Chinese Antiques: Shopping Online/Viewing High Point, NC/a customer testimonial

The business model for Antiques by Zaar was built around the notion that people were drawn to do their shopping  online…yes, even for Chinese Antique Furniture. That was in 2000 and happy to say we called it right.  For the  past 11 years we have continued on in this vein, using our website to serve as our only storefront, building  relationships/our business, creating a niche market for our competitively  priced line of quality Chinese Antiques.  Thank you to ALL of you that have taken the plunge and shopped with us online!!!!

Ruth & Jeff after a day of sorting out the warehouse in readiness for Market.

However, even when we had our warehouse in Maine, we always welcomed the customer that desired to come and see for themselves, what was represented online. And the same remains true with our warehouse now located in High Point NC. Yes, with the assistance of my sales associate Jeff Moore, who is based in Greensboro, we are able to entertain appointments for those that still like to “touch and feel” before they purchase.

Babette Glauner of Pinehurst NC, was just one of those that fell in this category. She writes…

“I  found Antiques by Zaar on the internet while searching for Chinese antiques.  Former expat experience, Golden Retriever puppies and obviously family-oriented people...looks like she read our story…. all drew me to the website as well as the wonderful assortment of furniture and Asian accents.  When my husband gave the go-ahead to look for a few new pieces to furnish our retirement home I remembered Ruth in High Point, 1 1/2 hours away.

The piece Babette spotted online was indeed perfect for her, as shown here in her home.

The antiquesbyzaar website is well-organized and depicts the offerings very well, but as long as I was close by, I contacted Ruth to see if I could see my possible choices in person.  She was warm from the start, very accommodating and arranged a time to meet at the warehouse, now the Design Center.  What a treasure trove it is!  It was hard not to want to toss out everything I had and start anew right there!  But sense prevailed and in no time Ruth and I were chatting like old friends and I had selected the piece I had come for plus another whose possibilities jumped out at me once I saw it.  Jeff Moore, Ruth’s cohort, also was very helpful, never pressuring but guiding me to all of the variations of whatever I expressed an interest in.  It’s easy to see that both women really know and enjoy their merchandise.”

Thank you Babette, for this wonderful testimonial. It was a delight to meet you as well, and enjoy staying in touch with you by way of email/newsletters, and the such.

For those that may be interested in visiting our warehouse, please just let me know and we’ll make the arrangements.

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are moving next month, even closer to the heart of High Point…for those of you familiar with High Point, it is in the old Drexel Heritage Factory, which is at 741 West Ward. So very excited!

P.S. I also wrote a blog on Babette’s decorating mantra Eclectic= Interesting: Chinese, American and French Antiques….

 

Hannah Dee Interiors: Loves Loves Loves a Pop of Color…

….and in particular it seems a light and airy blue that she can’t seem to tear herself away from and, might I add, is so refreshingly warm and lively all at the same time…kind of what  Hannah Dee is herself…and thus I sense her natural  draw to this hue.

….so pleased that I had JUST the piece she needed, JUST the very specific size she needed, in JUST what seems to be her fave color….thank you Maria of Liveable Landscapes  for putting us together!

Not only will you agree it looks stunning in her very cool living room, as shown below….

….but it is hot hot hot in the vignette she created as participant in the The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival, which was held in April…click here to see more photos of her vignette, from concept to reality,….no wonder she attracted alot of attention!

As Hannah said when she posted me some pix… “I exhibited recently in a local festival, The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival. I used your beautiful blue console table as the centerpiece of the booth I created. It looked so great and really made the space. I love it in my living room as well!”
…and she carries a pop of this color into her garden as well, accented on her door and in side chairs. You don’t want to miss taking a “stroll through Hannah’s garden“….

…and if you want Hannah to work her colorful magic in your home or garden, you may want to give her a call. Website forthcoming, but in the meanwhile  you can see what she’s all about on Facebook…

….and, by the by…. if you’re looking for a pop of color by way of a refurbished piece of Chinese furniture, do check out the section on my site that I just created, “A Pop of Color!“…as yes, I do have a piece or two  in “Hannah’s blue”.

 

Peace & Tranquility/Beauty & Simplicity: Asian infusion in a Long Island Home

….and, the story of a  happy Antiques by Zaar customer/friend .

Katherine Kovins found Antiques by Zaar online in 2006, as she and her husband, Thom Janusz, were working  on furnishing their new Long Island home.  Wanting a Chinese sideboard, to serve as a bureau in their bedroom, was the initial impetus to shop my site.

...looking great in the, main floor, dining room.

She honed in on a beautiful, rich wood toned sideboard which she knew to be perfect in all ways for her boudoir, less the fact that this beauty, gloriously long at 100″, would not manage its way up the stairwell…no way, no how.  Katherine found a solution to her problem…. she would make a place for this piece on the main floor of her new home, in her dining room, and buy a 2nd sideboard to serve her purposes in her 2nd floor bedroom….which worked beautifully, per photos shown here.

