Thrift Find, Heller Plates

My new stash of Heller. I need to get more plates and balance out the colors. The coasters are not heller. I thought the planter went nicely with the Heller and have two other larger ones that are yellow too.

photo NC Modern

While hitting the thrift store pavement last week, I came across some nice sturdy Heller plastic plates. On the lookout for things to use on the deck, I purchased a whole stack in colors that I liked. 

After getting home, I did a search on Heller and was pleased to find that they are collectible, (I would still like them even if they weren't) as this is always a bonus with thrifting.  As a newcomer to modern design, I wasn't familar with Heller, but am learning as I go.

Conceived by Italian designer, Massimo Vignelli,this melamine tableware is made to be stackable. (It won an award for good design in 1964.)  Originally produced in Italy, it was introduced later to the U.S. and produced by Heller who added more colors and Heller tableware became very popular. Apparently it is still in production and sold by Unicahome in white.

Photo Mary & Matt

Here you can see some of the colors they were made in

photo Domus Modern 

Here is some cutlery made to go with

I like this color combination. You can also see some other pieces in the line.

Nice Ice Bucket

Photo from White Mole

The yellow Heller pieces look really 

nice on the gray table, nice and cheery!

I think these will be great for outdoor summer gatherings. I have added Heller to my list of things to look for.

Lacquerware

Photo by Ayuko

It's my guess that with most people thrifting leads to collecting. Collections come in all shapes and sizes. Two's a pair but three is a collection (we're not counting sets here). One item that I like to collect is lacquerware from Japan. I don't have a large or expensive collection, but several items I have culled from estate sales and thrift stores. 

Lacquerware comes in all kinds of shapes and forms: jewelry boxes, dipping bowls, trays, plates, chopsticks, containers, bento boxes, even furniture. Japan is not the only country that makes lacquerware, it's also made in China. Though I'm sure each country has their own process and of course their design.

Photos by Blue Lotus

I think these trays are very contemporary in their design.

Photo by jmvnoos in Paris

These lacquerware plates are from Vietnam

Photo by beggs

Nice design on this bowl

Photo by reefish

Aren't these goblets gorgeous? 

I'd take those bowls in the background too.

Photo by yaknor

Photo by AlliRose

These lacquerware dolls make me think of Kokeshi dolls, another thing I collect.To see a posting I did on Kokeshi dolls on my other blog, click here. You can see my obsessiveness here too.

Tall Lacquered Chest

photo by pontfire

photo by pontfire

These cabinets are nothing short of spectacular. But here I go again, getting all carried away.I started looking at jewelry boxes and ended up here.

Dragonfly Rice Bowls

photo by handbaghook

photo by jpellgen

So keep your eyes open for lacquerware. You never know where it's going to turn up. Believe it or not, sometimes it's mixed in with the plastic (but that's our secret,shh). What do you like to collect?

A Divine Experience

Decorating tastes and preferences can change over time. For the longest time my taste was country, antiques, some shabby chic too. But slowly I started liking modern, mid century modern, industrial and some japanese design. So what's a girl to do when she wants to make some big changes? Sell what you can and then donate the rest to Goodwill. 

It's not happening overnight. With four kids, college tuition, etc., funds are limited. It takes time to find things you like, want, need. This is where thrifting comes in and dammit, it works pretty well. 

For some time I've been looking for a pair of modern chairs for my living room to replace the old fashioned ones I have. My budget was $100 with the idea that they would be decent enough to use until I could afford to have them reupholstered. I found a pair I liked on craigslist and paid $80 for the pair. (The person who was selling them had gotten them from a friend who gave them to her and they weren't her taste.) The color is not my first choice, kind of a grayed purple, but I can definitely live with them. The chairs have good lines and are well constructed. Sorry if I'm going on here, but I'm trying to build momentum. I discovered after I got the chairs home that they are Baker Chairs. Pause. This is where the choir starts singing, because that is what I was hearing in my head. THIS IS WHY I THRIFT. Amen.