Frederick Antiquing

  Post by:

Marika
Meyer

One of my favorite weekend activities is heading out of town to go antiquing. A favorite destination is Frederick, Maryland.Two weeks ago I headed directly to The Loft at AI and instantly found a number of items that were worth the drive. This chair and ottoman reminds me of the wicker suite of furniture that I painted black this spring for my back yard. It feels much more updated and transitional than original white. Adding fresh upholstery will make these suitable for a more urban installation. I'm thinking white cushions with bright contrast piping.

The Loft had plenty of garden ornaments; this set of stone markers was particularly tempting. I imagine these in an English garden surrounded by well-groomed boxwood and lush lawn. 

This twig chandelier reminds me of the one by Wish Designs which we recently installed in a turn of the century Victorian in upper Georgetown. 

We opted for one painted white to reflect the neutral palette of the home. 

By far the most spectacular item that I found was this antique Chinoiserie secretary at the Antiques Emporium in downtown Frederick. This fabulous piece was in pristine condition and literally made my mouth water. I have visions of projects that I could use this for, but mostly it made me think of Charlotte Moss's guest room in her home in 
Manhattan home which was inspired by a Chinoiserie writing table.

Other pieces that stood out are this faux bamboo arm chair.

19th century elephant lamp.

Very sweet little french country bergere chair.

I must confess shopping was not the only draw. We planned the trip around a long awaited dinner at Michael Voltaggio's aptly named restaurant, Volt. Most people are familiar with Mr. Voltaggio from his run as a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef. We had heard rave reviews about Volt and were excited to try it with our good friends Scott & Kevan.  Here I am enjoying a glass of wine in the bar after a long day!

I would love to hear about some of your favorite places to go antiquing--please share!