Mitchell Road Gallery photos

So--here are some photos of the Mitchell Road Antiques and Design Gallery. My photos aren't the best--the camera I use is a small Olympus 3.2 MP with a 3x Optical Zoom. I don't think the flash is powerful enough to give a good light in a large expanse of space with little natural light. Also I apologise the photos are not orderly--I am still trying hard to work out how to use this blog--and not being computer savvy am finding it a little difficult. Some aspects just don't do the commonsense thing for me.

The photos don't quite convey the real atmosphere the place has but I hope you get a bit of a feel of the place.

The first photo is of what you see as you reach the top of the stairs. I must get a street and entrance photo so you know how different the two are.

Second photo is of one of my stalls. As you can see I offer a variety of items so there's something for everyone. It seems to work for me and has for the last 5 or 6 years that I've been doing markets and fairs.

Third photo is a bit of a zoom in on the top shelf of the white cane stand. I adore the tin mushroom canister set and if only I didn't collect green things I would keep it. How much fun did they have with things in the 60s/70s?! Those colours and that design is totally popping out.

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The next photo is at my 2nd stall where most of the vintage and retro fashion items are. I didn't manage to take a great photo of the whole stall so am focusing on smaller area shots. This photo shows a range of boots I have for sale. They seem to be very popular at the moment and being winter here are selling well. The blue Doc Martens are a wonderful shade--not the navy that is more common.

Photo number 5 is my favourite. That trendy leather travel bag --some call doctor's bag--is divine--but then I am a lover of old leather. It was pretty thirsty when I first bought it, but since a clean and condition it has come up very desirable. It still has the original label inside and was made in NSW probably in the 50s. Back then they were proud of the fact items were made in certain states. Now we rarely have something "Made in Australia". The crocodile skin effect is pressed into the leather.

Photo 6 is a little sample of the clothing pieces I sell. I have some good fur and leather pieces at the moment--all selling well for winter. The multicolour fur jacket you see is dyed in 3 colours in a diamond design. The shape is flattering too which can be hard to find with vintage furs. But this is something I always look out for--a good shape. The bit of denim in view are 80s frayed and faded high waisted Levi's shorts. They haven't sold for a while and I am surprised, given the popularity of faded denim at the moment. I thought they may sell in winter as they look great with tights, lace-up boots and a looong coat.

Lastly is my bit of romance and fun. The little blue clogs with flower are Australian pottery from the 50s--but are not signed. We had many migrants come here after WW2 and some went into pottery working. This pair were possibly inspired by Dutch immigrants. They are really cute I think.

I hope you enjoyed these photos.

My 2nd blog day-about the funky Mitchell Road Antiques and Design Gallery

Today was spent at Mitchell Road Antiques and Design Gallery in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria where I have 2 stalls. I look forward to going there and enjoy being there every time. The place has a certain vibe that is inviting, exciting and cool. This is not your traditional antique shop or centre. It is modern but not mainstream feeling. The people that visit and buy look engaged and eager--you just know most are looking for something different.

The place is also an auction house. It sits on a corner and is in a big old 2-storey industrial building painted a bright unmistakable yellow. The auction house is downstairs and the Gallery upstairs. Once you climb the stairs you are immediately surprised by the huge expanse of space completely taken up by an amazing array of wares. The many lights and lamps for sale create a happy vibe and each space's unique character invites you to explore further. The industrial structure of the building with its tin ceiling and old timber floors adds a respected ambience.

Even though the place has a modern funky feel it still manages to cater to many varied tastes, from the quirky to the weird to the traditional. There is antique, vintage and retro. There is Victoriana, art deco, mid century modernist, Australiana, Oriental wares, rustic and industrial wares as well as traditional china and glass....books, magazines, toys, jewellery, general modern collectibles, a lot of furniture and homewares as well as thousands of smalls. And to make sure nearly everything is catered for, there is what I sell a lot of--fashion, accessories and textiles.

So I spend my time tidying and rearranging, cleaning, putting new pieces in, and generally fussing over the stalls to make them look as great as I can. I am never 100 percent happy with the way things look but that's the beauty of it--having good reason to go back, usually twice a week! Oh and an easy chat with other stall-holders and staff is always good. Add a wholesome lunch and coffee from the refurbished pub or arty coffee shop and who would think I was working!

Tomorrow I will add some photos for a hint of what the place has to offer.

Starting my first blog--yay!

How exciting--I haven't done this sort of thing before. Inspired by my favourite blog "The Sartorialist" and other great links from comments on there, I thought why not!

Not much more to say tonight after working out my profile--but in future will be mentioning about most of my interests and passions but particularly the markets I do and about my 2 fun stalls I have at the best "Antiques and Design Gallery" in Mitchell Road, Alexandria (Sydney, Australia).