger dark tiles measure 115mm square. Of these tiles I have 134 good, 63 with very small chips and 36 with bigger chips plus some broken tiles. The smaller sandstone colour tiles are 40mm square and there are 270 of these. There are also 31 triangle shape tiles of these smaller ones - the full tile has been cut in half. A very few of the above tiles have small amounts of mortar on them that would have to be chipped off"

Ebay win: Victorian plant stands

Anyone who's read my post about the iron gallery at the V&A will know I love wrought iron.

It's so hard to find nice pieces of metalwork these days that don't cost a fortune, so when I saw these planters come up on Ebay I couldn't resist. Even better it turned out they were just up the road from Mum's house, so collection was not a hassle. That's fate. :-)



From the Ebay description:

These Victorian Metal Plant Stands were purchased from an estate auction of furniture from a large Victorian homestead in NSW approx 15 yrs ago. ...

Both the planters are complete, however, one does need to have an underneath section re-welded, but the part is complete & unbroken, just the join has come adrift. Although not in pristine condition (see photos) they are original & haven't been touched. There is surface rust present & discolouration of the metal due to age &/or weather. I'm definitely not an expert & I'm not sure what type of metal it is, but I'd guess cast iron or similar, as they are quite heavy for their size.

In all my travels to auctions, antiques shops, antique fairs, clearing sales etc, I've only ever seen one other pair. These had been painted & repaired, but the price was astronomical - well over $2,000. I have no doubt that someone with a bit of knowledge & time could do these planters up beautifully & make more than a tidy profit if they wished, but due to illness & time constraints, I'm sadly unable to do so myself... Anyway, my loss is your gain! Enjoy owning a piece of history!

Measurements are as follows: 80cm H x 31.5cm across the top x 95cm circumference at the widest point.

Here's some more photos showing the detailing. I quite like the rust and colouring - it shows they've had a life - so any repairs we do will be with a very light touch and structural only or to stop further deterioration. I'm not intending to paint them.

water bottles for trees

Both Dave and my birthdays are coming up in April, and Mum asked what present we wanted. So, I immediately thought of Amherst and suggested a lemon tree for the orchard.

But of course, lemon trees need a lot of water, far more than the others in the orchard. So I came up with an ingenious solution. Why not give any ultra-thirsty trees their own little water butts set on a drip feed going right under the soil? It wouldn't be lost to evaporation that way and they'd be able to have as much water as they wanted then provided the water butts were big enough.

I looked on Ebay and - tada - the perfect solution. Old olive barrels already fitted up with taps and in a fetching terracotta colour that won't look too out of place:



This is the description from Ebay:

This 190L Rainwater/Greywater barrel has a brand new 1/2 inch garden tap fitted. It is ideal to store water for the garden. It features an open top 2 piece lid . The lid has a hole in the centre and it and comes with a sink plug to stop the mozzies from getting in. In a former life this drum held olives and I have rinsed and leak tested it. The drum after rinsing retains a slight smell of olives but this will go in time.

During Melbourne's recent rain, using these type of drum/ tanks I caught 700 litres of water off a 6m x 4m shed. I then used the water to wash clothes and used the greywater to water the garden. This drum could also be used to catch the water dripping from your air conditioner or you could catch the overflow from your rainwater tank.

Tank Size approx 900 x 550mm.
Lid size 320mm diameter

We bought three of them and Mum liked them so much she bought two more for herself. I plan to just prop them up on bricks next to each tree that needs extra cosseting, they'll look quite cute. :-)

1930's architectural model

This isn't directly related to Amherst, except it has inspired yet another whimsical project to pass the time until we move back and can properly start!

I just found a lovely 1930's architectural model of a typical bungalow house. I think it's just a really cool display item, a piece of work-related art, just like the stained glass window designs we got last year.



The detailing is magnificent. It even has curtains painted on the windows and paper in brick, tile patterns on the outside. When we finally get the model of the new house at Amherst, I want to do something similar. A kind of real life russian doll to have a model of the house displayed inside the real thing. :-)



From the Ebay description:
"This is a rare vintage 1930's Bungalow architects plan model building. It measures approx 10" x 7.5" (from above) and is made from balsa wood. The roof comes off so you can see the inside plan of the building. It is in good condition for its' age, with just a few indentations on the roof and one of the chimneys missing. It's a must for any interest in the 1930's, especially if you've an interest in 1930's architecture".

Ebay wins: garden ornaments

These don't look much yet but wait till you see them in the garden. I think they'll be used in a herb garden, or perhaps just to line either side of a path on the way to the house. But first, they're going to do service in our London backyard. :-)



From the description:
A good run of reclaimed clay / terracotta garden edgings from a large estate in Gloucestershire. Condition is variable, the two runs shown are intended to provide an average sample. There are 60 pieces, around 18 m. Depending on your requirements, 3-4 m may be too worn. This is quite an unusual moulding and they are all handmade with some size variation. The eight on top of the pallet are the most worn. Approximate dimensions: Height 15 cm, Width 5 - 7.5 cm, Length 30.5 cm



Next, also for the garden, a stone mushroom. The picture shows 4 but we sadly could only afford one and so went for the tallest - the one in the back of the photo.



From the description:
Beautiful antique stone garden mushrooms. They are not concrete, they're 100% genuine solid stone. The back one is 1 foot 7 inches high by 1 foot 3 inches wide

Finally on the garden front, some lovely lions to serve as pot supports:



From the description:
Set of 4 superb and realistic terracotta lion plant pot supports. Each one measures 4.25 inches long by 3 inches high. They are very heavy for their size and are covered in age moss. They'd also make superb book ends

trusses for shed

Dad got some great trusses. He's going to use them to make a temporary shelter for building materials he needs to clear out from his backyard. The picture of the random carport shows how he's thinking it will look.

Ebay wins: fireplaces, fender, brass bed

I'm afraid I fell off the ebay wagon again, but it's OK 'cos I've found some great stuff.

First up we have a proper old-fashioned style fireplace fender with seats. I've always wanted one of these.



From the description:
"A lovely original oak Victorian / Arts & Crafts fireplace fender with twin seats. It adjusts in length from an inside edge measurement of 107cm to 139cm. The inside edges are lined in sheet metal to protect the wood from the heat. The pretty twin seats are upholstered and in very good condition.Lovely turned, carved & barley twist wood, especially around the base of the seats"


Next up, a fireplace mantle of similar vintage - in fact two, matching. I love this style of fireplace with the two shelves and the mirrored panels (or rather, spaces for mirrors). The only thing I'm not sure about is the curved fireplace opening, but I figure that can easily be altered to accomodate a square fireplace.



From the Ebay description:
"Beautiful old kauri pine fire surround from the 1920's. Very good condition but will need to strip the paint to bring it back to original. 164cm high, 153cm wide, 20cm deep"


And finally, a brass bed. I don't expect I'll use this as a bed... with the addition of lots of cushions and propped against a wall, I'm hoping to turn it into a kind of knole style sofa. It'll be great too for storage, tons of room for drawers etc underneath.



From the Ebay description:
"Antique cast iron/brass 3/4 bed head and foot. 122cm by 128cm. 1 bracket damaged but all still fits together. Condition is very sound but will need some cleaning, sanding, repainting. Late Victorian/Edwardian"

Ebay wins: lining boards; stained glass

So it's been a little bit of an expensive week on Ebay... but worth it I think.

First up I have bought a giant pile of wood. Old timber tongue & grooved lining boards to be precise. They're in various sizes but basically there are LOTS of them.



I'm hoping they'll be useful for lining the inside of the verandah roof on the old house. Also could be useful for going on the wall, up to the dado rail (or whatever that thing that goes round at waistheight is called).



