June 17, 2011

Billy Baldwin’s Autobiography

As much as a criticize some of the One King’s Lane Tag Sales, I have purchased a number of things from them, and have always been very pleased with my purchases. Baldwin 011A few weeks ago, during David Duncan’s Tag Sale on OKL, I spotted a book I’ve been searching for – the autobiography of Billy Baldwin!  I have a signed copy of BB Remembers and BB Decorates, but this is one that I’d been missing from my collection. I also have Adam Lewis’s beautiful book on Billy Baldwin that was published last year.bbaldwinI had some credits at OKL, so I took the plunge and bought Billy Baldwin – An Autobiography. Instead of working on the house, I’ve been reading it every second I have a chance. The most fun thing about this book is that it talks at length about his early life in Baltimore, and many of the names and places and even some of the events are familiar to me. billy baldwin roundup design sponge The house that I just bought is about three or four blocks from the house where Billy Baldwin spent his early years. I will have to walk Connor over there as a pilgrimage.

I can’t wait to finish the book, as it’s been excellent thus far.

7 comments:

  1. did you criticize the business model? It has a reported 23 million venture capital invested in it, with a new spinoff called Downstairs in the offing. Now the psychology behind the sale here today gone tomorrow. Sales are on consignment so it seems here today at OKL somewhere else if you can find it-- but then value is in the eyes of the buyer.

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  2. No doubt about it, OKL is a great resource. I use it to compare prices--the OKL prices are more or else the correct price point in my book. As for Billy, absolutely perfect style and still current today. Have a super week-end. Mary

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  3. Anon... not the business model, which is brilliant. I criticized some things on it that I thought were insanely priced: a jar of beach glass for $145.00, discounted from $300+. There are a couple of other examples which were in that vein.

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  4. I take it that you are talking about the book by the late Michael Gardine. Adam Lewis was a little 'sniffy' about it in his book, implying that Gardine made up a lot of stuff?

    I found the Gardine a lot more interesting and informative than Lewis.

    Did you have to fork out a lot on OKL for it?

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  5. Anon@17:42... i had a couple of credits at OKL from some things, so it was pretty inexpensive. I am just happy to have it in my library!

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  6. As we speak, I'm considering the blue fabric [for my two facing sofas] he put on ALL of Mary Wells Lawrence's upholstered Living Room seating at La Fiorentina, wayyyy back when. The loveliness of it still lingers in my mind:

    https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2fe1UeIKwGk/TYvfTnFkaMI/AAAAAAAAcUo/5Vh6TvvDDkQ/s1600/14.+la+fiorentina+billy+baldwin.jpg

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