We cringe when we see egregious cases of serious antiques or noteworthy vintage covered with a coat of paint. A turn of the century oak side table done up in white paint makes us reach for the smelling salts. But sometimes, for a piece to get a fresh life, a coat of paint is the right cure. There are some awesome Governor Winthrop desks from the 20s and 30s that aren’t heirloom antiques and were saved with paint to disguise a failing mahogany veneer. A fresh coat of paint after removing the rust from a mid century magazine rack is fair play. Nondescript, worn kitchen chairs from the 80s can be turned into something Pinterest-ready with updated paint. And the Sexton cats in this week’s fresh to market vintage would benefit from a paint glow up. Their original paint has seen better days.
We’ve seen some excellent glow ups on Sexton cats. The set above, by Kat Auer via Facebook, is ultra extra mid century atomic in the best way. Sexton cats could also be made into nursery decor or made purrfectly elegant with vintage rhinestone collars for a dining room. This is one time when not only would we approve of getting out the paint, we would cheer you on.
We would also cheer about the rest of this week’s fresh to market vintage, all of which is perfect just the way it is.
Zig Zag Chevron Bangles
Bright colors seem to just go with summer. This set of bold colorful zig zag bangles are meant to be worn stacked up. Mix and match the colors with other bangles to match your outfit. These colors bring back memories of the 90s fluorescent shades. I loved the colors then, and still do! How about you, do you love bright colors or softer more muted shades?
Zig Zag Chevron Bangle Set, $15.95
Pam, Vintage Renude
Goofus Glass Bowl, Wild Rose Design c 1900s
This is a nice example of an early American “Goofus” glass bowl, circa the early 1900s. The exact origin of the name is unknown but “Goofus” glass is considered the earliest form of carnival glass. Gold and red paint covers the unmarked pressed glass bowl in a floral pattern similar to a wild rose. Because the paint was unfired, it tended to flake and chip off, which makes the pieces where the color has survived more collectible.
American Goofus Glass Bowl, $55
Linda, Selective Salvage
1960s Sexton Cat Trio
These cast aluminum cats made in the 1960s by Sexton USA of Leeton, Missouri, have seen some things. The paint is chippy, but not in a cool shabby way because these are not cool shabby cats. They are cool atomic era cats. Sexton originally made them in this brown woodgrain with gold collars and a solid black, also with gold collars.
Being cast aluminum, they are sturdy and ready to hang as they are. If you have some finesse with paints, you could absolutely restore the finish. Or you could do something entirely different. They’re a choose-your-own-adventure.
Trio of 1960s Sexton USA Siamese Wall Cats, $130.
Laurie, NextStage Vintage
Muula Finland 9″ Eva Vase
Whether your grow your own or get them at the grocery store, summer flowers deserve a vase upgrade. Are you using an old florist vase that’s main virtue is it’s easy to replace if it breaks? Do you use the same vase all the time? We think you deserve an upgrade, and we think it should be this.
The Eva vase by Muula Finland from the 1970s and 1980s is the easiest vase you will ever arrange flowers in. The ruffled top and the perfect height lets the flowers fall gracefully into place. The icy texture on the outside gives it a great look and the smooth glass inside makes it easy to clean. There’s a reason Crate and Barrel sold this vase–it combines beauty and function.
Vintage Muula Finland Eva 9″ Glass Vase, $79.95.
Available from this week’s guest, 2 Cottage Closets
If you’re of a certain age, you will get this reference. Can’t you see Jane Jetson wearing those bracelets while watching Rosie the Robot, a vintage model XB-500, dust the Sexton cats on the wall? If you have lived a Jetsons-free life, here’s a taste. The Jetsons was set in the year 2062. That means there are 36 years left until we have flying cars and in-home people movers.
If you’re as interested in the past as you are in the future, you would hate to miss one of our posts. That’s why you should subscribe to our email newsletter, which is delivered by space age technology that’s available here and now. You get one email a week with links to all our posts. And you can rest assured that we would rather strip six coats of paint off an antique hall tree with intricate carving than ever share your info.