Here's the description:

This large pile of original timber lining boards are now excess to my needs...So if you have a place that requires a dado panel up the wall or if you want to add or repair walls then here is a supply you cant go past..it's going cheap..believe me it wasn't cheap when I bought it...try getting a quote from the demo yards...knock your socks off

this pile that I have up for sale is dry and of varrious lengths..there is approx:

280 lengths @ 1.2 m and 150 wide
380 @ 1.3 m length and 100 mil wide
50 @ 2.6 m length and 110 mil wide
90 @ 2.5 m length
360 @ 1.8 m lengths and 150 wide
20 @ 5 m length and 150 wide
60 @ 2.5 m lengths and 95 wide...
and thats min amounts there were a couple piles I didn't even get to..a few more hundred meters are included...

NOW...they are used...and I have them outside..so there is going to be wastage I found that the ends had to be trimmed off..and usually the top row I put to the burn pile but under that was pretty good as far as second hand timber goes..They have paint on them and I just scrapped them before nailing into position... Just keep in mind these are old boards..used(no nails) ..they are not perfect (far from it..to be totally honest ,so you have to expect wastage..some splits ,breaks..but if you are like me and want the look as real as possible...then here is a pile of material to get you started on your next project.

We also got hold of some lovely stained glass panels going for a song, which are going to be SO fantastic in the doors of the crockery cupboard (well, that's the plan for the moment anyway). We've got 2 of each of the following:





They are sized, in order:
51.5cm x 25 cm
52cm x 27 cm
68cm x 25.5cm
82.5cm x 33cm
93cm x 29cm

We also got a panel which has handpainted kangaroos on it! It looks really old, awaiting close-up photos to see how good a painting it is, but for the price we paid it was worth the gamble. It's sized 95cm x 32cm.

Ebay wins: rotary pantry, fender, iron lace

First up a little something for the kitchen - a kind of giant lazy susan with drawers. It was a bit of a splurge but Dave especially fell in love with it so we decided what the heck. It'll need a lot of work but should come up really well when painted.



From the Ebay description:
"Made by metters sydney and newcastle, a rotary pantry as advertised in the 1920's anthony horden catalogue. Quite rusty but mainly surface rust the galvanised coating remains on much of it. No holes that i can see. The drawers are all semi circular and pivot from bolts on the main body of the pantry. 63 cm or 2 feet in diameter 80 cm tall or 31.5 inches has most or its original porcelain knobs."

See the powerhouse museum collection for a similar one, made out of an old drum!


Next, a fender that reminded me of my long ago summer in Paris.



From the Ebay description:
"Beautifully made from metal (maybe brass ? not sure due to condition), as you can see from the pictures it needs a little TLC, but there is no major damage. I am guessing it was made in the early 20th century and takes its influnce from the Eiffel Tower c1889. Stunning Art Deco detail that will look fantastic when cleaned up. These fire surrounds are becoming very rare and modern repo's are just not the same. It measures 51 inches across and 14 inches deep."


Finally, some iron lacework that will probably end up on the front verandah for the new house, in the bit that runs between the kitchen and lounge doors.



From the Ebay description:

"There are 23 pieces of wrought iron balustrading which roughly covers 2-3 bays, there are also decorative pieces for the face of support beams .Primer has been applied to the metalwork which is in good condition, very small pieces are missing from a few sections but l dont believe this to be of great significance. The straight sections measure in total 17 feet. This is combined of course with the length of the corner sections. There are 5 major corner pieces (17x24 in) and 4 smaller corner sections (17x12 in)"

Ebay wins: tulip gutters, chimney pots & verandah

Here's some more architectural stuff we've scavenged that will, one day, make its way into one or more of the buildings at Amherst. Oh how I love Ebay... I may not be able to physically make progress, but at least I can shop and find stuff that will save us a fortune in the end. :-)

First up, some amazing 'tulip' thingy's that go on your guttering and connect it to the drainpipe. Plus a roof vent. They're all brand new, handmade and we got them for less than 10% of the original price. The guy selling them said the builders put the wrong shape of drainpipes on his house and he couldn't face the upheaval to change it. If it were me I'd have got creative with making a funnel but hey, I adore them so his loss is our gain. :-)



From the description:
"1 large decorative vent and 13 period style tulips made of galvanised tin, never used. Tulips are suited for standard round down pipe and are 37 cm wide, 37 cm long and 20 cm deep"


Next, an old terracotta chimney pot. It's chipped at the base but that's OK. We haven't decided yet if this is going to be put to it's original use on one of the chimneys, or be a garden ornament. Either would be cool.




Finally, 60m worth of bullnose verandah sheets. Ironically, we're most likely not going to use these on the houses, as I prefer verandahs with straight edges or that kind of S shape. But they were so cheap that it seemed stupid to pass them up considering we're going to need loads of roof sheets for things like a carport, garden sheds, chook house, etc... and the fact that it is bullnosed will make them more interesting. :-)



From the Ebay description:
"80 colourbond bullnose verandah sheets, beige colour and no rust. Each sheet is 1.5m long and covers 760mm in width so that would give you a total of 60m of verandah 1.5 m deep"

Ebay wins: fireplace, fretwork, tiles

Over the past few months we've picked up a couple more things on Ebay which will be really useful in the house renovations. Here's details:

FIREPLACE

Unbelievably, this turned out to be only 5 minutes drive away from my Mum's!



From the description:
"This beautiful (I think original) fireplace came from an 1890's home on Canning Street in Melbourne's Carlton North when friends were renovating. We had plans to install it into our home, but as we are now moving and new owners have not expressed interest, we have it available. Although not professionally restored, I believe all pieces are present and in good condition. The main detractor is some dust and cobwebs! All in good order with adjustable metal hood/vent, a draft stopper flap and the blue insert tiles. The timber mantel is painted, but sound. See photo's for further details (please note the slight green tinge to pic's is from the overhead laserlight)."


FRETWORK HALLWAY BRACKETS





From the description:
"A pair of 2 original victorian hallway brackets. The red one, without the outside pieces of timber, measures 37 inches (94cm) wide x 25 1/2 inches (65cm) drop; ... The two arches are mathching except one is missing the outside timber trim... They are made of pine. They need to be repainted. The main body is made in two peices, which are firm, but somebody has put a screw on the inside of each piece to reinforce the joint (easy fix)"


TILES



From the description:
"300 Black, Glazed brick-tiles. 222 mm x 30 mm x 110 mm. Unfortunately, the photos tend not to do them justice. They remain stylish and have been removed from a brick wall at the front of our place and window supports to for the purpose of us rendering the wall and our house. We were considering using them for paving or even as bathroom tiles but have decided against this. Some mortar remains attached with most tiles (as you can see in the main photo), but this seems to be very easy to remove (although there are 300!) and the need for total removal will be contingent on what they will be used for. I think they are circa 1960s but could be 70s or 50s (as the house underwent renovations during these periods)."

Ebay wins: sunrise windows & violin chairs

This week we got some more stained glass... I've been holding back on bidding for glass in recent months as we've already got quite a lot, and prices seem to have gone up since the early heydays of Ebay UK. But when I saw these I couldn't resist as it reminded me of the sun ray wooden motifs in Tallin, plus the colours go well with the set of 18 we've already got (see here at bottom).



From the description:
"Two 1930's art deco mountain sunrise stained glass windows in pine wood frame. Each measures approx 19" x 20". Beautiful shiney textured stained glass colours are emerald green, orange, blue, yellow and pale green. All glass is in good condition"


A few weeks before this we also got two more chairs. Not that we needed more chairs, but these were really cheap and they reminded me of my old violin. I envisage them painted in some muted blue/green/purple colour, on the verandah. Functional yet beautiful, except for the legs but they can be easily replaced.



From the description:
"Beautiful carved hall/kitchen chairs, two matching. They look to be in light oak. The back has a heart shape carved and an ornate shape which makes them very pleasing to the eye. They'd look fantastic in any environment and are very comfortable to sit on"

Ebay wins: firegrate, washstand

Dad's collected lots of fireplace mantles but we're going to need something to put inside the fireplace too. I found this on Ebay in Australia and Mum kindly picked it up for me.



