I Spy: Mid Century Chrome, Indian Rug & Italian Chandy

I've been enjoying a chance to scope out some new-to-me antique stores now that I have a house to decorate, so I have a few "I Spy" posts ahead for you antique lovers. First, I hopped into Design and Consign in Newport News to see what they had.

I spotted this handsome cut marble-topped coffee table for $150. With a painted base, I think this could look quite modern!

I loved the detail and the grain on this antique dresser...I think it would be a classy piece to leave completely alone! It was $235, which really is a great price for something with so much interesting detail and only a few nicks and scratches. There's a point when you just call it "character" and move on.

The next day, I made a stop at my old favorite, Cypress Point Antique Mall in Virginia Beach. It's always a reliable treasure trove of mid century modern items, like ...

This $55 chrome-base magazine holder would be a sleek addition to a living room or office.

I'm also a sucker for chrome side tables, like this curvy one priced at $65.

And this guy is REALLY heavy, but too beautiful to leave out...a teak magazine holder by Norwegian company Bruksbo. It had a little damage and was priced at $140; an undamaged one goes for $550 on 1stDibs!

This side chair was screaming Betty Draper to me. I'm not usually a big fan of 60s patterns, but I actually really like this one! It was $180...less than you'd pay for an inferior quality patterned side chair from Target.

It was hard to pass up this shiny brass plug-in sconce, only $43. It would lend so much glamour to a space, if you could only find a way to make the brown cord a little more stylish.

A truly fabulous chrome and wood sofa table, really perfect if you have a nice long foyer (we sure don't). It was $420...not cheap by any means, but if you're in the market for something unique and timeless, it might be worth it.

This dealer was on point because I couldn't get enough of all the mid century goodies! This small brass arc lamp is a  much more realistic height than many of the super tall ones you see today and would be a chic alternative to the typical reading lights you see in most stores. The marble base makes it seem even more sculptural. I missed the price on this one...my bad!

Someday when I start decorating my husband's man cave, I'm going to scoop up some fun "man" art, like nautical prints of ships. This one was pretty and modern and $24!!!

I couldn't resist these brass Mayan guys. I'm not sure what you'd do with them, but I feel like they'd MAKE a gallery wall. Sometimes I feel a little funky about buying these types of worldly souvenirs...like maybe I should wait until I get a chance to buy them directly from the source myself. But then I remember, that may never happen and also, why am I being so neurotic about antiques? For $21.50, all five brass Mayan dudes could be yours. They'd look great on their own, but might look double great framed in shadowboxes and displayed gallery wall-style.

I wish I'd had the dough to drop on these beautiful art deco bookends showing naked ladies reading. They were well over $100 for the pair, so it wasn't a realistic or practical splurge, but let's just admire how great they'd look holding up some Fitzgerald books.

If you saw Big Eyes and actually fell in love with Margaret Keane's aesthetic, hit your local antique store. I've seen tons of her posters and prints in antique shops since I was a kid, so I wasn't surprised to find this one, priced at $140. I bet her work will get a tiny price bump from the movie, but it's never really been my thing.

Campaign furniture was really trendy a couple years ago, and I still think its brass accents are a fun detail to make otherwise boring furniture worth a second glance. This pair of nightstands was $225.

I'm on the hunt for really great kilims (flat-weave rugs from the Middle East or India) and although I'm not super into brown, this Indian rug seemed like a great buy for somebody! It's $95, which is less than you'd pay at World Market for a similar rug at a similar price.

I also loved this Indonesian mirror, for $75. It would look pretty in a foyer or above a small dresser.

In the same shopping center as Cypress Point is Antique Promenade. I had never stopped in, so I figured I'd see what I could find.

I've seen a few designer showcase homes where the man's room or a little boy's room had a few of these vintage airplanes dangling from the ceiling and it always gives a great sense of whimsy to a room. I'd love to display this pretty yellow plane as an objet d'art.

And last but not least...the old granny in me loves a floral chandelier, and I think this Italian oval-shaped light fixture would lend so much character to just the right room. I'd steer clear of pairing with with a lot of other granny-ish accessories, like floral, lace or a room full of brass. I picture it in a modern room of white and wood or a sweet nursery/teenage girl's room. It was $300. That seemed like a bit much to me, but when I checked eBay, similar lights were going for around $325-$400, so it's right in the ballpark.

Any luck in your recent hunts? I've been hunting for a few very specific things, so it'll take a while, but that's good news for me because I love the hunt!