My family just spent the long weekend in Door County, Wisconsin. Sunny, warm weather combined with a huge state park filled with bike trails (and a beach as a destination to cool off after biking) made for a perfect weekend of outdoor activity…and the Mini-Golf, Drive-In Theater and fireworks outings were pretty idyllic in that wonderful back-in-time "what decade is it?" way.
But for me (and happily, my husband and son, too), one of the highlights of any trip outside the city is the time spent digging through the antique malls, looking for treasures. This time we hit it big, crossing a big item of of our list of things needed for the new apartment: a room sized rug.
We couldn't believe it when we ran across a vintage 18x12 rug in the exact colors that we were hoping to find - a dark pinky raspberry red with navy. It is old enough (circa 1920) to show its age and wear (which we like) but in good shape (no stains or holes). The price was amazing and it fits the room perfectly, like we ordered it instead of stumbling upon it.
Getting a HUGE rug home hundreds of miles (in the rain) when you drive a Mini isn't exactly recommended as a fun vacation activity, but thanks to a tarp, some strong rope and the always good to have on hand, bungee cords, we made it in one piece. (We folded up, instead of rolled, wrapped in a tarp and tied to the roof).
We tried it out to make sure it fits, took a few pics and then rolled it up to go to the rug cleaner (btw, anyone have any good recommendations for Chicago rug cleaners?). We can't wait to get it back and start enjoying it - and thanks to the rug, we'll always remember our 4th of July weekend in Fish Creek!
What is the biggest souvenir you've ever brought home from a trip?
MORE ANTIQUE MALL FINDS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Loot List: Antique Mall Finds from the Weekend
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Comments (20)
My British husband - he was working in Africa for a year and I was travelling there during college.
Best souvenir ever!
My dad once brought home a Tiki head made of concrete, 3' tall. Weighed a ton. Came lugging it in on top of the old Dodge station wagon. That was 45 years ago. It's still in the garden. I think it made him feel like a world traveler and reminded him of the far off South Pacific.
What a fantastic way to commemorate a family trip?! I don't have any of these treasures yet, but I will be sure to look while on my next trip!
looks beautiful, janel!
We brought home a full size sofa, chair, and ottoman once... but we were driving an extended passenger van across the country, anyway, and just piled things on top of the furniture. Wasn't too bad, except for the rearranging part of it all :)
Also, we once brought home a new drummer for our band while on tour with the drummer who was on the way out (he was moving out of state). That was definitely the strangest thing we've done.
SCORE!!! (Congratulations!)
I don't even TRY for "big" souvenirs. (I'm petite and have serious back issues -- I can't afford to carry anything weighty, so I usually try for locally made small jewelry as souvenirs.)
However, I do find big treasures at local thrift stores and have them delivered (or sucker... er, RECRUIT people) to help me get them home!
Such a beautiful rug - Great Find!!!
I've heard pf people bringing home leather club chairs from the flea markets in Paris and carpets from Turkey...
...a friend once told me the story of a woman she had met aboard ship who purchased a gigantic funerary jar in China on a World Cruise - When the ship reached New York, she realized she had no way to get it home, so she left it with the ship and the line installed it in it's own niche as a piece of artwork.
My fourth child.
That is an amazingly fabulous rug! I'm so envious! A university friend of mine went to Iran to visit his family and brought back a huge Persian rug for his dorm room. He brought it back in his suitcase!
I know the pain of bringing home a rug as a souvenir ALL too well. In my kitchen lies a rug that my parents "forced" me to carry by hand back from Turkey when I was 11 years old. It's not large, maybe 5ftx8ft, but when you're a cranky pre-teen, everything weighs a "million pounds". 19 years later I look at it with fondness but at the time I couldn't have been more bitter at that rug!
What a fun vacation find!
Try Oscar Isberian in Evanston for a cleaning estimate.
beautiful!
Now...can you find me one? I'm moving into a rental house that's awesome except for terrible carpet...need to cover it!
When I was studying in Italy I brought back a GIANT, GIANT street poster of Patrick Dempsey for Italian Vanity Fair. My friends and I found him slung over a bike rack one late night waiting to be picked up by the trash collectors. I had to steam it for a long time to be able to peel him off the cardboard backing, but it was so worth it! He call him ( after the headline ) "Il Papa Sexy". Best of all, it was free!
I love the rug. I've never brought home a big souvenir, but my Dad once brought home a log from Maine that he just "had" to have. My Mom still talks about that one.
Where is the cute pink table from? Another thrift find?
Good score on the rug! I've been looking for one for a while and finding one in the right colors is definitely a challenge!!
Great Find!
I work for a high end rug showroom in the Merchandise Mart. I have Minasian Rug in Evanston do all my cleaning and cutting. They are the best and very reasonable. I would recommend them over Oscar Isberian.
I have a mini and it really is amazing what you can fit in or on a mini. I once brought back a large bench I bought furniture shopping after a wedding, along with the bride's catahoula I was going to dog sit, its crate, and my luggage.
creative license and mundyem,
Thanks very much for the cleaning recommendations!
haha, I would have liked to see it on the mini before you unloaded. XD (I have a Fit, myself; it, too, accomodates wonders, as it not-so-discreetly advertizes.... It was a craigslist purchase and not a souvenir, but i've stuffed a whole ikea beddinge sofa bed in there. Good thing I only had a few miles to drive, though....)
http://www.peterklujiancarpet.com/
In Chicago there are two separate Klujian companies (Mathew and Peter).I've used both and both are good, but for the past 10 years, I've used Peter Klujian now on Parker in the city, northwest side.
He gives me an excellent price, does beautiful work, and is pleasant to work with. He has handled repairs and pet stains on my rugs. I do cash and carry for a good discount, but he also does pick up and delivery.