From the description:
"Original Cast iron fire grate. This was from an old Victorian home in Abbotsford Melbourne. It measures approx 39 cm long x 23 cm wide. It stands approx 16 in height including the legs"


Also we lucked out last week and found the most fantastic old washstand. I've been on the verge of bidding for washstands several times, but they've always gone for far more than I was prepared to pay. Then this comes along, and not only do I adore it, it turned out to be just up the road from Dad's so he was able to collect without any problem!



From the description:
"Beautiful washstand including deep porcelain sink and taps. All drawer fronts have a detailed patina finish. Washstand measures 1.66 high x 50 deep x 1.16 wide. In need of some restoration and would make a magnificent statement in any period bathroom".

Liberty's 2006 sale (we bought rugs!)

The Liberty sale is on again. Those who remember me blogging about it last year will know how much I love Liberty and the unusual style of things they sell.

Well, I'm afraid this year I succumbed and went. It was a bit more eclectic than I expected and a lot more modern but still some interesting stuff. Here's some photos of things that particularly grabbed my eye:



But they were all way too expensive. (The decoupaged chair alone was over £500 which is ludicrous!) BUT I did splurge and purchase two Arts & Crafts design rugs.

They're new, but handmade, 100% wool and woven to patterns exclusive to Liberty resurrected from their archives. I got them for less than half price, which was a real bargain. I've struggled for years to find rugs I like and suddenly two come along at once! Here are pictures:


Sadly this will be living rolled up under the bed with mothballs and wrapped in brown paper, till we get to Amherst. We don't have anywhere here in London we could use it that wouldn't be exposed to the wrath of bunnies! (We have 2 pet house rabbits who mean well but can sometimes be a little naughty).

But, this one we're using in the conservatory here as it's a good size for it. We're using it upside down though, so if the sun damages it and lightens the colours, it only does it to the underneath. This is a photo we took of it right side up so you can see the colours properly:



For those not familiar with Liberty, here's a blurb about their carpets section that comes from their website. It was a truly lovely experience shopping there, they were so helpful and knowledgeable. If you're looking for a nice rug, I definitely recommend them.

"The Liberty Carpet department is one of the most
established and comprehensive in the UK, if not the world.
With carpets ranging from £50.00 to £50,000 you can receive
expert advice from the specialist staff on the origin and
design of every carpet in the department... Each carpet is
hand made using traditional methods ... No brands, no
companies just a country – Iran, Persia, Pakistan,
Afghanistan. We have friends there who make the best
carpets in the world in a way that no machine
can replicate"

Ebay wins: chairs galore

We've continued to acquire odds and ends on Ebay. Here's the recent additions:

Dining chairs

Most recently we won some lovely dining chairs. This brings our total of nice chairs up to 15 now, which should be enough to allow for scattering them around the house & cottage. These require a little work on reupholstering but doesn't look too hard, and now I have a project for summer! :-)





From the description:
"Five dining chairs plus one carver. Bought together with a table 15 years ago from an antique shop. I have abandoned trying to reupholster them and we have bought some modern chairs when we moved house. Although two of the chairs have no seat pad and the others are in need of reupholstering I have all the bits. I know nothing about antiques but have been told these are nice chairs and worth something; someone even told me they are 'arts and crafts'. We are just fed up with them sitting in our house and the highest bidder is welcome to them! They are absolutely solid on their legs with no wobbly backs etc. But they do need re-upholstering"


Oak stools

We also recently got some great little oak stools. They're footstools really, but a great size to serve as little low tables too, which is how we're going to use them for the time being anyway.




From the description:
"Fantastic Pair of old carved Oak Stools, nicely carved in art nouveau, arts and crafts style, but possibly earlier. A really stylish pair of small oak stools, beautifully and deeply carved with foliage on the seats. Each stool is made of really nice coloured Oak which suggests these pieces have some age to them. The seats are nailed to the carcass and legs with four nails, one in each side, but I cannot see if these are hand made nails or not as the heads are not visible. The legs are nicely turned ending in turned feet as you can see on the photo’s. One of the seats is split clean down the middle – this has been glued at some point, but could be done much better by someone who is qualified. The stools are each 18 cm high, and the seats are 34cm by 19cm, and they look really great together as a pair, but you do need a small bum to sit on them…….which is why I am selling them :0)"


Wing-backed armchair

I've always wanted one of these, so when it came up for sale really cheaply thought it was worth a shot even if we had to invest in reupholstering it.



From the description:
"I am selling this extremely comfy Edwardian (I believe, or could be early 20thC) wingback armchair. Its is absolutely solid, with no movement in any of the joints or frame. The material is freyed in places and little old fashioned so would make a great upholstry project for someone, or its certainly in good enough condition to leave as it is if you dont mind the colour. Dimensions are as follows.
Height 37" x Wide 31" x Depth 33" These are at the widest point"


Deck chair

Finally, we also got an old steamer chair. This was a little more hassle in that it turned out to have some woodworm (the guy stretched the truth about "good condition" in his listing!). But it is still solid. It had to live in the shed for a month till we were able to treat it, but now it's fine.



From the description:
"This is an unusual antique chair frame which extends to support the legs. I guess that it is Victorian but in truth I am not an expert, it could be a bit older or more recent. It is in good condition. It is part of the contents of an old house that I have just bought and which appears to have not been touched for a least a century. It can lay completely flat and I am advised that it is called a Steamer and that these things are quite difficult to get hold of".

Ebay: bentwood chair & cupboard

I have a chair in our hallway which we got years ago, with lovely bentwood arms. I've been looking for another that could go with it, eventually, and at last I've found one I like. I don't like the colour that much but it says it's easy to recover so it might be my first upholstery project. I can see these chairs one day living in the screened porch at Amherst.



From the Ebay listing:
"This is a nice design Art Deco, Sunray Sides,
Bentwood Arm, Reclining Armchair / Easy Chair, dating
to around c1930. It has great Bentwood Arms design,
with 2 side Sunray Type splats on either side,
supported by a curved lower support rail. The seat
section, can be slid forward, to make it a very nice
comfotable Reclining Armchair. The seat section, has
been recovered at some time, and is still in good
condition, with no tears or holes, but is an easy
recover job if desired, as the whole seat and back
section, can be simple just lifted out. Overall it
is in good solid condition, with no movement in the
joints on the oak frame. It stands at its tallest
38 3/4 of an inch, and is 24 inches at its widest
at the front of the arms, and the seat depth measures
about 22 inches and the seat height of the floor
measures about 15 1/4 inches tall"


Because there wasn't an extra cost of delivery if we bought more from the same seller, we also got a lovely walnut bedside chest of drawers. I really like the simple lines of it and pieces of furniture like this are always handy as side tables, etc.



From the Ebay description:
"This is a nice design Art Deco Figured Walnut Bedside
cabinet, dating to around c1940. It is a nice design and
has a nice Grain to the Walnut Veneer. It has a single
door Cabinet below, and it has a single drawer above.
It still retains its original black Bakelite turned knob
handles with white centre insert. The bedside cabinet
stands on nice angles out legs / feet. It is in good
solid condition, with a few small nicks to the veneer
in places, and it has one small chip near the bottom
edge on the front, which has been filled in, and still
look fine overall. There is a little line stain marks to
one side, which blends in with the walnut grain, and
overall this is a great looking Art Deco Walnut Bedside
Cabinet. It stands 29 3/16 of an inch tall and is 15 3/4
of an inch wide, and is 13 inches deep".

Ebay: giant clock & stained glass

We recently got an amazing deal on a giant clock. It was built 25 years ago by the guy we bought it from as an Art college project. He put it together from all kinds of junk gathered at Portobello Road market (back when it was still a flea market). It is as much a sculpture and work of art as it is a clock.

From the description:
"This is a very tall clock, eleven foot high with a high visual impact. It was a college project from twenty five years ago. It was constructed from various components found in a cabinet makers workshop. It was fitted with a modern electric movement but hasn't run for some time"

To give you a sense of the scale, here's Dave standing next to it at the guy's house before we took it apart to transport:


Here's a closer look at some of the detailing:




Around the same time we also came by a lovely piece of art deco glass. We're probably going to use it here in London but wanted to note it down anyway as a possibility for Amherst in future.

From the description:
"It is a beautiful piece of stained glass but is in need of restoration. Almost all of the damage is to the flat pieces of glass that have either come away from the lead or have cracks but not all of the flat pieces.The main part of the design the flowers and leaves are undamaged. as one can see from the images the design and glass are of a high quality. Size is 99cm across and 48 high in the middle.

Ebay: stove, chair, doors

We recently came by a few architectural salvage items which had the great benefit of being already in Australia:


An old oak framed armchair. I got it from Ebay even though it needs restoration as it shouldn't be TOO hard to do and it'll be a great chair for the verandah and a good partner for the oak chair we already have.




An old gas stove that Dad got, which we might use in the kitchen of the cottage.




Some great old french doors, described on Ebay as "in good usable condition... combined width 972 height 2000, 35 thick... one door is 435 wide other 537 can be widened or cut to suit"

Ebay: Factory vent

We won this on ebay a few weeks ago, but Mum only picked it up last week as they've had bushfires up in Kinglake where it was. Luckily it's already in Australia... would have been a real pain getting this back! I haven't decided yet whether to keep it as a garden ornament or put it back into it's proper use. It might make a nice roof cap. But I bought it mostly just 'cos I like the look of it.

great scavenging finds (pt 2)

I was sure I'd posted this already but I can't find it... so here's a belated post about yet more of my Dad's wonderful finds from back in early December.

First, some glorious windows, which will probably end up being used in the renovations of the old cottage:



In Dad's words:
"They require some work to bring to good shape, but are sound. One is higher than the other. Where would you envision using these? I thought the lounge/kitchen but not side by side of course. They would work well with your large front window. I had to go to Healesville for the windows, but they were not to be missed. $50 each"


Next this fabulous door:



"The big door is oversized, solid timber 1 1/2 inches thick with panels that could be removed and have glass or leadlight panels. I thought you would have some notion of where to put it. It is an external door, but could be used on the door to the alcove if a large size is wanted there. A bit of a waste. I thought it would be great as a back door, opposite the large front door. Ideas wanted here as to best use of this great door. It is in excellent condition, and will stain beautifully if that is wanted. I got it from the same person as the windows for $30".
Finally some bathroom fittings, again destined for the old cottage:



"I have solid brass old tap fittings and shower head that could be used in the shower or for the bath in the loft. I would go for the loft position. Not got the back plates or handles, but these could be complementary from another source. Let me know if you like them and if you want them. I was given them from the attic extension because the plumber Diana used wouldn't fit them to the handbasin she bought secondhand".

My Dad is wonderful.

recent Ebay finds

In recent weeks we've made a couple of other Ebay finds, ultimately destined for Amherst, including a lovely piece of fretwork, a clawfoot bath and some more chairs.

First, this is the fretwork which is among the nicest patterns I've ever seen. If it fits it may well end up being used in the old house restoration. Best of all, it was already in Australia, only 15 minutes drive away from Mum's house!



"This was part of an original 1890's house. This piece of hallway fretwork requires tlc to restor it back to its original beauty. Paint would need to be stripped. It measures 1400w and 900h. The bottom left hand section is missing and right hand bottom section needs repair where timber has clean tears".


Next, an unusual wooden chair with a fretwork back. We've put a cushion on the bottom and it is surprisingly very comfortable to sit on. I love the look of it too. It came from a small town in Scotland. We're probably going to keep this here for a while as it fits well in the conservatory, but ultimately I can imagine it looking wonderful on a verandah.



"A lovely old arts and crafts style nursing chair with pierced splat back and solid seat. it is probably constructed from oak. This chair probably dates to the first part of the 20th century. The chair measures 29" tall with a seat height of 9". The seat measures 20" across the front and 17" across the rear. It measures 18" front to back. The design of this chair is in the arts and crafts style being relatively simple in terms of decorative detail. The pierced splat back is of a flower design. The seat of this chair is solid wood and would haveprobably had a cushion at one time. The overall condition of this chair is good. It still remains stable and firm with only signs of wear consistent with its age. This remains a very stylish if understated chair".

Next, an original clawfoot bath which - best of all - is already in Melbourne. This came indirectly via Ebay - in the listing they'd said if it didn't sell they'd throw it out. I emailed and said that seemed a shame, that I'd save them the hassle and take it away for them, to stop it going to landfill. It didn't sell so that's what happened. It is apparently an original from the early 1900s, is in "good" condition and is 169cm long, 56cm high, 75cm wide.



This is the description from my Dad's email after he'd picked it up:
"It has been painted inside, and I believe it will strip down very well. It is actually in pretty good condition and will be easily brought to a usable condition without reenameling. It is an authentic clawfoot, and really quite wonderful. You will be proud of it. There are a few little rust spots, which are likely exaggerated because of sitting without being disturbed so long. I expect the spot size will reduce considerably once the cleaning begins. It is a great find, in the same league as the Rayburn when an "old" item is what you want, not a refurb or brand shiny new item is wanted. It will fit admirably in the old house loft bathroom, or you can save it for the new house".


Finally, a fantastic Lloyd Loom bedroom set in pristine condition and still with it's original paint. The lady we bought it from said it had been in her family since it was purchased and that she'd grown up with it always around.



"A pair of Lusty Lloyd Loom items originally purchased from Phillips of Northampton in the late 1950's. Both items have been well cared for in a non-smoking household and their present condition shows only minor wear, commensurate with their age. Both have original labels attached"

When we went to collect them she also threw in for virtually nothing (£5!) a blanket box which although it isn't officially part of the same set, is of similar enough colouring to pass for it. The blanket box is also in original condition and the only work needed is to replace the fabric at the top. It too has its original paint, which makes a difference on Lloyd Loom furniture as the more coats of paint, the less defined the weave. It's a wonderful size, just perfect for storage in our study here in London and it doubles as an extra seat too:

the next shipload is ready

This weekend we are packing. The conservatory has gotten way too full and we need it cleared so we can set up the Xmas tree! So, we're sending another batch of furniture, books, china, etc back to Australia to go into storage there.

We've been planning it for a while, ever since we got the sideboard and teddybear chair. But, while Dave was arranging it, I took the opportunity to gather a few more things too - basically I was on the look out for anything I really liked that I could pick up very cheaply on Ebay!

So, also going are two armchairs which we got for £10 each:

From the description: "This is a pair of great 'his and hers' late
Victorian / Edwardian / Arts and crafts easy chairs. They are in good
sound condition, have been in regular use. Covered in what can only
be described as a yucky brown fabric. Would look fabulous recovered
or loose covers made"

and from the same seller a side table which has in-built angled magazine racks:

"this is a reproduction ornate and unusual
mahogany sofa end / sofa back table. It is a magazine rack,
the top is great for a lamp or display. It has been in storage
and gained a few tiny marks, is perfectly usable. It measures
36" wide x 16" deep x 34" high"

In reality, this isn't as nice as I'd hoped, because I don't like the colour of the wood. But we only paid £6 for it and it'll come up wonderfully painted another colour, say a deep blue to go in a sunroom or something. It doesn't work as a replica period piece, but shabby chic style it'll be perfect!

