Shopping for the Shop

We started the shop as a way to showcase some of the cool finds we have refurbished or upcycled. Vince and I enjoy fixing up old things and giving them new life. So once we started collecting more pieces than we could feasibly use, we decided ‘hey maybe we should open up a shop’, thus the online store was born.

When it comes to finding cool items, we find them everywhere. We find neat pieces at properties, auctions, Craigslist or sometimes people give us things they no longer have a use for. If a piece has history or character I feel like you can always make it work. There is just something about restoring an item that makes it special.

One of my most favorite restoration projects was a mirror we had found when cleaning out the garage of an apartment. It didn’t look like much when we found it and I honestly wasn’t sure at the time if it was worth keeping- it was pretty broken.

After a little research we found out that it was called a convex mirror which dated back to 1700-1800s. It was a style mirror out of Europe, particularly Greece and Rome. These mirrors were found in the homes of the wealthy and were elaborately decorated. Often they would place this type of mirror on either side of the fireplace to illuminate the room.  Some mirrors were created with candelabras on either side to better displace the light.

Later that century came the Federal Convex Mirror which was created during the Federal period anywhere from 1790-1830. During this time in America there was a strong sense of nationalism. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson looked to the classical past for inspiration when creating the new American democratic Republic, thus the federal convex mirror was born. This mirror was topped with an eagle symbolizing American independence and tenancy. A notable feature many of these mirrors have is 13 balls circling the mirror.  Rumor has it they are supposed to represent the original 13 colonies, but this isn’t always the case.

What we have is a Federal Convex Mirror but it can be a little tough to decipher between an original and a remake. Apparently back in the 1950’s the federal convex mirrors became popular again and were being recreated out of lathe and plaster (very similar to the originals). The one we have is lathe and plaster, but without an antique specialist we don’t know if it’s an original or not.

Long story short, we found this piece in a garage with all intentions of putting it up for sale on the shop. After diving into the history and getting it all restored, we just couldn’t part with it. It’s a beautiful piece, and the history behind it is so intriguing that we just couldn’t give it up. Maybe someday, but for now it is ours.