Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a bright and colorful holiday season!

Holiday Hours:

12/21-12-4

12/22-12/27-Closed

12/28-12/29-12-4

12/30-1/2-Closed

Brutalist Sailboat

Large Jere style, signed brass Brutalist sailboat on a quartz base.  A great holiday gift for the sailing/ sea lover.  29" h., 18" w., 12" d.  American, c. 1970's  SOLD  
Condition:  Excellent vintage condition.

Giltwood Mirror

Lovely smaller scale giltwood mirror with leaf and quilted diamond decoration.  Great size for a powder room.  32" h., 17.25" w.  American, c. 1960's  SOLD
Condition:  Excellent vintage condition.

Holiday Deliveries

We will be offering free delivery this Sunday, December 17th.  The sleigh will be heading out from Hamilton to Toronto and Port Hope, and all points in between.

Pair of Chinoiserie Side Tables

Lovely pair of Chinoiserie side tables in gold with hand-painted interior/ garden scene.  They come with custom glass tops, and they make perfect small drinks tables.  As always, it's worth the drive to Hamilton.https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/tables/end-tables/pair-of-red-orange-asian-chinoiserie-side-tables-stools/id-f_7270143/  But we are delivering until mid-week next week as well.  19" h.  13.5" diam.  c. 1950's  SOLD 

Condition:  Very good vintage condition with minor paint loss.

Chapman Brass Chandelier

Where the deer and the antelope play....  Classic Chapman brass antelope/ ibex/ ram's head chandelier, captured earlier this week.  Shot on the range during a photo break en route back to Canada.  Currently on display in the shop.  Very substantial and beautiful polished brass chandelier with black parchment shades with gold metallic interiors.  30" diam., 21" h.  American, c. 1970's  SOLD
Condition:  Chandelier in excellent vintage condition.  Shades in very good-good vintage condition.

  

Hekman Console with Stools

Deck the hall or living room, bedroom, etc. with this handsome and hospitable Asian Modern console and pair of matching stools by Hekman.  The three drawer console has patinated brass hardware and details.  The stools have patinated brass casters and details.  The pineapple (symbol of hospitality) patterned upholstery is original.  It's a great set for a foyer and putting on shoes and boots, or anywhere a smaller table and a little extra seating might be required.  55.5" l., 15.5" d., 27" h.  American, c. 1970's SOLD
Condition:  Excellent-very good vintage condition.

Pair of Neoclassical Style Lamps

Classic and elegant pair of gilded metal, ribbed columnar table lamps with lion's head detail.  31" h., 13" sq.  American, c. 20th c.  SOLD
Condition:  Bases are in excellent vintage condition.  Pleated silk shades are in very good vintage condition.

Ralph Lauren Duke's Host Chair

The Ralph Lauren Duke's Host Chair.  If this production version is too much for you with its zebra patterned upholstery, gold frame, and $4,200.00 USD price, our vintage model upholstered in chocolate velvet with a dark bronzed wood frame might make more sense.  It's the perfect 'throne' for watching season 2 of The Crown!  28" w., 26" d., 41" h.  American, 20th c.  SOLD
Condition:  Excellent vintage condition.

Maitland Smith Candlesticks

Add some presence to your holiday table, mantel, or anyplace a little decorative punch is needed with this substantial pair of polished chrome and brass candlesticks by Maitland Smith.  16.5" h., 6" diam.  American, c. 1970's  $150.00 for the pair.  
Condition:  Very good vintage condition

Mont Style Buddha Table Lamp

Beautiful Buddha head table lamp in the style of James Mont.  This unique, Asian Modern/ Hollywood Regency style lamp has a painted and gilded plaster base and its original gold leafed parchment shade.  28" h., 12" diam.  American, c. 1960's  SOLD

Condition:  Excellent vintage condition.

Queen Anne Style Mirror

Carved, antiqued/ splatter finish giltwood Queen Anne/ Hollywood Regency style mirror.  Very nice.  Very decorative.  40" h.  24" w.  American, c. 1960's  SOLD
Condition:  Excellent vintage condition.

Brass Library Lamp

Handsome, classic, patinated brass swing arm library lamp.  The original black parchment shade has a metallic gold and black marbelized interior.  It has newer wiring.  26.5" h., base, 7" diam.  Swings out to 14"  American, c. 1960's  SOLD
Condition:  Very  good-good vintage condition.

Oli Goldsmith; New Works

We are pleased to present a brilliant collection of new work by Oli Goldsmith, currently on view at M. T. A.