We also picked up some amazing old carved pillars, which we're planning to use as decoration either side of a window or doorway:

From the listing:
"a pair of beautifully carved arts and crafts pillars, lovely colour,
probably originally on a piece of furniture, not sure. Two on the
sides have cut outs in them, one side plain and one side beautifully
carved with ivy leaves and stems. Just a small amount of old worm and
the bottom edges have some damage. Not sure how they could be used
but they are such nice pieces they deserve a new life.
Measurements are 41.5" long and 2.25" square"

doors doors doors

The past few weeks Dad has been clearing through years (perhaps even decades) of "salvaged" building materials as he gets near finishing up renovations to his own house. We are to be the lucky beneficiaries of things he doesn't need, such as doors:

Dad says: "I am close to completing my need of old door use, and will take my stock to Amherst for various needs. I collect doors from hardrubbish for use in such ways, as doors are expensive, and a small stock can often sort out door needs if available to access before building the frame. Then you build the frame to suit the door chosen from your stockpile. I have panel doors for wardrobes, external doors, flywire doors, and a few louvre doors. Things like pantries and drying rooms are especially suited because a louvre door actually "creates" ventilation naturally"

Knowing the scale of my Dad's typical stockpiles, I suspect we won't have to buy a single door provided we're creative!

great scavenging finds

I can't take the credit for any of this as it is all thanks to my Dad. He is truly the king of scavengers! Over the course of the past two months he has managed to get hold of some great fittings to be used in the renovations of the cottage. Here's just a few:

An amazing mantlepiece that Dad found by the side of the road, which we will use in the loungeroom:


There is also a small wooden fire that he got from somewhere, I'm not sure where. It is very nice looking although I'm not sure yet whether the style of it will work with the mantlepiece. We might use it temporarily and then move it to somewhere else later if it doesn't suit:


Dad also collected from the roadside, in his words, "a very good shower base, white, a good hand basin, two good toilet pans, and some cisterns, though I will probably get new cisterns". No pictures of those yet, but I can show you a bath:



Dad got this from one of the places he works, who were getting rid of it as part of their renovations. In his words "it is in very good order and suitable to be either free standing or to sit up against walls in a corner. It is white and castiron. I got it for $20 and think it a very good thing for the Amherst bathroom. The price new would be about $500-$700. But it is second hand so not worth so much. But a good thing I think. You could buy some nice tiles with the savings. I propose to mount it end on to the wall or free standing altogether with a surround of something to form a hob all around".

We have lights and fans too. I'm not sure where they came from but Dad says "I have two ceiling fans with oysterstyle lights central to the fan. These are in good order and will be for the bedrooms. They can be run cheaply by solar if you don't get power soon, or by inverters using deepcycle 12 volt batteries which are charged by the car when travelling whereever." Pictures to come...

Ebay win: the teddybear chair!

I'd forgotten I'd put a bid in on this until we got the email tonight to say we'd won. Which is really cool, as there's just something about this chair that appeals & I'd put in a low-ball bid just on the off-chance. Of course, it's yet another 'project' but hey, it gives us a chance to learn & practice upholstery!


teddybear chair
Originally uploaded by lynetter.


I really hate the fabric on it currently, but I'm sure I'll be able to find some eventually (I don't think any of my earlier finds will work for it, sadly)

The legs will take some work too, but Dave has managed miracles with other conversions, like the 'piano-to-filing-cabinet', so I'm sure we'll be able to fix the wood scratches.

According to the Ebay description:
"Lovely Arts and Crafts mahogany armchair possibly by Liberty c1900 in need of restoration. A most unusual chair, that has been in dry storage for many years. There is some damage on the left leg, and a wobble to the left arm. Two finials are missing from the top of the arms, some fine boxwood inlay is also missing from the front legs. It also needs reupholstering. Height 44" Width 24" Depth 24" "

meet our charming container...

A few months ago we bought an old sea-freight container to give us some secure storage up there, so Dad doesn't have to cart all his tools back and forth each time. It was installed near the dam and it looks a lot better than I expected it would. I think the sheep like it too. :-)



The inside is pretty big, even though it has lots in it already there's room for much more.



The shelves that came fitted with it also proved a perfect size for storing the shipping trunks we sent back a few months ago, jam-packed with tiles, etc. They must also be really strong as those trunks weighed a ton!

Ebay win: Oak & Burr Elm Sideboard

Yay, we just won this on a second-chance offer as the guy who won originally wasn't able to fit it through his hallway.



I'm being really picky in bidding on furniture these days as we have several years yet before we'll be moving. But, Dave agrees, it's better to buy things now as we see them that we adore, so by the time we move we not only have spread the cost but have a house full of furniture we love. This kind of thing doesn't come up for sale very often & certainly not usually at prices I'm willing to pay so it's worth the hassle of storing & shipment.

This is the description from the ebay listing:
"ARTS AND CRAFTS OAK AND BURR ELM BUFFET SERVER, c1890. This has to be the ultimate in Arts and Crafts buffets. This wonderful piece of furniture would have cost an absolute fortune to make using the beautiful burr elm and the character pippy oak. This buffet has a shallow back panel with a stepped shelf, fitted with a deep drawer and pewter ring handles. The base comprises of 2 arched panelled doors with matching pewter ring handles on an open base with stretchers. The richness of the colour of this piece is magnificent.The length is 66ins x 66ins high x 26ins depth. The condition is wonderful and it is very sturdy and heavy"

I'm collecting fabric

I don't think I've mentioned this on the blog yet, but Mum said she'd like to see pictures... so figured I may as well blog them and she can look here! Collecting fabric is only something I've been doing occasionally, but it got a real boost when I went to Liberty's sale during the week. For those who don't know, Liberty's is my favourite store in London.

Sidenote: For those who remember this post, I confess I took a peek at their Arts&Crafts exhibition while I was there. Luckily all the things I'd picked out from the catalogue were sold so I didn't have to fight the temptation to splurge! What was left was 30% off, but frankly, 30% off £3000 for an armchair still leaves it far out of reach.

Back to the fabric... I'm really fussy about fabric patterns. So, given that we're going to eventually have to fit out the Amherst house with curtains, cushions, upholstered chairs, etc I figured I may as well start collecting fabric that I like as I can't rely on being able to always find it (or afford it). I'm being good and only buying remnants in practical lengths (at least 2-3m) and only when they're cheap.

Designers Guild are one of my favourite designers for bedlinen and they also do fabric collections. They're one of the few fabric makers that I almost always can find something I like from. Liberty have a mini-Designer's Guild shop in their fabric department and they had a load of remnants on sale, almost all from the "China Rose" pattern. Here are pictures of some of the fabric that I bought:

Designer's Guild - China Rose "Leilani" pink

I have around 12m of this now, in varying lengths. It cost me just under £60 for the entire lot, ie: around £5 per metre. Considering the full retail price of this is upwards of £30 per metre that's not bad! All are 1.37m wide and then I have sections which are 2.8m, 2.4m, 2.3m, 2.1m, 1.6m and 1.2m. This should be enough to make several sets of blinds or even a set of long hanging curtains if I get creative on joining two pieces together. Any leftover pieces will be great for cushions or even the backs of chairs, like in this picture which shows the same fabric as mine just in the blue colourway instead of pink. Besides giving an idea of how it might work in a room, this shows the scale of the pattern... the flowers are giant! It is a heavyweight cotton so you can use it for all kinds of upholstery.


Designers Guild - China Rose "Collerette" - blue

I have only one section of this, sized 3m x 1.37. I got it because I thought it might be cute for a blind in the laundry or somewhere similar, it's just so cheery with the daisies and an unusual mix of colours. It's also heavyweight but a mix of cotton and linen.

Designers Guild - China Rose "Verbena" - orange/red

I have 2.4m, 1.9m, 1.3m and 0.9m lengths of this, all 1.37m wide. It is linen and only medium-weight but still fine for cushion covers. I got it because with the sunny colours I could see it might work well as covers for seat cushions on benches or outdoor chairs. Suitably reinforced with a heavy calico on the back, it could also be great for old-fashioned style deckchairs.

