Moe Light Fiesta Lights from Ebay

For some reason, a lot of red, orange and yellow Moe Fiesta lights have been popping up on ebay recently. And luckily for me, the people selling them don't know that they're Moe Fiesta lights so I've been able to pick a few up for less than I'd ever expect to pay for vintage Fiesta lights.

We picked up the 18" Moe Fiesta pendant above and this 14" Fiesta pendant to match.

We also bought two Moe Light Fiesta wall sconces to really complete the look.

I'm not sure exactly where I'll hang them in the house yet, but I do know that they'll look great with our Moe Light Honeycomb ceiling lights. And if I'm really lucky, I'll have the full catalog full of Moe Fiesta lights soon.

Vintage Views: Rave On Vintage

With an unique store concept and a converted 1960s house, Rave On Vintage has rolled onto the Austin vintage store scene. But owners Mike Hooker and Chelsea Wine definitely aren't new to the game and this time on Vintage Views, we have a chat with Mike about a number of things, including there being power in numbers for friendly vintage stores.

Tell us a little bit about Rave On Vintage. Do you have a specialty or do you sell anything that's vintage?
Our main focus is mid-century modern but we also carry bits of deco, industrial and other styles leading into the 1970s. Honestly, we buy what we like and hope others dig it too. Chelsea and I have always had a love for the style, music and culture of the 1950s and 60s and I think that’s apparent not only in the items we carry but in the overall aesthetic of our shop from the music we play to the way we display things and the manner in which we greet and assist our customers. We want people visiting our store to have a fun and memorable experience. And if they go home with their new favorite piece, all the better!

You used to be vendors at Hog Wild Vintage. Why did you decide to make the leap from vendor to vintage store owner?
It actually wasn’t our intention to open a store, at least not at the time we did. We had a good thing going at Hog Wild and then one day the owner announced he was retiring and leasing out the building. We briefly explored the option of being vendors at another space but ultimately decided we needed to go all in and have complete control of our own store if we wanted to continue being in this business. We opened our doors less than two months later and couldn’t be happier with our decision. It’s much more personal now. Before we just dropped items off at Hog Wild and picked up checks, which was great, but now we’re able to interact and build relationships with our customers, which is very rewarding.

And you have vendors at Rave On Vintage now. How's that working out and what do they add to store? 
It’s great. Two other former vendors from Hog Wild wanted to join us so that really worked out well. We knew they had a good eye for vintage and were dependable so we wanted them on board. In December we added another vendor who concentrates on vintage clothing and has done a wonderful job expanding that area. I think everyone brings something unique to the table and helps make us a well-rounded store.

You're located on North Loop, probably the most famous vintage shopping hub in Austin. Is there strength in numbers with vintage stores?
Absolutely! We knew we wanted to stay on North Loop and being on the cross route between many established shops has been beneficial for walk-in traffic but what has really impressed us is the support we’ve gotten from other area shops like Uptown Modern, Remixologie and Room Service. I couldn’t tell you how many customers have told us they came in at the recommendation of another shop. I’m so thankful that everyone has been so welcoming and supportive of us. Of course, we do our best to return the favor. I think only positive can come from that.

Your store is an old house, and each room is properly furnished with the items you’re selling. It's a pretty unique shopping experience. Did you find the space and then come up with the concept, or have the concept and go out house hunting?
We definitely had a vision of what we wanted our shop to be and were thrilled to find the space we’re in. The house was built in the 60s, it’s in a great location, there’s plenty of parking in the back and it has great lighting which were all pluses. We liked the idea of a converted house so we could stage rooms and give people more of an idea how things will work in a real home setting. The layout allows all the vendors to have their own areas and we share the kitchen and wet bar areas to keep those items together.

Have you seen any trends in vintage items people are looking for, either designer, style or type of piece ?
It seems to go in waves. For a while we had five people a day asking for credenzas to use as TV stands. Then everyone wanted nightstands, then bookcases, now it’s desks. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I think so long as it’s stylish, functional and in good condition, people will continue buying vintage. I’d have to say shell chairs and anything from the Broyhill Brasilia line are among our quickest sellers though.



What's your favorite piece to come through the store so far?
That’s a tough one. We’ve had so many amazing pieces come through and we continue to find things all the time that blow our minds. I’m usually most impressed by Danish-designed stuff because of the lines and craftsmanship. 



