Cambridge Antique Market - Don't Bother

Yelp LOVES the Cambridge Antique Market. On the advice of 22 reviewers, I made the journey to check it out (unfortunately through rush hour traffic).

I am not sure what to write. This place is a disaster, and certainly calling it an "antique market" is marginal at best. It is not even a flea market, but rather a repository for anything missing a spare leg that is dirty enough to be called vintage.

OK, that's a little harsh, but don't waste your gas (it's almost embarrassing that I'm actually writing about this place).

For those who happen to be at the Museum of Science and feel an uncontrollable urge to look at antiques, there are two bright spots. Dealer 44 and Dealer 220. These dealers have edited their collections beautifully and fortunately have some experience in merchandising. Everything they have looks expensive and interesting.

Dealer 44, Booth 1:



Dealer 220; Dealer 44, Booth 2:



Not interesting enough to buy. But interesting.

I love antiques - Rhode Island Antiques Mall

I thought I would start sharing some of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) antique destinations. I have just remembered to bring my camera on these excursions, otherwise I would have been posting about this earlier. Antiquing tops my list of favorite things to do, but with an extremely active toddler who loves to "bang" there haven't been many antique trips recently.

This post I am going to share one of my favorite consignment stores, the Rhode Island Antiques Mall, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (right over the border from Massachusetts). Some people find consignment stores terrifying, but I love them. They have many different dealers and you just have to paw through the various booths. My motto with these is "you never know."



This place got a bad rap for a while by true antiques aficionados because it had so much mid-century stuff. However I think it has a great selection of dealers and I have always been successful there.

Here is a shot of one of my favorite dealer's booths. He has a varied and ever-changing selection of vintage painted trade signs, and unlike many consignment dealers, really merchandises his pieces in groups. Today he had a sweet set of vintage wooden sailboats, as well as some of my favorite (but awfully pricey) antique metal spades in yellow. He's on the lower level...



I spotted this fabulous coffee table that was $275, a fair price since it's really challenging to find antique coffee tables. FYI, most of them are old farm tables whose legs have been cut down. I believe I persuaded a very cute couple to buy this one, so you'll probably have missed it!



A charming black painted desk for $80, and a vintage school chalkboard for $70 (not to mention the very cool galvanized bucket... perfect for keeping brooms and cleaning supplies, tennis rackets and hockey sticks... whatever!



This Swedish bench is priced RIGHT at $950. Usually I see them hovering around $3000. This one had new supports on the inside to stabilize it, but other than that was in great condition. Bench lifts up for storage. The sweet marble bust at right, for $185, has been speaking to me for the past couple of visits. Interestingly the head is a separate piece of marble, carefully inserted into the base of a slightly different shade. I think she is so cute, with her little side bow. Perfect for a library shelf.



Go and visit and let me know what you find!

Valentine's Day

I received this very sweet and farm-inspired image in an email blast from Serena and Lily, my favorite children's bedding and furniture collection. I hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day.


Also, if you love their sweet bedding (they even have grown-up items too!) and need some economic incentive, they're having a 25% off sale this weekend. Just enter the code LOVEIT when you check out!