Fifth Avenue designs for Covington - "Wild Orchid"

I have 3m of this by 1.4m wide. It was a mad Ebay purchase but I bought it because it was one of the few "chintz" fabrics that I like. Often chintz is just a bit too sugary for me, but it seemed in keeping with the period of our house that we have at least a few hints of it! I wouldn't want this everywhere, but I thought it could be really effective as cushions, in a room with cream furnishings. Which we will most likely have as two of the armchairs and one of the sofa's we have in London are upholstered in wonderful soft cord cream and we'll definitely bring them back with us. (The cream upholstery is more practical than you'd think as we chose custom-fitted but removeable covers so you can just throw them in the washing machine!)

Ebay win: arts&crafts dining chairs

Today we went to pick up some chairs that I won during the week on Ebay. Here's some pictures and the description from the auction listing:



"Set of four good quality arts and crafts oak dining chairs, circa 1900. They are 43" tall (backs are 25" high from top of seat), 17 and a half inches at widest point. Tall straight backs with central roundal and shaped top finials. All chairs have joined oak stretchers and front rail and kick-out feet. The chairs have drop-in seats covered in Liberty arts & crafts material, over horsehair filling and webbing. Each seat is stamped with its own letter to correspond with the letters on the chairs. The chairs are in excellent condition"

I nearly didn't bid on them as figured they'd go for a lot more than I was prepared to pay. I usually low-ball my bids on this sort of thing because I have to factor in how much it'll cost to (eventually) ship them to Australia. But, Auctionsniper is amazingly helpful especially when you're up against clueless bidders. (It also has the advantage of letting you change your mind and not bid up till the last seconds! - very good at repairing the damage from "impulse shopping"!)

Anyway, I've had too much luck getting bargains on Ebay to feel good about paying top dollar now except for something that is perfect and I can't imagine ever coming up for sale again! There's only been a couple of those things and I always bid if I can because I felt so bad after the one I let slip away.... it was several years ago, Ebay was just getting going in the UK, and a huge stained glass ceiling came up for auction. In the end it sold for £1000 - a lot of money but given its size, perfect condition and uniqueness, well worth it, and I've been regretting not bidding for it ever since. It'd cost at least 10 times that to have a replica made nowadays. It was pre-Amherst; I talked myself out of it as we'd just finished building our conservatory here in London so I didn't have anywhere I could use it.

Anyway, back to the chairs. These weren't in my "perfect" category because there's plenty of this kind of thing around still if you're prepared to pay. But they're lovely and they'll definitely be handy. You can always use extra chairs and these ones will be great for displaying in a hall, spare in the study, etc and then using when we have a full house for a dinner party. The only downside is that they're not as comfortable as I'd have liked, but fine for occasional use and they'll look wonderful the rest of the time.

Dave's beer pump collection

Dave has discovered Ebay with a vengeance! He's suddenly started collecting beer paraphenalia to go in his "shed" at Amherst. It'll be properly kitted out with plumbing, heating and loads of work space. So far he plans to have a wood burning stove in there (he is eying up the 2nd hand raeburn) and most importantly a bar. I'm still trying to get to the bottom of what he's planning but I think the idea is that he's going to line a wall and possible the counter etc with a whole lot of different beer pump labels. There's a lot of different ones they have here in the UK for ales, some of them are actually just special seasonal names for normal beer (I'll never forget "bouncing bunny" beer we encountered a few Easter's ago!). He's an assortment of what he's collected so far.

daves beerthings
Originally uploaded by lynetter.

yay, we won! amazing stained glass

We so very nearly didn't bid on these because we're supposed to be saving money (to help out in a family emergency) but in the end they're so special and unique, and we both loved them so much that we couldn't resist. We'll just have to eat rice & beans for the next month to make up for it!

I'm so happy we got them and can't wait to see them in real life. We trust that they'll be as good if not better than described though 'cos they're coming from the same people we bought the wonderful Arts&Crafts stair railing last year. Ultimately they'll be destined for Amherst somewhere but I think I'm going to try and use them here in London too, even if it's just leaning up against the windows we have already.

Here's some pictures, and below is the description from the auction listing.

57969-3293
Originally uploaded by lynetter.


57969-3290
Originally uploaded by lynetter.

"This auction is for 7 original 19th century Arts and Crafts hand painted stained glass leaded panels each measuring 11 x 10 inches. We have placed these in the order they appear to be in, symmetrical with the enameling all on the same side, (but does not look quite right, perhaps originally this was much bigger or in 2 parts or like), no matter - the absolute stunning original design and quality make these worth the restoration. The design has a border of a red & clear glass stripe all the way around the outside. There are 5 large stylized flowers (sunflowers with big seed heads and narrow petals?). These flowers seem to grow out of Acanthus leaves against a blue background. The flower heads, petals and leaves have all been hand painted with great detail. All glass is thick and heavy with an irregular texture, lots of ripples and little bubbles, fantastic depth of colours (we have photographed with light behind to illuminate). The lead work is all original and pretty much solid, with the exception of the lower right corner panel. Please see below for a concise list of condition. We have been advised that these have a baked on enamel decoration and date c1880. They are in the style of William De Morgan, William Morris, Mackintosh, the leading designers of the day. These are very unusual and it would not be surprising if these are actually by a prominent maker ...

This glass does have some cracks, most of which are not so noticeable but we have decided to highlight everything! Please keep in mind there are a total of 208 pieces of glass present. The top right hand corner panel is absent. Although these panels have been wiped over we have not attempted to clean thoroughly, there are some paint spots to the glass and the leadwork (green), that will need removing - this shows up as dark patches against the glass. Only 1 seed head has slight chipping to the edge which appears to have been done when cut. Out of all the flower petals only the top left corner panel (1 hairline) and the upper middle right hand panel (2 hairlines) have small fractures. Painted leaves: Top left corner panel (2 hairlines), Upper middle left panel (1), lower middle right (1), and from the two bottom panels that have many more leaves: The left hand has 2 out of 11 leaves have hairlines, and the right hand panel has 3 out of 9 damaged – also missing two small leaves on the left (see photo). Plain Blue Glass: Top left corner (3), Upper middle left (1), Lower Middle right (1), Lower left 1 out of 4 with hairlines, and lower right 2 out of 4. From the entire border we have counted 7 hairlines to the little red panels and 8 to the clear glass panels. ALL PANELS ARE EXTREMELY SOLID AND STRONG with the exception of the lower right hand corner panel; it has lost some of its edging lead work and is a little fragile as can be seen in the pictures.

we bought a shipping container

I had a bad patch with work recently (in that there was too much of it!) and fell behind posting... I just realised I hadn't mentioned the recent big purchase of the shipping container yet, so here goes..

It was something we'd been toying with for a while, but Dad resurrected the idea. One of the problems we have is that because we don't live in Australia, we don't have anywhere other than our parents houses to store things. That's OK provided there's not too much stuff, but it just seems to be ballooning now we know we'll be moving back there at some point. Like with the Vacola bottles (that's for the next post).

Anyway, in Australia you can buy second-hand old steel freight containers for a few thousand dollars, which effectively can function as an instant - and very very secure - shed. Dad found one for sale at a place near Geelong which seemed perfect for what we needed so he bought it on our behalf on impulse. It was delivered a fortnight ago and put between the driveway and the dam, near the entrance. You can just see the top of it over the dam wall from the house. Obviously it doesn't look that pretty but we can disguise it eventually with planting; or even build a mock shed around it if need be!

Here's the description of it in Dad's words...

