Maryland Antiques Show @ Hunt Valley

I attended the Maryland Antiques Show at Hunt Valley as the guest of the committee this morning and it was a great event. Soon after I arrived, the lecture with José Solís Betancourt & Paul Sherrill who were talking about their book, Elegant Transformations. They basically went through the book and talked about some of the projects they’d worked on, including a transformation so dramatic that they tore the house down!

One of the houses in the book was a place they’d done in DC 20 years ago, and it looked as fresh as if it was done last year. A design element that I thought was brilliant was to hang artwork from bronze rails, and run the power cords through the rails, so there wouldn’t be any unattractive power outlets marring the walls.

In this image, I particularly liked the gossamer-sheer covering on the hall table.José Solís Betancourt & Paul Sherrill’s main take-away was that your house should be so special to you that you look forward with great anticipation to returning home. What a great idea!

Following the lecture, I had a chance to tour the show. One of the first booths I came across was Rick Scott, from San Francisco, who featured the most wonderful selection of beautiful tortoise-shell and quill boxes. The detail work was just extraordinary and each piece had something to recommend it. I especially liked the little box made from the shell, in the center, above.

And how could I not love the beautiful silver at Spencer Marks from Southampton, Mass.! You can see the red from my sweater reflected in this ewer and cups. I can’t even imagine having to polish all of this silver, but it was stunning.

I loved these clocks from Lotz’s Antiques in St. Louis. A very contemporary look in a very old piece.

I had a chance to chat with Alan Cunha from Boston and Nantucket. I think that his was one of the booths that I liked most!  This chest is the 18th century version of my steel cabinet that holds shoes.I loved these glass pieces that are actually car headlights from the 1940’s. The yellow ones are fog lights, and the clear ones are headlights. Car buyers could choose the pattern for the glass.  Their simple frames and stands elevate them to art.

Another everyday item elevated to art was this set of moulds from Chanel and Tiffany used for casting pins and other small metal items. Just before I arrived, a woman came by and swooped up the lot of them.

I am a total sucker for garden antiques, and this display from Finnegan Gallery in Chicago really pulled me in. This summer, I am focusing on the garden at the house, but somehow, I doubt it will ever look this moody.One can only hope!

Another Nantucket dealer, Sylvia Antiques, had a great selection of nautical antiques.

I especially loved this simple pitcher with the sailing ship.Of course, I am mad for china of all types, and saw some great transfer-ware. And in blue…And white…The show this year is the best it has been in years, so I thoroughly recommend that you attend if you’re in the area.

Details are here, and the show runs until Sunday, February 26th.