...and Katherine looking perfect beside the sideboard that did make it up the stairs to their boudoir.

Katherine continued shopping for accent pieces from Antiques by Zaar, such as the mirror shown here,  to complement the many other Asian pieces of furniture and artifacts that she and her husband had already gathered over the years.

This past February I so very much enjoyed the tour of their home, see some pix here….I simply didn’t take enough photos..think I was in such a state of “awe”   graced as it was, with a delightful infusion of Asian furniture and artifacts throughout…beautifully placed to maximize vantage points. It truly was akin to walking through a museum, and I, the lucky gal that was given a personalized tour by the impassioned purveyors of fine treasure after fine treasure.

In Katherine’s words…”You can say that my husband and I have always loved the Asian decor as it lends peace and tranquillity to the home. We love the beauty and simplicity of Asian art and antiques.”

Thom, a renowned sculptor, showcases Asian sculptures, admist his own creative works...each complementing the other.

Couldn't resist having my pic taken in the elevator, which yes, is accented with Asian themed wallpaper.

Following this delightful visit of their home, which they have obviously poured themselves into, we continued our chat fest at the lovely Mill Pond House in Centerport, NY….where I learned more about the colorful and acclaimed backgrounds of my customers come friends….and left feeling fully infused with a heavy dose of ” peace and tranquility”, wending my way back to Great Neck, smiling from the inside out.

Thank you, Katherine and Thom, for coming into my world, by way of sharing a warmth and love for Asian antiques/artifacts. Thank you for sharing your home and your selves…and treating me to a sumptuous lunch, on that glorious February afternoon.  Thank you for giving me something so great to share with my world.

Ruth

 

Loving Chinese Accents in Home & Garden

Maria Hasenecz, the heart and soul of Livable Landscapes, based out of Wyndmoor PA,  first found Antiques by Zaar in 2007, at which time  she bought an unassming but pivotal piece, that being a black lacquered coffee table, for her living room,  which she  readily and enthusiastically shared  photos of such in place…which she also offered me to share  in the Home Gallery on my website.

When she called me earlier this year regarding a 2nd purchase, which requires a blog all of it’s own…now there’s a story! she shared with me her continued affection for her original purchase and how well it transitioned with her room as she slapped a coat of paint on the walls, reupholstered her sofa,  changed her curtains and accessories. Wow!

In Maria’s words… “I love how your Chinese pieces are timeless and will never go out of style. They add a global exotic feel, readily blend with a variety of other antique styles, while adding character to our room. It easily transitioned to our new decorative scheme”……

Maria’s personality, we’ve only “met” on the phone/email, but feel like “kindred Spirits“, is warm and effusive, as is evidenced in the lovely garden settings she creates for her clients…of course, throwing into her schema’s a dash of good “feng shui” as she positions a touch of the Orient in said settings…as they say…a picture is worth a thousand words….

 Be sure to fan Livable Landscapes on facebook AND gush over more photos there as well as on her website!

Ruth

 

The Mill House Inn: Using Mitchell Gold,Palachek & Chinese Antiques…

… no, nobody does this mix better than Gary and Sylvia Muller, propreitors of the Mill House Inn/Graybarn Cottage,   located in pituresque East Hampton.

Their love for this anchor in their decorating schema serves them just as well in their New Hampshire farmhouse (adding Stickley classics and French antiques to the mix) as it does in their Long Island retreat/place of business….which is a place well worth the visit for your next getaway.

I asked Sylvia for a note or two, to share with my world, with regards to their decorating philospophy..the below which she sent to me, in honor of said request. Please enjoy the below…with comments from yours truly in italics.

Antiques by ZAAR has been a cornerstone in our “design family” for almost as long as they have been online for business. Ruth and Mark work with us to find the perfect pieces for our inn and our home and have become part of our family of friends in the process.

At The Mill House Inn, Gary and I have worked hard to create an ambiance of comfortable luxury.  We design everything ourselves, from bathroom tiles and fixtures to the room decor, the amazingly comfortable bedding, and the organic soaps, lotions and fragrances we use in the rooms. The aim is that our guests should feel “at home” from the moment they enter the inn, and never want to leave…and trust me, this is true on both counts…from the feeling like you’re sleeping on a cloud, to the delectable breakfast laid out, to the cookies, coffee, and tea always there for you, to ALL the details they pay attention to…it truly is the getaway of all getaways.

Choosing the right mix of furniture and furnishings is crucial.  Each guest room is designed to evoke a story.  But we never want a room to feel “over decorated” or contrived. By mixing genres we make a room feel like it has evolved over a lifetime.

Our Captains Quarters Suite makes one dream of travels to exotic places in a bygone day… with Asian Antique furniture mixed with comfortable leather sofas, mica lights, maps of the China seas and Harpers Bazaar covers of the early steamship days. Add in a great iron bed, a couple of flat screen tvs, a gas fireplace and woven wood shades and you create a timeless and inviting environment.

