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Large 1951 Tropical Reglor Lamps

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Upon review of our blog, I noticed that I forgot to show the resto on our 1951 Reglor lamps. Sometimes I get too caught up restoring that I forget to blog about the restorations I complete. Below is a before and after of these. I used the same restoration process I have used on other chalkware pieces.

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As you can see, they are not in terrible condition, but there is some damage and years of filth built up on the surface.

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The female lamp had damage to her waist down to the metal wire.

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Here is the repair and repaint of the damage to her waist.

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I am pleased how these have been freshened up.

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She looks like new now!

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I don’t think these are the original Reglor shades, but they work.

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On to the next resto!

Vintage Hawaiian Reglor Lamp Restoration

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REGLOR HISTORY

Bernie Stien and Rena Stien began Reglor of California in 1947. Reglor is the combination of the names Rena and her cousin Gloria. Credit for the design inspirations is to be shared with Oscar Vega, a production assistant. Regular lamps were frequently produced as a male and female pair.The distinctive shades of Reglor lamps were also made in house. Production stopped in 1975 when the Reglor factory in Montebello, California burned down. 

 REGLOR TROPICAL LAMPS

Mel and I picked these up some time ago. I was hesitant to buy them because the paint was peeling pretty well on the male dancer. I have seen this condition issue before on chalkware lamps, and it had turned me off from purchasing them in the past. I think this happens from the lamp getting wet and the chalk underneath wicking up the water thus causing the paint to lose grip and peel off.

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This restoration will be more difficult than the others because it is going to take more to cover up and level up the surfaces.

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This is what the damage looks like. The paint bubbles up from the surface. There are numerous spots on the male lamp and a few on the female lamp.

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To help break loose the bubbling paint I used a safety pin to get under the paint and break it off.

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The next step was to apply the spackle on the edges where the paint loss was and let it dry.

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Once dry I blended the edges into the surrounding area to level out the surface.

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I choose seafoam green paint for the main body of the lamps and stuck with the brown color for the exposed body parts.

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These are the last of the tropical lamps that needed to be restored.

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These will look great in the Tiki Room! On to the next restoration!

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Bo-Low Leopard Lamp Restoration

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Mel and I picked up this Bo-Low lamp sometime back. We had been admiring it for a while at a local antique shop and were finally able to acquire it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find out anything about the Bo-Low Lamp Co.

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As you can see, it looks like it traveled around a bit. It also had a chunk of chalk missing from a part of the top of the tree.

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I used my usual process to repair it.

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The next step was to paint the whole cat a cream color to help even out it’s finish, and so that the new color would take better.

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I then applied the main undercoat.

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As you can see from this photo, this cat had no real detail and was almost a cream color.

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Here is the same head shot after I added detail and color.

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Painting the leopard spots are fairly simple. Just make misshapen marks like I did above.

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The next step is to apply a small amount of black around parts of the brown to create the tradition leopard spot.

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Here is the original.

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Here it is after I refinished it.

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The original base was just tan so I added a grass effect to the bottom so it would tie in with its awesome shade.

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It’s coming along as you can see, just the tail left to complete.

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Just adding some finishing touches.

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Ta Da! Here it is all done!

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We have had this shade sitting around for sometime, and this seems like the perfect shade for this lamp.

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I am very happy with how it turned out.

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Fantastic Moss Lamp Trade

IMG_5473One day Mel and I were in the garage of our new home and a friendly face drove up and stopped right in front of our house. It was our friend Tom who Mel and I originally met at The Antique Company in Sacramento. Tom is such a socialite and he was soo eager to see the home we had just moved into. While we were showing him around he saw our oak leaf floor lamp.

Leaf Wire Lamp

Leaf Wire Lamp

When Tom saw this lamp he froze, turned to us and said, “I have the matching table lamps to that oak leaf floor lamp”. When he got home he texted over pics of the table lamps.

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Tom suggested that we trade our floor lamp to complete his set for a Moss floor lamp he had. We were a little skeptical and also lamp heavy so we said we’d consider the trade after seeing his Moss lamp. Once he brought the Moss lamp over Mel and I were sold!

IMG_5461The lamp shade on this lamp is fantastic! The lamp has these cool Lucite rods that flank the brass center. The black bowl in the middle is a planter. This piece makes quite a statement in the room.

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This shade has a great art deco pattern and is in amazing shape.

IMG_5465 This lamp really goes well with the dancing Carlo of Hollywood pieces behind it.

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IMG_5468 This lamp will be a great companion to our pink butterfly frieze chair. We are so grateful to Tom for his trade and I think both parties are happy with the exchange.

 

Tropical Reglor Lamps

Since Mel and I moved into a fifties ranch style home we have been hard at work making it our own. We are fortunate that this home has a lanai and we decided to make that our tiki room. Since we moved from an almost 5,000 sq. ft. home to an almost 1,800 sq. ft. home, we have had to re-evaluate our collection and keep what we think is the best of our collection. It makes it hard when you find new treasures such as these great Reglor Hawaiian lamps.

IMG_5712I was unaware that Reglor produced two different Hawaiian lamp sets. Both of these sets are breathtaking and the use of chartreuse makes them that much more atomic!

IMG_5713As far as chalkware lamps go, I have always had an appreciation for what Reglor produced.

IMG_5704This set is in great overall condition considering its age. I am guessing this set was produced sometime in the late 40’s or early 50’s. Usualy Reglor produced lamps with a thick base and this set has a thin base.

IMG_5709This set has some condition issues as you can see. My approach to repair the peeling paint is to remove as much of it as possible. After the peeling paint is removed you have to feather out the edge of the remaining paint into the body of the lamp. This will help make the repair look seamless when painted.

IMG_5706Here is our other freshly acquired 1951 Reglor set. We stumbled across these lamps while cruising Craigslist. These are larger than the other set.

IMG_5714The only issue with this set is that the Hawaiian girl has a crack at her waist. I will repair the crack with my usual process.

IMG_5504These two sets will really help make our tiki room that much more cooler. Once we get the house the way we like it we will make sure to showcase it in a future blog.

Here Are A Few New Things

IMG_3813Mel and I have been so busy trying to keep our store stocked.  We have driven all over northern California looking for things we think are cool.  Of course, not everything we buy is for the store.  After all, we are collectors before we are dealers.  The above piece is a new James Bunnell jungle cat we acquired.  We have a few of his jungle cats now (jungle cat 1, Jungle cat 2, jungle cat 3)

IMG_3811Here we have a fantastic 1959 Lane swan and ballerina tv lamp.  This will look great near a ballerina Carlo of Hollywood.  We picked this up from Rusty Relics and Funky Finds in Midway Mall.

IMG_3781We have been lucky as far as Tiki goes.  Here are some pieces we picked up to add to our collection.

IMG_3785While at Midway Mall, we also picked up these killer lamps.  We already have one, so this will make a set of three.  We also acquired another set of six band rattan that I will pick up this Saturday.  It will need upholstery and some restoring but it will be well worth it. I will have pictures soon.

IMG_3809This is a really cool bowl made by Trader Dick’s.

IMG_3787This set is so vibrant we could not pass it up.  The hibiscus flowers look so cool.

IMG_3790This is a menu cover used on the Matson Lines cruise ships and was painted by Eugene Savage (1883-1978).  I plan to get this framed with a bamboo frame.

IMG_3800This book is a trip.  It is bound in leather and has that fantastic image on the front.  This book was released in 1960 and covers the history of Hawaii.

IMG_3780Here is one of the most atomic looking televisions ever made.  This is a 1971 Panasonic Orbital television.

TheOrbital-Ad-blogHere is what the original ad looked like and here is also the television commercial.

IMG_3778This one works but has a few cosmetic issues, nothing major.

IMG_3773This unit just screams Mad Men.  I love the styling and the sleekness of it.  This would look great sitting on a shelf on a wall unit.  This was given to us by our new friend Jenn.  She’s proof that there are still good people out there :).  Thanks Jenn, this will stay in our collection.

IMG_3774This Panasonic will need a little work on the veneer, but overall it is in fantastic shape.  I still need to check the functionality of the unit.

IMG_3801This is an unmarked/un-engraved trophy that we came across.  I plan to clean it up and see what unique inscription we could add to it.

IMG_3806This set is so fun.  We love the colors and think it will dress up any bar top.

IMG_3808Each piece has wear, but I like them the way they are.

downloadWe also received this popcorn ceramic figurine set in the mail from one of our blog readers Dena (JuicyLucyVintage).  She gave this to us as a gift and we are soo thankful.  Click here to check out her Etsy store.

IMG_3815This is a fantastic mid-century Detecto scale.  We love the color combination.

IMG_3817This Jeco Electric clock is rather large and has a great Mid Century feel to it.  Picking has been going well for us lately and we hope the momentum keeps up!

Mid Century Plasto Mfg. Co. Lamps

IMG_3627If you have followed us for a while you might remember the Plasto lamp I repaired a while back.  This set has a similar styling to the one repaired.

IMG_3623As you can see, we picked up this large two shade Plasto lamp and a smaller single shade Plasto lamp.  For some reason I think this was a set of three lamps, but I have no way to verify that.

IMG_3625I can’t tell what the flowing style figural design is, maybe its just abstract.  They look like leaves, but I am not sure.

IMG_3624The lamps are in good shape for their age, but they will need a mild resto to bring them back to new.

IMG_3630The lamps seem to have their original shades and are in remarkable shape.  The lacing is still complete and there are no burns or staining on the shades.

IMG_3634These will stay in our collection and will have a place of pride in our home.  We just love these two lamps!

Mid Century Oak Leaf Floor Lamp

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Mel and I picked this up recently and we were not sure if we were gonna keep it once reassembled.  Little did we know how cool it was until our efforts were completed.

IMG_3199This is a floor lamp that stands almost 4ft tall.  When we got it, all it had was what is pictured.  It was also missing its mogul socket.  I went to a local lighting store and was able to find all I needed to get this lamp back in action.  I tried to find a makers mark and had no luck.  I also searched online for a similar lamp and was unsuccessful as well.

IMG_6412This is where the mogul socket should have been.  The mogul socket allows you to use a glass diffuser.

IMG_3342With the mogul replaced, I could then reassemble the upper portion of the lamp.  The great thing is Mel and I already had a shade that matched it, so it was soo easy making this look good.

IMG_3338Well after a bit of work the lamp is whole again.

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Shazam! Here it is all done.  This is a keeper and will look great in our new place…..once we get one.

IMG_3344I really dig the gold streaks with the oak leaf pattern.

IMG_3341We will enjoy this for years to come.

Here Are Some Quick Picks

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These chairs belonged to the grandfather of the guy I purchased them from.  He had them in his man cave.  The upholstery job leaves something to be desired.  I plan to remove the back rests (they are not original) and redo the seat bottoms in a different color.  I tried to find info on the manufacturer but was unsuccessful.

I came across these on Craigslist and knew I wanted them.  I love the style of the metal backrests.

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There is a lot of surface rust, but a little sand paper and paint will fix that.

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I need to figure out where to get new feet for a couple of the stools.

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I have seen this style in a table and chair form, but this is the first time I have seen the style in barstool form!  I think we will replace the stools that we are currently using with our…..

expWe purchased this bar a while back and love it.  I think I may have blogged about it before, but cant find the post!

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Here the bar is in its upright form

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Here is the back of it.  It has holders for glasses and bottles that lay down when the bar is folded into a coffee table!

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Here is what the bar looks like when folded into a coffee table.  Such a cool design by the ABCO company!

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Here it is all the way folded down.  This could slide under a bed for quick and easy storage.  This is going under a covered patio of our next place for entertaining.

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We picked this up for a quick $40 off of Craigslist as well.  It needs some restoring but that will be easy.  We have 2 of the pink and 1 brown versions of this lamp, so we thought aqua would be a nice contrast.

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I picked this lamp up at one of our local haunts.   The lampshade is one we had sitting around.  This will go into our booth for resale.

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These lamps are our friend Stephen’s.  They require repair so we traded for the magazine holder below.

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These lamps have damage around the switch but that shouldn’t be too hard to fix.  The lampshades for these lamps are in fantastic shape.  Stephen is going to throw them on eBay once the repairs are done.  These have no maker listed.

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Here is a nice jadite set that will be goin’ in the booth.

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Thinking I would like to be more proactive in the repair of our radios.  I picked up this working Conar model 224 tube tester for $15.  In a later post I plan to recover this unit with new stag material.

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It appears you can test radio and television tubes.  I have never used one of these units, so I hope its self explanatory.

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Here is a mauve frieze couch we recently picked up.  It is in surprisingly great shape for its age.

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I can imagine this in our home with a couple of Heywood Wakefield end tables on each side and a cool looking Carlo above it. We are torn if we will keep it or put it in our booth.

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The coolest feature about this couch is that it is a sleeper as well.

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There is NO wear to the mattress at all.  I don’t think it was ever used!

Chalkware Lamp Restoration-Continental Art Company Fairy

WHY!!!! Broken but not dead.

I thought I’d blog about how to fix a chalkware lamp. These lamps are also known as plaster lamps. I came across this at my friend Franks house. He received it from a friend of his but as you can see it had a major break to the base. I wasn’t sure I could fix it but I thought I would give it a try. I asked Frank if I could purchase it and he said “sure can” so I went home to start work.

Wow, it’s really bad looking isn’t it? Maybe if it faces the wall no one will notice.

The first thing that had to be done was glue the broken pieces back to the body of the lamp. I debated between a few different adhesives such as silicone, JB Weld or rubber cement. I though about the flexibility those adhesives have which would eventually cause the fix to fail. Then I remembered “Gorilla Glue“. This stuff is crazy good when gluing things together.

Glue of the Gods!

Once I managed to get the cap off the glue tube (they stick sometimes after use).  I started to glue the shards back to the lamp. You only need to hold the pieces in place for 30 seconds and they will hold. I wanted to make sure it dried so I let it sit for and hour before I started sanding.

Glue is holding like a champ!

I wanted to sand before I applied the filler to level out the surfaces.

The next step was to fill the gaps left from the pieces that were missing. I wasn’t sure what to use but then I remembered that  “DAP Spackling” was a chalky substance and would fill the gaps perfectly. This stuff is usually used to patch holes on walls but I had confidence it would work.

I applied that spackling in small amounts till I had all the gaps plugged.

Once all the gaps were filled I had to wait 4 hours before sanding or painting. I placed it out in the sun to help expedite the drying time. Once I got it into the light I realized that the fairy was very faded and I decided at that point I would have to paint it as well.

Catching some rays.

Once it was completely dry I sanded off the excess spackling. You want to sand it enough to when your finger slides over the surface it feels like there is no crack. Paint shows all faults so if this isn’t sanded completely flush it will show, trust me.

Smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Now time for the paint. I swung into Lowes and had some paint mixed. I ended up purchasing BEHR eggshell “Mountain Ridge” house paint. I would of tried to spray paint but that would be hard to control.

I had to paint the fairy and the base the same color. the cream color would of been very hard to duplicate because it had a spackled finish.

As you can see from the paint I am applying how faded the fairy was.

Once it was all painted it just needed to dry. House paint is kind of funny because you think you have a good coat and later you will find some spots that need touch up. As it sits now it looks great but maybe tomorrow I might have to do some touch up. So without further adieu here she is!

Where is the crack?! It’s gone!

I am very pleased with its repair and restoration. I will now have to shoot over to Meteor Lights to order a shade for it.

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