Lewis and the Radio and Setting Goals

The internet is now.  Radio is almost a thing of the past.  This morning; however, Lewis is bridging the gap.  He is being interviewed as I write this by our local radio host, Fredrick Johnson.  Fredrick is an old friend, father of four delightful daughters and husband to Jenny Johnson, who works for the American Red Cross.  Lewis is not a stranger to Radio.  He was a radio host, himself, while he attended Virginia Tech.  He is never at a lost for words and mesmerizes ladies in the shop with his rhetoric. 

It is easy to talk about something that you are knowledgeable about.  Lewis definitely knows his subject and loves it.  It is remarkable how he has honed in on the period and designers that we represent.  This is not something that he learned in college, however, he did learn the skills that enabled him to pursue his interest.  Antiquing is an art and a game.  The more you know about your subject the better you will perform.  This can apply to anything in life.  Set yourself goals and set out to accomplish those goals.

I have seen this in my father who on his own became an authority in American Art.  I see this in my son Chris, who seems to have unending knowledge about American Military items, Civil War and Revolutionary war items.  He has become very knowledgeable about American Antique furniture.  He is able to repair and to build furniture.

Lewis has built a shop showing off his love of the deco designers and the early modernist period.  He has helped me understand and appreciate the uniqueness of the designers of the early and mid twentieth century.  The architects of this period designed homes the likes of which had not been seen before, and as a result the existing furniture did not fit well into these homes.  These architects  had another challenge, that was to design furnishing that would complement their new concept of buildings.  The furniture of this period tends to be timeless built with the care given to the great furniture of the past.  True this furniture was often manufactured, but with quality woods and attention given to details.

These pieces represented new ideas and therefore the masses had yet to accept them.  There were not great numbers manufactured, and there was only a short period that they were made before another trend came about.  The pieces made during the 18th century and the 19th century were made over an extended period of time.  An interesting side here is that some of the furniture companies of today are beginning to reproduce some of the good early modernist designs.  This is a true sign that these pieces will endure.  Imitation is a form of flattery.

Tribute to Cy Twombly

We were sadden to learn of Cy Twomby's death yesterday July 5,2011.  He lived part time in Lexington Virginia where he was born.  It was here that Lewis encountered him walking with a group of young people helping him shop.  Lewis followed behind the group curious, afterward realizing who he was.  Cy named after the baseball player Cyclone Young.  He lived up to his name in his works of art.  He blurred the line between drawing and painting.  His works having the movement of a wind storm tearing across a canvas.  They were both modern and timeless.  One admiring artist was so enamored with his work that she kissed it leaving red stains of her lip stick behind.  The world has lost a great modern artist, who took art to another level. He pushed the boundaries of art still keeping a link with traditions.  His works were loved by those who loved modern art and those who clung to tradition.


Lewis & Leigh Trimble

What's going on at Lewis Trimble Decorative arts and Antiques

We have been tagging pieces in the shop.  We  thought that it might be fun to list all the designers that we have acquired recently. 

A pair of Kittenger Mandarin chest 1950's that we are having restored.

A pair of Dahlia Sconces by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte 1950's.

A pair of Italian side tables in polished bronze for Gucci 1970's.

A Eyeball Floor lamp in solid brass by Oscar Torlasco for Lumi 1950's.

Six dining chairs attributed to Gio Ponti 1950's.

A living room suite consisting of two winged arm chairs and a settee by Paolo Buffa.

A chandelier by Gio Ponti.

A sofa by Marco Zanuso.

A gilt iron coffee table with marble top 1930's attributed to Marcel Bergue.

A huge parchment and marble sideboard 1940's by Dassi.

Another amazing bar late 1930's to join the two already in the shop by Paolo Buffa.

A unique Star Burst Brutalist lamp 1960's by Laurel.

A pair of the iconic figurine lamp bases by James Mont 1940's.

To see these items either come by the shop or check out our web page as we will be listing these soon.
www.lewistrimble.1stdibs.com

New tags with logo

The work in a shop is never done.  Lewis got back from his second trip in two weeks.  He seems to be trying to cover most of the east coast several times over this year.  Now we have to play catch up.  We took the plunge and ordered new round tags with our logo.  They have plenty of room for us to write detailed descriptions and prices.  We had gotten so far behind on our pricing.  We knew the prices of items, but getting everything properly tagged was another matter.

New white tags with black strings gave us more incentive to get back to work and tag.  After doing a few everything looked so neat, that we just worked harder.  In fact now we are determined to redo all the old tags.

What a difference a tag makes.  Our old tags were hap hazard and looked messy.  The new ones are sleek, looking much more professional.  Now we are really getting prices on every item.  Our old customers might die of shock. 

Hitting the Road again!!

Last week Lewis was all over the North and Midwest.  This week it is down to Asheville NC to visit his friend Chris and to pick up a neat bedroom set that he purchased near by.  We're not so sure that the lure was not the Sushi Pictures that Chris kept sending to Lewis via his cell photo before he ate it all up.  We all salivated over those photos.  We have just gotten sushi in the Thai Pot, a restaurant across the street, good but limited..  At last we have gotten some, otherwise we had to go to Williamsburg or to Richmond.

He went down via Ronoake, VA and into the Mountains of North Carolina.  When he comes home it will be across the State of North Carolina and up into Virginia.  As usual I'm here operating the shop while he's gone.  We emptied out parts of the shop in order to fill her back up again.  Lewis takes this job seriously.

He will not be going to the Brimfield Shows this next month.  We have had some luck in the past up there in July.  Sometimes you can get better prices on purchases as that show is slower than the ones in May and September.  Chris is a trooper and he will be in his spot on the main road at the meadows.  He takes his helper Temple, so he can go buying too.