Extract from email from Dad - Mar 6, 2005

"I had not intended to do more than sus (the container) out and make a decision after comparing Melbourne and Geelong based firms. One of the difficulties when buying something in an "as is" state, is there are various conditions you can find containers in, some of which render them to a short life in the open unless roofed. All the firms suggest coming out to look at the item before buying. I looked as 20 footers, 40 footers, and a cutdown version only 10 foot. His were in good condition, and then he said he had one he could sell more cheaply. I had looked at the 40 footer, and found out that whereas the cost of a container 20 foot is 2100 plus delivery of 328 from his farm, the cost of the 40 footer was only 2300, but delivery was more expensive due to the more difficult offloading technique. I said I wanted one only a bit bigger than 20 foot because spouting and pipes come stocklength at exactly 6 m and the inside of a 20 footer is only 5.8 m. He then showed me a one-off container that had been bought by him from a plumber... He offered the container for 1600 and it contains lovely shelving, has an extension of 18 inches at one end, is wired for powerpoint, and has two vents in it for air circulation, which are covered with very heavy mesh. It also had brackets for blocking the doors closed with a large steel "I" beam, but he didn't have the beam formerly used. I arranged for him to fit his self-designed covered security locking system so the paddlock is protected from bolt cutters or sawing off, or barring off. I also arranged for him to make another beam to block the doors with a further level of security".

Container

Dad has found us a great old shipping container which we can use for secure storage up at Amherst. It means we don't need to keep annoying people by cluttering up their houses with our stuff; nor spend a fortune on one of those storage places like Fort Knox. We worked out that we'll break even in around 2-3 years on buying the container compared to if we'd had to rent the space in Fort Knox; plus this way Dave gets to add to his accumulation of sheds which he's happy about!

The container was originally custom-made as a workshop for a plumber; Dad got it secondhand from a place near Geelong. It's a basic 20ft container except at one end it has an extension of 18 inches, which means that we can fit building material like timber etc in standard lengths which would otherwise be slightly too long. It is wired for power, has two vents for air circulation covered with mesh, and shelving. It should be very secure with Dad getting extra modifications made so now there'll be a big steel I-beam blocking the door as well as two padlocks with a locking system that stops people being able to get at them with bolt cutters etc. We're going to put it down near Charlie's house, behind our dam so it will be largely out of sight of our house, harder for people to sneak up to as it's more in view of Charlie, and also more convenient for delivering things.

Ebay win: more windows!

This morning we got an amazing bargain on Ebay, well I think so anyway. I nearly didn't even bid because the photos weren't very clear, but then decided to take a gamble as it was only an hour's drive away. Fortunately, no-one else bid against me so I got them for the asking price... It is 3 windows, all in pretty good condition, a few minor cracks in the glass but barely noticeable, and the leadwork is all in good nick. The person selling said they were all part of a set but I think only the two big ones are. The other is from the top of an old door and seems of quite a different scene... I don't mind the door window, but it's the other two that I adore. They're big; the glass sections are approx 17 inches across by 45 inches tall, and when you look at them side by side the images do seem to match up. They're in a solid metal frame so very sturdy.

Below are some pictures, and I am experimenting with a new photo blogging program called Hello (hence the little speech bubbly thing at the end).

First, here is the window from the top of a door
 


And here are the two windows that are part of a set. They're amazingly detailed; different in style to the other kinds we have as there isn't any clear glass in them, but similar heritage I think
 


 

Ebay win: picture stained glass windows

This kind of window very seldom comes up. The last time it did that I remember was about 2 years ago, when I bought them but that was a set of 5 small windows. I love those still but these ones are even more amazing because they're so big. Also fortunately they're in Kent too so not far from the russian chests... we shall make a dash down next weekend probably to pick them all up together! The description for all said "You are bidding for a stained glass window that has been taken out of a gorgeous manor house in Kent. How old these windows are I honestly could not tell you (1920/30's roughly)but I have never seen such lovely colours or fantastic workmanship like this"

The first window: Size of glass (not including frame) - H850mm x W430mm (10 different glass colours). Pane missing where pointing in picture and a crack in small clear glass pane by handle is the only damage


The second window: Size of glass (not including frame) - H1170mm x W460mm (7 different glass colours). Undamaged.


The third window: Size of glass (not including frame) Top vent- H430 x W430mm Bottom window-H700 x W460mm (10 different glass colours). Undamaged.

Ebay win: amazing victorian stained glass door

We bought this on a bit of a whim, because it was one of the nicest doors I've ever seen listed on Ebay. Also, because stained glass windows with hand-paintings in them are always a lot more expensive, and this door has two of them. The description:
"This is an original victorian stained glass door with raised mouldings on the front. The two stained glass panels have painted landscape scenes. As far as I can see none of the glass is damaged however some of the the lead work in places is perished and needs to be addressed. Some of the coloured glass in the panels doesn't seem to match but in my opinion it is original to the door and appears as though they have used what glass they had available to them. There are a few bumps and bruises throughout the door, nothing major but consistent with more than 100 years of use. Measurements: Width 28 inches, height 74.5 inches. Glass panels: 7.5 inches width, 35.5 inches tall. Landscape paintings: 6 inches in diameter"


Update
Here are some more pictures of the door taken at Aunt Marion's (where we'd had it stored). You can get a better idea of the details in this. I like it because it is beautiful but retains an amateurish, down-to-earth feel.

Ebay win: thistle stained glass panel

We bought this because it seemed like it would fit as part of a garden theme, maybe even in the garden wall. It isn't in perfect condition but then I only paid £5 for it so it doesn't need to be! From the description: "On offer here is a lovely stained glass window of a thistle.This window is 17 1/4" across by 15" high approx.This window is in need of a little tender loving care and a clean, it is in good condition but does have one lead lined area with 3 crackes in it and another has cracked with a small piece missing out of it which has made the larger piece loose, which are both to the right, so it is ideal for a small restoration project as it is on the clear glass only".

another Russian trunk

Another one of very similar style came up for auction which we just couldn't resist. These will be used initially as (very fancy) tea-chests for sending things back to Australia, but ultimately as a side-table or trunk at the end of a bed. So it's like buying a piece of furniture as well. Here's the description:
"A beautiful example of mid C19th Russian painted chest. This piece dates from around 1850 and features the original paint with a particularly lovely design and glorious, rich colouring and cast iron banding. The paint design is featured on all four sides. There are cast iron handles at each end and the original cast iron escutcheon to the front although inside, the lock is missing. The top is slightly domed and here the paint has faded and worn slightly from years of use.
In good condition but it must be expected with a piece of this age that there are some scuffs, dents, bumps etc. The hinges have a certain amount of play in them but do work and a few pieces of the cast iron banding are missing but to no particularly adverse effect. Measurements: 25.25' (64cm) x 18.5' (47) x 14.5' (37)"

Ebay win: railway luggage rack

We thought this would be nice as a towel rack in the bathroom. From the description: "This rack measures 730 x 320 and is made of Brass. originating from the railway with NSW written on the ends. This was used as a functional/decorative piece that will look great in the right setting. It nas been in storage for a while and needs a good clean". It's now at Dave's parents house awaiting the move to storage.

antique suitcase trunks and russian chests

Last weekend we met a friend at Camden market for lunch and stumbled across these amazing giant suitcases from the 1920-30's. One was metal, the rest are some kind of wood. They're really sturdy with locks and they have loads of worn old stickers from ships and hotels. Dave loved them too so we bought them all and are going to use them first to ship things back to Australia in, and then eventually they'll be used as tables, benches, chests for the end of beds, etc. They're fantastic and so big that we'll be able to fit the railings in from the oak staircase (see earlier post) which will solve one of our dilemmas in getting them home.

We've also come across some other amazing painted wooden chests on Ebay which we're going to use for the same purpose, although might keep them to use here first. We've bought one already and there's another great one coming up in a week. Here is a picture and description of the one we've bought already:

"Delightful pine trunk dating from around 1870 from the north-west of Russia. It features the original folk-art paintwork and cast-iron banding and is preserved in excellent condition. The paint is to all sides. A small part of the iron escutcheon is missing. There are wrought-iron handles. Measurements: 25" (63cm) x 17.5" (45) x 14" (36)"


The guy I got it from is a dealer who imports from North West Russia. He normally sells to trade only but thought he'd experiment with Ebay. I asked him to tell me more about their history and this is what he said - "In terms of the boxes: no you won't have seen anything like them before. Those such as yours are very rare, even in Russia. They come from the extreme north-west from a very small area only in Arkhangelsk (ie: Archangel in english) and are getting harder and harder to come by. As far as I know, I am the only direct importer to UK. They are actually painted in the way of Russian Icons, ie, onto gesso and usually by the same calibre of artist. I did see one featured in Country Living a few years ago (for £350 I should add!!)".

