stoppin' in at BIG DADDY antiques

I was looking at a blog post by Kelly Wearstler's last night where she is shown shopping in one of my favorite spots to pop into in Los Angeles - Liz's Antique Hardware.  Besides having fabulous people that work there (Woody - 'natch), they always have something that you didn't even know you needed.  Often I would find amazing hardware without even having the piece to put the darn things on!  When I worked for Lori Erenberg we would 99% of the time spec their vintage and antique hardware for new built-ins - thus giving these new pieces character right off the bat.  


Where am I going with this?  Well, while browsing K-Dog's interior photos of LAH, I thought about all the wonderful showrooms I am exposed to on a daily basis and I thought y'all might like to virtually  experience a few spots that I find inspirational and fascinating....sound good?  Okay, good.


First up, lets look at Big Daddy Antiques.  14,000 square feet (ummmm...their LA store is 42,000 square feet......) of crusty goodness.  What I am calling "crusty goodness" is kindof all the rage right now...degraded farm tables with iron bases, mismatched baskets, vintage rusted old pails from fish markets, birdcages (love!!), etc......mixing it with new glossy Verner Panton chairs, new upholstered leather club chairs, etc.  It's fun, funky, very interesting and maybe too much ALL at once, but I think BDA's message is more of showing how you can take the architectural misfits (old capitals, doors, stone troughs) and mix them in with your new, more contemporary objects.  


On another note regarding BDA, two of my uber-fab interior designer girlfriends - Amanda Teal and Rebecca Loewke - recently shot a spread there for Matchbook Magazine. The article is super cute and so are they!

rattan and quilted chaise.  hello, rad.

doggy carnival ride....love.

column in the back is beautiful and those sconces are fab.

i love that all their HUGE birdcages have these sweet cooing doves in them....so romantic.

imagine retrofitting these doors into your pool cabana dressing rooms...!

And the soundtrack for your happy hunting would have to be Big Bad Voodoo Daddy...of course!