
Last week we blogged about the Cambridge Antique Market, raving about the selection of affordable treasures. Case in point - we recently chanced upon this decorative Asian fan for $14 (was marked down 70% by dealer!). In the store we weren't too sure where we were going to use it at home but as some scavengers advise, if you fall in love with something and it's a ridiculously good price, go for it and figure out the details later...

We discovered that the fan was a perfect quasi-headboard for the cherished futon bed made by our brother in our spare bedroom where we spend a ton of time because it gets the best afternoon light in the apartment. The colors in the fan allowed us to finally uncover the blue accent wall that we had covered in obnoxiously bright fabric. (When we first painted the wall a couple years ago, we were instantly nonplussed with the blue color but due to our chemical sensitivity and not wanting to wait out another round of paint smell dissipating we just covered the wall in the aforementioned fabric.) The blues in the fan, which we installed by using a 2' West Elm picture ledge, finally make the blue accent wall make sense and we're delighted with the outcome.
We would be forever indebted to anyone who could translate the Chinese characters on the fan?!

Comments (16)
That actually looks really nice. Who knew you could pull a room together for $14?
Oh Dear---
---Fans over the bed: It's such a 1980's cliche.
i think it'd look better as a headboard. slide it down the wall so that the fan itself starts just below the top of the bed. elegant semi-circle. you'd just have to make sure the bed doesn't touch it or else it'd get damaged.
Love it! We had similar weekends...I found a room divider for $10 that I am using as a quasi-headboard.
What do you think? I'm still trying to decide...
http://thesalerack.blogspot.com/2008/09/divide-and-conquer.html
I can't wait to visit the antique store the next time I'm in Cambridge!
by the way, i sold one very similar to this on ebay a couple of years ago for $12. got it at a flea market for about $6. you never know what you'll find!
bepsf, I agree... I think this would have been over Jack Tripper's bed.
BUT>. as heatherleaf said..place it down further and it will look very cool!!!! It is beautiful...!
good find put to good use :-) i like it the way it is, too.
@ The Sale Rack
nice headboard! I really love the look in your white room.
I had one of these from a flea market in an old dining room...but I tend to think it's a little '80s as well.
Agree with Bepsf and Hejiranyc.
i, for one, think this looks lovely. ALSO, my friend jenn and i were at the CAM three weekends ago and we definitely modeled that fan (i have fabulous pictures of her frolicking in the aisles with it); it's a beautiful piece and we both fell in love with it, but had no real uses for it. bravo to you for finding one - you may have inspired me to give fans another look!
I'm not a fan of Asian decor, but I do like this. Doesn't seem 80s to me.
I agree with bepsf...this reminds me of my parents' bedroom growing up...only their fan was pastel and covered in pressed flowers. Eeeek!
I don't care what people think. I like it.
i have a feeling that the pictures don't do this room justice. the fan looks great, kyle.