And what's your favorite piece in your home?
We have a 1964 ranch that’s done up modestly and tastefully. We don’t have a lot of expensive designer show pieces, just things that are practical to us, and usually picked up on the cheap. Choosing one single piece would be difficult, but I’d say my favorite area in our home is our formal living room (a.k.a. my record room). It has a lovely grass cloth accent wall and some of my favorite pieces in there would be this really cool Kroehler pink lounge chair that we found for $15 at a Goodwill in east Texas and a beautiful Danish-style lounge chair that we still haven’t been able to identify. The adjoining dining area is separated by an incredible metal room divider with two hanging red and blue globes. We have a Burke tulip table and chairs and a Brasilia china hutch in there, which I’m very fond of.

Finally, do you have any tips for people doing their own hunting at estate sales and flea markets?
It’s gotten difficult to find great deals in Austin because MCM is so popular and so many sellers are hip to that, which is why we travel the country regularly for the majority of our finds. But I gotta say, if you come across something you love and you’re willing to pay the asking price, don’t hesitate. Go ahead and get it. We’ve had numerous instances in our store where someone came back to get a piece they were eyeballing the day before only to find it gone. If you love it, buy it!


Rave On Vintage
1509 W North Loop Blvd.
Austin, TX 78756

Sunday-Monday: 12pm-5pm
Wednesday-Saturday: 11am-6pm

Bucket List Map for a Travel-Themed Kid's Room

I have seen a lot of maps in my life and I have to say, Awesome Maps delivers on their name. If I was buying a wall map to put in my kid's travel-themed nursery, their bucket list map would probably be the map.

The point of a good map is to make you want to travel, and in a kid's travel room it's to inspire exploration and an understanding of other cultures. Through illustration and a list of interesting things to do around the world, that's exactly what the bucket list map does.

Done: New Front Porch Light

The last item on our front porch to-do list was to change the light. The old light was a cheapest porch light you can buy at Home Depot and it was starting to look out of place.

So we decided to replace it with the Forecast Lighting Hollywood Hills light in Vista Silver.

That first meant taking down the old light and putting some new paint up.

After that, it was a pretty easy install.

I love the modern look of the light and how it looks next to the blue front door.

And I love how it looks with the rest of the items on the front porch

From every angle.

Here's what it's like at night.

It's super bright because it has two bulbs instead of the typical one. It's really nice for people leaving after sunset because they can see all the way to the street now.

Mid-Century Looking Door at an Austin Bar

It's hard to guess the real age of this door. The building it's on is old enough for it to be a real mid-century door, but it's hard for me to imagine a mid-century door manufacturer making something like this. My guess is someone wanted a unique door with a modern look and told their contractor to go nuts, and this is what they got in return. It's oddly mid-century looking, which makes it perfect for Austin.

What We Bought at Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen

Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen was definitely worth the train trip out to the suburbs of Paris. We looked at a lot of beautiful furniture, but for obvious reasons couldn't take any home. What we did take home we a few pieces of advertising art.

We bought three sewing patterns with some amazing illustrations on them.

They were some of the most unique things we saw at the market. Only one vendor had them and we knew they would always remind of of our time in Paris.

We just assumed that they were cutouts of old packages or something, they were definitely priced like they were, but when we got home I translated the writing on the price tag and it says, "clothes patterns from 1970, original etchings."

And sure enough, once we got them out of their plastic sleeve, we noticed it's actual paint on paper. So we accidentally bought some original mid-century advertising art, and we couldn't be happier about it.

Mid-Century Modern Furniture at Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen

There are plenty reasons to visit Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen if you're ever in Paris: mid-century travel brochures, a Futuro house, mid-century furniture, more mid-century furniture and mid-century modern furniture. If you do go, plan of spending a least a few hours there. We spent about four hours looking and shopping and didn't even scratch the surface. My guess is if you wanted to do the whole thing, it would take days.

Here are the last of my photo collection from Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen:

Mid-Century Modern Furniture in Paris

Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen is a huge flea market made up of a collection of smaller flea markets. We spent most of our time in Marché Paul Bert, Marché Serpette and Marché Dauphine. If you're looking for mid-century furniture, Marché Paul Bert is the place to go. Marché Dauphine is where we bought souvenirs that we could fit in our suitcase; it has a lot of smaller vintage items I don't think you could find anywhere else in Paris.

Most of these photos come from Marché Paul Bert:

More Mid-Century Furniture from Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen

The Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen is both and indoor and outdoor flea market. The nicer stuff seems to be inside, although the stuff outside is still amazing. Here are some more of the finds at Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen.