Lakehouse Outfitters Blog: August 2011

Sunday, August 21, 2011

This is fishy. . .

The conversation went something like this:

Them: You are LakeHouse Outfitters, yet you don't have any mounted fish. We keep coming in looking for a nice fish to mount in our game room. How can you call yourselves Lakehouse Outfitters and not have any fish??

Us: You are right! We keep searching and coming up empty handed. Not because we don't find them but because they are priced too high for us to buy them and resell them. But, I tell you what, next time we see some we will let you know.

So this is us letting you know!

Enter, one of my favorite places to roam, wonder, dream and shop.

North Dallas Antique Mall.

Last week, I decided I needed a little treat, an hour to do nothing but browse. What a luxury! So I stopped by NDAM on my way home.

That's when I saw them. The FISH!!

A mounted Big Mouth Bass sitting in a fishing creel.

In the front window.

And a Striped Bass mounted and hanging in a dealer booth

on the main floor, Alley D (maybe).

Hope you catch one.

And if you're not fishy - that's okay too 'cause this place is rockin' with

random wonderfulness from vintage clothing to jewelry to furniture to fish and a lot in between.

And they're open 7 days a week.

Three floors and over 12,000 sq. ft.

Here's the link. Go there soon.

NDAM Website with Contact Info

PS - let us know if you buy one of the fish.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Remotely interested

I'm starting to hear the rumblings.
The rumblings of football season. Pre-season smack and college match ups are in the air.
I'm not really interested at this point.
Seems early.
Seems as though we haven't really had enough time to savor the Mavs Championship season.

Yes, I like football. But at this point, I'm just remotely interested.

As in, interested in managing and hiding all those hideous remotes as every television in the house gets tuned up and turned up for the next 7 months.

Here's how it rolls in our house.

Game Day
TV is ON!
Volume is UP (leftover from last night's flick)
And the next words I hear: Do you know where the remote is?

So yes, I'm on a mission to manage the remotes this season. I've been looking for answers. I've been looking for inspiration. And I found it.

I found my inspiration while surfing the web and taking a peak at one of our customers' new website.
The answer to my remote challenge was right in front of me on Morgan's profile page. She says in her profile: On my coffee table I always have a FUN BOX for REMOTES.

It's Brilliant for two reasons. 1) It makes sense and 2) we have a groovy collection of "boxes" on the floor at LHO. Tomorrow, I shop!

Take a look at a few of my favorites:

Vintage Carry On Vanity Case with Lucite Handle

6 1/2" H x 11" W x 6" D

$45

Metal Fishing Tackle Box (notice ruler on lid to measure fish)

6 1/2" H x 14" W x 6" D

$52

Kerosene Can - I know, it would be pretty difficult to fetch a remote out of this one.

But I love it and had to include it.

14" H x 9" D

$35

Vintage Pine Box with leather hinges and rope handles

11" H x 19 1/2" W x 11" D

$85

Antique Wooden (liquor) Box?

Looks as if it could have been a container for two fifths of booze

12" H x 9" W x 6 1/2" D

$55

If you're not even remotely interested in using these boxes to manage the remotes in your household.
I see a darling box collection coming together!

Hope you were as inspired by this idea as I was reading Morgan's profile. Read more about Morgan and her new venture with Brittany Cobb by clicking the link below. Be sure and check out the projects tab - Kessler Woods Court is filled with their finds from LHO!

Morgan Farrow, Farrow and Cobb

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Bread, Bars, Burlap and Baby

Good Morning!

Here's the update on yesterday's attempt to source new inventory for L.H.O....

First: BREAD

What I didn't buy...but really hope someone reading this does because it is fabulous!

Vintage but working electric Bread Slicing machine. Reminds me of the one they use at Eatzi's!!
Yesterday's Price $150.00

I just called the seller and it's still available for $75.00!!!
If interested, call Judy 214-597-7591 or see it in person at her sale:
8838 Kenton Drive, Dallas 75231

This is a gem and I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret not buying it to keep for myself.

Second: BARS

Along the way we found this cute little record cabinet. The record player and the tubes are still in tact so I assume someone could get it functioning again. But we thought it would make a darling side table or BAR. The top doors slide to hide the mechanics. Remove the mechanics and you'd have a sweet little liquor cabinet. Now on the floor $132.00 (sale price).

After visiting sale after sale and being very disappointed in the offerings we decided to head to Grand Prairie to visit one of our Importer friends. He had just rec'd a truck filled with (what we're calling) the Cantina Collection; fun, vintage, colorful BAR furnishings that you just don't see everywhere.

Insulated Pacifico Cooler w/drain

$675 Sale Price (reg $899)

33.5"H x 29"W x 19"D

Corona Hi-Top Pub Table

Top is a metal Corona Sign 29x29

Rustic Base

Sale Price $281 (reg $375)

(2x) Leather top swivel bar stools shown above

Sale Price $258 (reg 345 ea)

Next: BURLAP

How adorable are these? Vintage french step tables, painted and dolled up with burlap coffee bean bags covering the traditional leather. Great work Kate!! I only snapped a photo of one, but there's a mate with a complimentary yet different burlap inset. Priced $125 each.

And finally: BABY
My favorite subject! Very, very rarely when we're out picking do I buy anything for ourselves, it's a discipline you have to have in this business unless you want your home to look like the residential Salvation Army.

We'll, we broke our own rule when we came across this little rocking chair. As Madison is growing so quickly, it won't be long before she needs her own chair to sit with G.P. (grandpa) and watch Fox News.

Yes, that slobber produced two front teeth!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Pickin'....and Grinning!

This Moving Sale business is fun! We should have decided to move months ago. Now I "get" the retailers who seem to have the NEVER ENDING moving sale. It works, it drives business and truthfully it kinda makes you wish you weren't moving.

But we are moving. And at this rate it may be sooner than later.

The sale is going so well, we're starting to look like we've already moved! Not to fear, we can't STAND the look of a picked over space especially since we've got so much time left to source wonderful finds and make sure we don't disappoint customers who take the time to shop L.H.O.

Yesterday, I googled LHO just for fun, and found a new flattering review on Yelp! This really got me to thinking about that old saying, you only have one chance to make a first impression. So as long as our doors are open at 2100 Irving Blvd - we will work hard to insure it's a good one. Just as it (apparently) was for Missy the Mouth.

Missy's review:
This is my little favorite find. I have walked in very few consignment stores and my heart starts jumping! The owners are fabulous! Fine furniture, old furniture.. PRICED RIGHT...

Which brings us to today. We are on the road. Out pickin! On the hunt for new treasures to insure you continue to have a wonderful experience when you take the time, make the effort and include L.H.O. Design & Consign in your day.

Where we're going and what we'll find is yet unknown. Just know this - we are on it.

We'll post an update tonight with the results (hopefully we have results). In the meantime, if you've had your eye on a piece at the store. Get down here before someone else buys it! ALL consignments are 25% off current pricing - no exclusions on consignment inventory; everyone is playing along now.

Also, new CLEARANCE table with prices marked 50% off.

T.T.F.N.,

Cindy