Industrial lighting

I had mentioned in my previous post about loading a photo of my Anoka purchases, specifically the industrial light cage I bought. I finally got around to taking a pic. Let me explain my hunt before I share.

I have been eagerly searching for old industrial cage lights or "trouble" lights for some time. I mainly want one to hang solo beside my bed like this:

by one of my favorite stylists, Lyn Gardener.

Anthropologie carries them with a hefty $150 price tag:

I know, adorable right?? But wait- there's always ebay! You can find many legit, original trouble lights for under $100. Sometimes for as low as $40 if the bid's right. Unfortunately, I cannot justify such a purchase without physically seeing and touching the item (at least not until my birthday.) So, I always keep my eyes open when antiquing.

I had pretty much lost all hope of finding one recently so instead purchased a light kit at Ikea for $5 thinking I would just hang an exposed bulb without the cage. I really like singular, minimalist objects especially hung from the ceiling. But then, one sunny afternoon in Anoka, I found THIS:

I nearly walked right by the thing without noticing what it was because originally the cage was painted bright red. Colored industrial antiques I tend to ignore because most of the time they have been altered. The red cage, however, only needed a quick blast from a can of silver spray paint and she looked good as new. It was a steal at $5. It isn't as old as the style by Anthropologie or the beloved wood handled trouble lights but it will do the trick in the meantime.

Now my dilemma- the cheap, ugly Ikea light kit needs to be replaced with something more rustic and larger because the cage is fairly big. So my little hunt continues..

stop two: anoka

I feel like I'm getting long winded and boring you with details. I promise, less words, more pictures in this post. Let's cut to the good stuff.

Stop two:

Amore Antiques was adorable. Main floor had LOADS of jewelry and small items while the basement carried larger- lamps, tools and furniture. The jewelry took up the majority of my time because the main level had literally cases upon cases of great pieces. The woman working behind the counter was so patient with me while I asked for keys to just about every case. I wasn't overly impressed with the antique selection besides the jewelry but I did end up purchasing an old industrial light cage. (I'll post about it tomorrow.) I didn't end up taking any pictures inside the store because of my obsessive jewelry ADD. I think it's definitely worth a stop, however, if you're into knickknacks and of course, bling.

Stop three:

Oh, Antiques on Main. How you steal & break my heart every time. It was probably both a horrible and healthy idea to stop in this store last. It by far carries the best antique selection in Anoka. Unfortunately, I had to run through like a maniac because I was running late to meet my friend. Here are a few (and that is a massive understatement) of the gems:

super gorgeous vintage radios

(this dealer had TONS)

antique operator phone

I don't know if you can read the button in the middle

but it reads "Please Answer Promptly."

I love text on just about anything,

especially the old fonts used in the 20's.

antique industrial fans

For anyone who has been to my house it's obvious

I have a problem with these fans. A real unhealthy obsession.

And I don't feel bad about it.

vintage clothespin

How cute is this little guy? I would love him

holding a picture on my wall.

old ammunition case

I love old raw boxes and here is another example

of great text. Also, you can barely see it but there

is raw rope strung on both sides of the box. Love.

super old antique microphone

I'm kind of obsessed with this piece. It took

everything in me not to fork the $35 bucks

and bring it home. Maybe next time.

How gorgeous is that detail and worn cord?

Sigh.

honey cans!

Perfect for storing just about anything.

Great labels, great pair. I wanted

to buy these for someone as a gift.

antique rocking chair

I love the masculinity of this chair.

Most rocking chairs feel very feminine

which isn't totally my cup 'o tea.

This chair is sexy and probably smokes cigars.

primitive mexican beads

When I go antiquing I am always on the hunt

for primitive pieces. They are like little gifts

to my soul. These beads would look great

hanging simply on a white wall next to a

painting or grouping of photographs.

Simple, raw, white. Like me.

So as you can see, I definitely recommend Antiques on Main as your main stop in Anoka. Cliche? Probably. But it's worth it and you won't be disappointed that most of your treasure hunting day was spent there. At the end of the day what did I buy from AonM? Believe it or not, just a bracelet. But believe you me- that microphone WILL be on my shelf one of these days..

anoka, mn

Yesterday I took a mini road trip up to Andover to visit a friend and her new baby. Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some babies, but part of what excited me almost as much was how close Andover is to one of my favorite antiquing towns, Anoka. It has been over a year since my last visit because really it is completely out of the way from any direction I would ever travel on purpose so what better reason to justify shopping than with the birth of my friend’s son! (Yes, that reads as awful as it felt to type.)

Here’s the scoop on Anoka:

The town has a mainstreet (hoorah!) and cute little shops lining up & down it. Super easy to navigate and you could spend a couple of hours or up to a full day exploring. Ok, maybe a full day is a stretch but one of the shops on it’s own I swear I could spend a week in easy.

Stop #1:

Antiques and More in downtown Anoka (just off of Mainstreet). This little shop, which I came to find wasn’t so little, is situated in one of Anoka’s older structures and has a unique floorplan reminiscent of a house. I was actually quite surprised walking around inside because there are multiple floors and small rooms, which I would have never guessed from the outside. I actually prefer antique shops set up this way because the experience is less overwhelming (see stops #2 & #3 below). That being said, the store was definitely large enough to get lost in and I did just that a couple of times. Now, let’s talk merchandise:

Walking in there are cases & cases full of little knicknaks and actually a lot of dog themed items. This, of course, I was ecstatic over because anyone who knows me knows my obsession for the pooch. I browsed through these cases quickly to make way to the bigger stuff.

The goods:

These were the two prizes of the shop I found- an early 1900’s dressmaker form and a Norman Rockwell print of “Waiting for the Vet”. The dressmaker wasn’t for sale so of course I tried to sweet talk (it was in INSANELY good condition) but the owner wasn’t having it. The print I actually regret not purchasing. $15 and it would have looked great in my entryway. All in all, the store was worth the stop for small display pieces and prints. Lots of victorian-era pieces and although I didn’t find much for my personal aesthetic, I would have loved to have spent more time browsing. Time is of the essence however and stop 2 awaits!

day one.

So it’s winter. The days are shorter, my boots- taller, and all I really feel like doing is curling up with a giant mug of chai, in the fetal position, in my bathtub. I get less pleasure out of the next few months than just about anything so as I wait and pray for spring I try to occupy my time with things I love enough to bare the 20degrees below.

I have always been a collector. I remember having collections since I was a wee girl and the joy & thrill that came from the hunt. The waiting in line, digging for the deal, and the rush of excitement that came over me when I found the perfect piece. My mum was the ultimate rummage sale go-er and my dad, the ultimate dumpster diver. These skills were passed down to me and have never gotten rusty.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the true value behind material objects (ahem) but I still can’t help but think about the process and patience that goes into every handmade piece. And since nowadays that craftmanship is hard to come by, I find myself naturally drawn to older pieces or antiques. Not only do I love the stories that are carried with them, but the thought that something stood the test of time longer than myself is a huge concept and the ability to bring it home with me is all the more appealing. So the obsession starts and continues. For the last 7 years I’ve collected so many special pieces and never really took the time to share them in an intimate way, even though they can be great conversation starters at my house gatherings. I’d like to start sharing their stories along with my own & take you with me through my process & journey.

Antiquing & treasure hunting is an intimate time for me to focus, search, and find excitement in something that doesn’t physically or emotionally respond. I like the peace in that. I will take you through my searches, show you my secrets, gush over my near-misses, and display the things I re-purpose. Welcome to my little world; my little hunt.