LET’S TALK PROVENANCE…

I first found the mother load of vintage textiles at an estate sale in Astoria, Oregon, a few years ago.  Thank God my father-in-law was persistent in finding this place; the shop of an upholster, whose estate was being liquidated.

It was like walking back in time, to the mid century, with hand written notes pinned all over the walls, leftover fabric bolts stacked up on shelves and in metal trash cans. It was definitely a  hard-working artisan’s work room. His adjoining house was also for sale, so that was super fun to see his formal 50’s-60’s era living room and his immaculately upholstered pieces.

BOLD FLORALS

I was completely blown away by the quality of the thick, cotton velvet and the richness of the patterns and colors. I wouldn’t have expected this bold palette to be so prominent on the coast of Oregon.

I was later told by the owner of local store, Vintage Hardware, that he was the only upholsterer in the Astoria region for quite some time.

The bolts were at bargain prices. The gamble was that this upholsterer smoked. A lot. The pervasive smell of stale smoke was on all of the textiles.  I also wasn’t sure how they would fare after I had washed them.

Once home,I threw some samples in the washer/dryer and was elated with what I found. The quality had endured and they were just as vibrant and beautiful.

I honed my ability to clean vintage textiles, determining that 1/2 cup of vinegar mixed with detergent was the best addition to a load of laundry, to remove the smell. Sometimes even a second or third wash was required, but ultimately worth it.  It was no small undertaking to wash and handle these really heavy, wet velvets.

We even had to replace the mechanism inside our washer after a couple of intense weeks of washing, so there was that…

YELLOW ROSE

The other gamble was whether or not people would even like this dated, retro collection.

As with everything online it takes a few months for your items to be found…but eventually, they became quite popular and really are a bargain for the quality.

XOXO

Suzanne