New June Antique Shipment

Antique Letter EngravingAfter months of anticipation, June has arrived!  We started out the month with an exciting antiques shipment that has just been unloaded in Dallas.  We spent all last week unpacking crates and boxes, assembling armoires, setting up buffets and positioning bookcases.  So many great new items arrived that we felt it was a good idea to give you a glimpse of our Dallas warehouse, where everything was received, assembled and displayed.

Antiques and Antique Accessories

Antiques and Antique Accessories Detail Shots

What was particularly exciting was the sheer quantity of items in this shipment~ over 600 pieces, including a dizzying array of antique accessories that included culinary antiques, antique statuary, objets d’art, desktop items, tabletop items ~ the list is amazing!

Antiques and Culinary Antique Accessories

A huge assortment of antique & vintage paintings were in the container, along with a wide variety of lighting from chandeliers to sconces to table lamps.   What’s fun is to use all these artifacts while we’re decorating the showrooms, creating unique vignette after vignette, each with its own flavor, its own ambiance, its own charm!

Antiques, Antique Paintings, Antique Accessories

We’ve really been trying to expand our already impressive variety with an eye for the unusual, creating what we think is the most diverse collection of French, Italian, Spanish and Continental European antiques this side of the Atlantic!

Antiques, Antique chair, antique accessoriesAntiques, antique accessories

Soon we will be doing the same in Baton Rouge and we will post the photos on our next blog.

Hope to see you in Dallas soon,

Inessa Stewart's Antiques

Antiques in Fashion: Dolce & Gabbana

Antique Letter EngravingAn event that was covered by a host of fashion blogs was held in May in Dallas.  Dolce & Gabbana introduced an interesting twist on their Spring fashion event, with an intimate setting in a cozy loft near the warehouse district and downtown.  “Dolce & Gabbana took florid classicism to the limit this season, creating a boldly luxurious collection that reminded fashion fans what “made in Italy” really means.”

Antique Accessories at the D&G Fashion ShowWe at Inessa Stewart’s Antiques & Interiors had an even closer experience with this inspirational fashion show as we were chosen to furnish antiques, antique style props and antique lighting for the event.  When we got a call from a representative of the Dolce & Gabbana New York office, we were both honored and excited; we immediately started assembling a specially selected group of accessories and lighting for the event.

Antique Accessories at the D&G Fashion Show

I couldn’t help but notice that the Renaissance antique accessories and antique lighting chosen for the event was beautifully reflected in the entire Dolce & Gabbana Fall Collection, inspired by timeless designs originated by giants in the design field like Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci.  Of course in our business, we recognize that revivals of classic and timeless styles are common throughout history since Ancient Greece…

Antique Accessories at the D&G Fashion Show

We snapped a few candid photos during the event set up plus images of the Dolce &Gabbana Fall Collection.  Love the new introductions  ~  I think I need to go shopping!

Antique Accessories at the D&G Fashion Show Antique Accessories at the D&G Fashion Show

The antique rental business is not new to us, as the film industry in Louisiana and Texas is quite dynamic especially in the last decade.  Inessa Stewart’s Antiques & Interiors has been privileged to be part of many films throughout our 21year history.  I remember the first film for which we supplied rented antiques was The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993) with Elijah Woods.  One of the choices happened to be a Victorian sofa that in the movie appeared in an action scene on a horse-drawn wagon.  Well, it fell off the wagon and was a total loss, never to be seen again, but it remains a part of movie history.  Many other movies followed, the most recent being a movie with Tom Cruise that is being filmed just down the street from our Baton Rouge store.  (I hope Tom comes in for a visit…)

Antique Flourish

I hope you have enjoyed the photos above.  Isn’t it great to see how antique styles ~  in this case Italian Renaissance ~ are inspiring today’s designers?  It’s truly a pleasure to see their interpretations and applications in today’s current fashion world!

Inessa Stewart's Antiques

Antiques: Before and After ~ Turning Gold into Silver.

Antique Letter EngravingThere is no question that styles come and go. What was in vogue a decade ago is many times totally abandoned by those that follow trendy styles. Antique styles temporarily go in and out of favor. Even types of finishes get repainted and covered by more the trendy hues. I remember in the eighties when natural wood finishes were all the rage. We stripped painted pieces to reveal the natural wood underneath. Today painted and white-washed shades are back in style, plus silver and pewter tones have returned into prominence among the trendy.

On a recent buying trip I came across a particular painting that caught my eye. It was sitting on the floor of a warehouse ~ almost asking me to be rescued. The canvas had an intriguingly vibrant seascape (which is one of John’s favorite subjects). Unfortunately the frame appeared to be beyond hope ~ painted over in globs of gold and void of any ornament or carving. However, I liked the canvas and after acquiring it from the dealer the painting arrived in one of our monthly antique shipments.

Antique painting before

As all of our antique paintings undergo a thorough cleaning and restoration before being placed in to the gallery, this painting and the frame was given the usual restoration treatment. As we attempted to clean the frame, the layer of frightening gold paint started to come off, revealing the original antique silver leaf underneath! What a surprise it was! This ugly duckling was transformed into a silver swan.

Antique Painting After

We can only assume that years ago, as silver frames went out of fashion, gold was painted over the silver leaf and buried underneath, the true intentions of the artist (usually the artist would choose the frame for the canvas).

I keep returning to the wall upon which we’ve hung the painting, just to admire it. I so love the way it looks now ~ a truly remarkable transformation, expressing the artist’s original vision and so capably restored by our expert in-house staff!

Inessa Stewart's Antiques

 Inessa Stewart

Antiques in Style is a source of joy for me to create, and hopefully will be a source of inspiration for you! The variety, artistry and history of the antiques and vintage pieces that surround us every day provide pleasure, beauty and sometimes even intrigue.

The classics never go out of style, and each era, country, and even artisan's interpretations create an environment that is always full of surprises.

It is truly a pleasure to bring such timeless style together for every client and follower of my blog. And of course, your input is always welcome!

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