I haven't been able to find much more detail myself online about these boxes specifically but it certainly sounds legitimate when I researched the area and found it was famous for its use of wood. Here are some links:

This is about a book (sadly out of print) all about the architecture of amazing houses built all in wood there

This has pictures from a rural living museum near Arkhangelsk

Ebay win: oak rails with copper and wrought iron

This was a bit of a splurge but we decided it was too good to pass up. We're going to have to get creative on storing it though, hiding it behind sofas etc as I fear it'll be really expensive to ship home on its own. We were the only bidders so got it for the starting price of £475.

"This auction is for the most beautiful set of art nouveau crafts railing over 36ft of totally original craftsmanship, these date c1910. The most gorgeous oak, copper and iron work all totally original and undamaged. All oak is perfect as is hand made iron and copper work, no damage or restorations. This lot has 4 sections, that when joined together create 2 complete rails, one straight one curved, the straight one measures an overall size of-18ft and the curved one an overall size of-18ft. The 4 large metalwork sections measures an overall 75 x 37 x 3cm thick and the 4 smaller ones measure 51.5 x 36.5 x 3 cm. The oak rails measure 9 x 5.5 cm ends are obviously larger with the scroll. These could be used for a variety of things, and could be used in part or whole, bannister uprights and rails, balcony, wonderful table bases, window wall grills, all sorts, these are from a church and were communion rests, rails. This is all magnificent craftsmanship, these all slot together and fix with an internal screwing mechanism and are concealed by oak pegs. The scrolled oak ends are removeable. This is all too wonderful to look at, absolutely love these".

more on the stove

Dad collected it last night, after a marathon effort. Here's his account of the night:

Email from Dad - 20/9/04

Hi,I got everything. Your stove is in excellent order for an old stove. Sure, there are some edges that are tattered, but over all you can be very proud of the stove. I got the water tank from the roof. It is the insulated type that I expected to be within the ceiling space, but there wasn't room so they put it outside on the top of the roof. All very suitable for Amherst. Salvaged the castiron pipe, and the steel flue. Very heavy. I lost control of the tank when lowering it from the roof and it fell a short distance before being pulled up short by the tied end of the rope. There was some wall damage to the ac sheeting. I felt like the guy ought to have something for the tank and since I damaged the wall I left him $300 for the lot as I left the site at 7 am. I spent a total of 10 hours getting the job done, and will spend $200 on groceries from your credit card as you said you would pay for that time. I worked all night, and was very fortunate all went very well with moving the stove. I have it in the carport now, and will take it and the stainglass, and some other things up to Amherst on Sunday. I have to hire the big trailer again so may as well take the big crate. I want to strongly encourage you to consider a lockup shed for Amherst when you make up your mind where you want it. I will put the stove into the house for now of course. I am very tired so will go for sleep now. I really enjoyed the photos and email you sent. I have read through it all, and looked the allotment. I am impressed with the size of the allotment. You can really make something of that size of allotment. Love Dad

Ebay wins: urns and a stove

I'm writing in "real-time" now. I haven't caught up yet and it's going to take ages, so I decided to not worry about it, I'll work on it gradually but I don't want to fall even further behind.

So, this weekend... We drove up to a place just past Swindon to pick up some stone urns that I got on Ebay. The guy selling them had hundreds; I'm not sure where from but I didn't want to ask as I was guessing it could have been from an old cemetery. How else do you get lots of urns of different shapes and sizes? Anyway, they're really nice. About 40cm tall I'm guessing and they weigh a ton. They have a drainage hole in the bottom so you could mount them on a plinth and use them as planters. I figured they'd be good for Amherst, I can imagine them going really well in the herb garden. But in the interim I'll use them here.

Also this weekend we bought a stove. A lovely old Rayburn (or Raeburn as it was spelled in the Ebay listing). This is in Australia already and it's a woodburning stove. Apparently in good nick, just needs a new grate, but I'll find out for sure in a day or so when I hear from Dad. Here's a picture.



Based on looking at http://www.agashopaustralia.com/NewFiles/rayburnidentify.html
we think it is either a model 2 or model 3. Either way, Either way, judging from to http://www.aga-rayburn.co.uk/37.htm it is probably from the late 1940's or 1950's.

The only horrible part of the stove is having to collect and move it. Poor Dad is collecting it for us, and because the guy we're buying it from is insisting it be moved before Wednesday (this is for an auction finishing on the Sunday!!) the only time Dad could do it was Monday morning - ie: right now. So he drove up there late, is planning to sleep there, and then work on getting the stove out as soon as it gets light. He's hiring a special trailer with a winch in order to lift it, etc. Dad is brilliant at helping with all of this as he always knows what to do; I didn't even know trailers with winches existed, let alone knowing where to rent one from with little notice. But Dad does. I just feel awful having to ask him to help though as he's so busy with other things.

Ebay wins: giant lampshade and stained glass windows

Ebay is a godsend. Here is the first in what I'm sure will be a regular feature of things I've bought on Ebay for Amherst

From an email sent to Mum on 4th March 2004

That giant lampshade I got on Ebay arrives on Sunday, the one that we were thinking of using as a skylight somewhere in Australia. The frame is apparently too big and too heavy to get back by plane or to store here so we will probably arrange a furniture crate in the next few weeks. In fact, it's so heavy that it takes two people to lift it apparently so that'll be fun to install. It has an iron frame on it though so has been up at one point. I was told it was taken out of an old hotel in Bath that was torn down; I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Ebay receipt for the giant lampshade

This is the ebay receipt for the giant lampshade by the way,in which you can see a photo of it. We've shipped it back to Australia now, Dad's storing it somewhere in his garage I think. Cost a fortune but given we got it pretty cheaply, it evened out. Can't imagine ever finding another one like it! I don't normally scan in my ebay receipts but this was an exception as I had to email it to Dad for the Customs clearance.




Stained glass windows emails

From my email to Mum on 20th Feb 2004.
Look what we got for the Amherst house (well probably Amherst)... pretty good to get them all matching, don't you think, for this price? It was the fact they were all decent sizes and matching that made us decide to go for them. The colours are OK, enough variation that you wouldn't be limited in decorating colour inside anyway. Ebay item # 2595768317

They're in Southhampton, we'll collect over a weekend soon and combine it with a visit to Aunt Marion. The great thing too is they don't have their wooden frames, so a lot easier to store and bring back to Australia in a suitcase.

Mum said..
they are lovely. Dad is working for a guy in exchange for some glass panel things - he has enough to build his "conservatory" at the back iand in barter has done two days work. There is a lot more glass there - do you want him to get some more? He works as barter when he doesn't have another shift nursing...

And I said...
Perhaps... it depends on what the glass panels are like. e.g., are they doubleglazed? are they part of plastic units or wooden framed or no frame at all? I always like to do things the traditional way so ideally want everything to be timber framed. Of course if the glass is going for free then may as well take it as it can always be stored up at Amherst out of the way and gotten rid of later if not OK, but if it is going to cost money (or time from Dad which I will reimburse in money) then no point unless they're what we would want. We're going to visit Aunt Marion next weekend and pick up the glass then. Hopefully we'll be able to bring it all back with us when we come back this year but we'll see... I can't really tell how big they are all together till I see them.

Here is the Ebay receipt where you can see some very small pictures of them. These too are now safely back in Australia, we shipped them along with the lamp in an old Samsonite suitcase! One that I bought back in Seattle in around 1993, had done 10 years great service but lock was a bit dodgy now so glad it found a new use.