Field Trip(!): Middleburg Antiques Show

Last weekend Erica, our mother-in-law, and I headed out to the Middleburg Antiques Show to check out the local offerings. While none of us ended up buying anything, it was definitely interesting. The vendors -- antique stores and dealers from up and down the Mid-Atlantic region -- had everything from vintage produce carton signs and 1920s movie house projectors to 19th-century maps and Jasperware galore.

When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by encased vintage sterling pieces...


As well as fabric, clocks, and lamps.


Here are two Alabaster lamps at one of the first booths we visited. I would pair them with an unexpected lampshade (like a black drum lampshade or pretty much any lit lampshade). Too bad they were going for around $850. (About $750 more than my budget would allow.)


Some dog lithographs...I am a total dog lover with many bare walls, and would have picked one up but the asking prices started at $125.


Now this was cute. House Beautiful's 101 Easy Makeovers recommends showing a little "skin" in every room...


And this was different. This dealer buys mid-19th century tables, cuts them in half, and gives them new life as demilunes.


This was a gorgeous chair. Loved the curves, loved the legs. Would be absolutely stunning in a loud, modern fabric.


Busts are EVERYWHERE!!!


And finally, who could resist a sterling egg boiler?


In total, we spent about two hours at the Middleburg show. It was a fun Saturday activity, even if we didn't purchase anything outside the cost of admission. I like to mix contemporary with traditional, so I'm already looking forward to my next antiquing trip.