chandelier heaven...

Yesterday the hubs and I took a little "field trip". He needed a break from building and repairing furniture...and I needed a break from painting it. So...we headed over to see my favorite "chandelier guys". They are two men that clean and restore vintage chandeliers and sell them to women like us that just can't get enough of them!

I was lucky enough to make it into the treasured storage space for all their chadis. I swear as I made it to the bottom step and into their basement angels started to sing...well, not really, but they may as well have!

I was in h.e.a.v.e.n.

Now, be warned. These photos are not pretty, but the chandis were. Taking photos in a basement just does not do these beauties justice, and I couldn't bear to ask 2 men in their late 70s if we could haul each one upstairs so I could get better pics outside. So, they are what they are...but I wanted you to see what they had.

This was just one corner...the chandis went all down one side of their basement. There must have been 75 of them too choose from...and their prices were very, very good.

All I heard from my husband behind me was "Oh, boy. Here we go."

There were chandis that were all glass and crystal...I always love those the most.

Some heavy on the crystals...some a little more simple.

There were some reeeeallly cute petite chandis, too. I would LOVE a little one like this is my bathroom...or above my kitchen sink as a pendant. I am going to have to remember this one since I will be starting a kitchen reno in a few months.

This one would be great in a foyer...it does hang straight, but the crystals are so heavy it won't be straight until it is up on the ceiling.

This is the one I bought for my office. I think it am going to paint it gray and distress it. My office is all white, so I think that will be perfect!

And these two were my FAVS! Seriously, I stared at them for so long, my husband finally just said, "so why don't you buy them so you can stare at them at home". I love that man. He is just the best!

But, I have a house with ceilings too low to handle these, and I am still sad about it this morning. I asked my hubs if we could move just so I could have a place for it. He agreed.

Isn't she a beauty???

The metal that holds the crystals is my favorite part. All made by hand. This chandi is stamped with the manufacturer name and the year it was made on the inside. I believe it was 1927.

This style is called a 'wedding cake chandelier'...love that. Can you imaging the house this came from? It bet it was stunning!

This little mini one matched it. I love the bits of old paint on the ceiling cap.


I really, really, really wanted this one for my foyer...be he didn't want to separate the pair.

I love days like this when I can escape the paint fumes and sawdust and go look at beautiful things.

A wonderful friend I have made here in blogland reminded me the other day just how lucky I am to be able to what I do for my job. I am so glad she did...because it is so true! I would be so unhappy working behind a desk all day. This is what feeds my soul. Searching through old barns, finding those out of the way junk shops, meeting people unexpectedly that sell great things out of their basement...it is so much fun!

I can't see mylself doing anything else. My little biz is celebrating its 10 year anniversary April 1st...here's hoping for another successful 10! Because I will take wearing my favorite dirty boots over heels any day!