Hardly Boys, Around the World Variation

24" x 24"

Mixed media on board

$1,750.00

Winston as Cuppa Noodles

30" x 30"

Mixed media on board

$2,500.00

Bathing Whilst Not Painting

24" x 24"

Mixed media on board

$1,750.00

Hardly Boys, Traditional Canadian Home Variation

30" x 30"

Mixed media on board

$2,500.00

Forger

30" x 30"

 Mixed media on board

$2,500.00

Foraging

40" x 40"

Mixed media on board

$3,700.00

Wishing Peace on Earth and Peace of Mind

Last year's Christmas windows were about 'building love'.  This year's are about finding peace.  As in the past, inspiration was taken from our December charity and current events.  Our December charity this year is Jack.org.  Last month, Healthy Minds Canada (formerly the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation) announced that it was merging with Jack.org and combining resources to strengthen the capabilities of both organizations.  "Jack.org is the only national network of young leaders transforming the way we think about mental health.  With initiatives and programs designed with the input of young people at every step, we will end stigma in our generation."  With the charity and current events top of mind, the 'Wishing Peace on Earth and Peace of Mind' windows came into being.  The idea was to create one window to represent peace on earth and the other to represent peace of mind.  Whereas last year's windows were bright and bold, I wanted this year's to be calm and quiet.  The execution was pretty straight forward.  I began by learning how to make an Origami dove.  The first few were a little tricky, but by the time I had made 400, it was like Zen and the art of paper folding.  They were then strung on fishing line like strings of popcorn garland.  Next I cut out and painted the earth and the silhouette.  Then there was some forest foraging for fallen branches from which to hang the doves.  Finally the messages were painted on paper squares, hung with twine and everything was installed.
During the month of December, we will be donating ten percent of the profits from each sale to Jack.org.  If you would like to learn more about this exceptional organization or donate directly, please visit their website at https://www.jack.org/
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, peace on earth, and peace of mind for the season and for 2018!

Christmases Past

Creating our Christmas windows has always been a fun part of the holidays, and we are just about finished with the building and installation of our 2017 holiday windows.  They should be done and posted a little later today.  Never let it be said that we rush Christmas!  In the meantime, here are some images of Christmases past at Michael Thomas.    

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2016

 2008 was our first Christmas in Port Hope, and the idea was pretty simple- a tranquil winter scene with a forest of birch trees.  The tricky part of this installation was hanging all of the trees.

2009 was one of my favorite windows and also one of the most complicated.  It was the window of an Art Deco department store for deer. "Deer & Co. The Department Store for Deer" was selling Santa's by the lb., reindeer games and designer hoof wear.  Corny? yes, but it's Christmas.  Hermie the dentist was on 5. "It's cute, it's cute, she thinks it's cute".  I designed, constructed and painted the set, and then installed piece by piece.

2010 was very experimental.  I wanted to do something different with light and color and came up with the "Oh Mason Tree" idea.  I wasn't sure if it would actually work as I envisioned it until it was installed.  The tree was created with rows of mason jars filled with colored water and then back lit.  In the end I was happy with the result, especially at night.

The 2011 Christmas window was conceived with our charity of the season, The Children's Aid Society, in mind.  I wanted a window that would be playful and colorful.  I started with the material this time as inspiration.  I bought yards and yards of red and green felt, not sure exactly where I was going with it.  Felt has a nice nostalgic feel, childlike simplicity and warmth to it.  I wanted to take this somewhat old-fashioned material in a modern direction.  After cutting lots of masonite and felt, lots of painting (the lime green trees were a last minute addition) and lots and lots of spray adhesive, the modern forest with red doves flying overhead was finished just in time to bring in the month of December and the Christmas season.

For 2012 we once again looked to our December charity, which was Habitat for Humanity, for inspiration.  Habitat For Humanity's vision is a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.  We wanted to keep it "Swedish simple" this time.  After painting the back wall a beautiful shade of pale gray and building the house framing with 2 x 4's, the outside was lit.  Then the kids' Christmas decorating began.  As one of the children hung the lights, the other got ready to place the gold star atop the tree.  Soon after, the snow began to fall and Christmas was complete.

The inspiration for the 2013 Christmas window started, as it had for the last few years, with our December charity in mind.  That year, it was CANFAR (The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research).  CANFAR is Canada's only independent charitable foundation dedicated to eliminating AIDS through research.  By funding promising HIV and AIDS research and promoting prevention through educational campaigns, CANFAR is working to end AIDS globally.  So the inspiration started with CANFAR and thoughts turned to the eighties and one of the brightest creative talents of the era, Keith Haring.  He grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to New York City in 1978.  He had a brief but brilliant career in New York from 1980 until his death in 1990 at the age of 31.  The Madonna and Child were taken from the cover art he did for the "A Very Special Christmas" series of albums.   In the window, we had Pennsylvania represented with a variety of Moravian stars, the iconic advent symbol.  The lit star came from the Moravian Bookshop in Bethlehem, PA.  It is the oldest bookshop in the U.S. (true) founded in 1745, and I have great memories of working  there during high school in the eighties.   I have always loved the image of the Moravian star and if you visit Bethlehem at Christmastime, you will see them in the doorways and windows of many homes particularly in the historic downtown area.

2014 was the year without a shop.....

2015 was our first year in our new home and our December charity was Habitat for Humanity Hamilton.  We decided to go old school and traditional with handmade wreaths and garlands, fresh fruit, early antiques and art, and packages tied up with string.

The 2016 windows were inspired by current events and our seasonal charity.  The "Build Love, Not Walls" windows idea was to present the message with big, brightly painted, wooden children's alphabet building blocks.