Our Graybarn Cottage is an old barn with lots of character of it’s own.  We filled it with Asian pieces from Antiques by Zaar, slipcovered sofas and leather pieces from Mitchell Gold, leather chairs from Palacek, a custom ‘antiqued’ eight foot round table from Fishers in Sag Harbor, Kichler candelabras, Justice Design’s candle lamps, classic white dishes from Fishs Eddie, and my black & white photos of the beach, check out more of Sylvia’s photos on her blog Sylvia Walks,  to create a home that makes people go “wow!” when they walk in the door and never want to leave…

In our own home, Black Dog Farm, we have also used a mix of styles, incorporating our favorite  pieces from Antiques by ZAAR with comfortable leather sofas and chairs, early American pine, Stickley classics and French country antiques.  Click here to see further photos of Black Dog Farm.  It all works together and we never want to leave there either!

Having visited the Mill House Inn, Graybarn Cottage and the Black Dog Farm, I can vouch for the warmness that Gary and Syliva have as people, is reflected in the feeling you get immediately upon stepping into the door of any of these places of living/respite, that their hands have touched….their penchant for quality, great taste and detail, oh my, the details!, is unmatched. …and am so thrilled that they have provided me with this text and accompanying photos to serve as an example of how Chinese Antiques complement the classics.

Ruth

Click here to read previous posting I did on Mill House Inn.

 

Console Tables:Chinese or Modern/Simple Elegance

It would be again that Elle Decor, this time the March 2010 issue,  would serve me well as backdrop for what I was looking for by way of drawing parallels with my beloved Asian antiques.

And in this issue Designers Elaine Griffin, Antiques by Zaar customer since 2005, and Todd Alexander Romano, were called on for input on, you got it, the Top 10 Console Tables.

Of the Preston Console Table, by Jonathan Adler, and which Elaine is perched on in above photo, says Romano  “This is a classic design with a twist. It recalls a traditional Chinese altar table, but being wrapped in mock croc give it a bit of whimsy.”

And Elaine quips on the Murry Console, shown here, by Duane Modern, “Cute!. The rounded leg and lip recall T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, but the chinoiseire apron gives it an Asian flair.”

It is beginning to see that even in “non Asian” pieces, such as these modern consoles, that there remains an influence of Asian…just seems no escaping it.

These tables are lovely in their modernity, but should you enjoy the allure of having an antique in place, then you might want to know you can consider such, rather affordably I might add, at, yes, shamelessly  promoting here, Antiques by Zaar…..as below customers have done.

Cynthia Mason Interiors,  Happy Antiques by Zaar customer since February 2008,  considers the style used here as “neo traditional” , blending fresh ideas with time-honored elements.

And in the words of Kevin Mac Nair, Antiques by Zaar customer since March 2009…

“ I had been looking for years for the right piece to accent my foyer, and purchased this classic console in 2010 online from Antiques by Zaar….and all I can say is that it is simply perrrrrrfect!

It’s sleek yet sophisticated styling is cheerful and welcoming with a fantastic blend of warm sienna and ochre, with just a hint of orange. Its statement is at once austere yet powerful with its’ appetizingly, massive thick top.

 I’ve  complemented it with a hand-carved,18th century 22 carat, gilt & stippled Florentine mirror in an area where guests may find some extra closet space to hang a coat or sweater, etc. I absolutely LOVE my console!”

Thanks Ruth~~

…and thank you Kevin.

Of course we have a delightful selection of Chinese consoles in our collection, available to you for your shopping pleasure. Click here to view all.

P.S. A seperate blog on consoles which feature drawers will be forthcoming…

Click here to read a previous blog posting on Cynthia Mason Interiors, formerly Interiors Decorating Den, and Antiques by Zaar.

Click here to read a previous blog posting re my ongoing relationship with Elaine Griffin.

…and if you google Elaine Griffin, Todd Alexander Romano and Cynthia Mason Interiors you will surely be impressed by the many magazines they’ve been featured in, the accolades given them and the numerous blogs written about them.

 

Chinese Kang Chest as a Coffee Table

….as a coffee table you ask?  Can’t say that that application would’ve rolled off my tongue, but per photo below, it does work so very well.

Chinese Kang Chest used as a coffee table in front porch of model home on Kiawah Island, SC.

   Per Judi Embresica, of TGE Design Group, (and Antiques by Zaar customer since October 2005), who purchased the Kang table for the model porch, the piece got “rave reviews”, and should you be interested in enjoying additional photos of this beautifully appointed model home in the new Cottoges of Cypress Point, located on Kiawah Island, SC, click here.

……and should you be interested in a similar piece, either to use as a coffee table, or perhaps as more commonly used, under your flat screen TV, feel free to visit our Low Sideboard Section (not everybody understands “Kang”) where you can see full array of offerings on such pieces, including the below, and more….

BP 77 Black Decorated Kang Chest

CB 34 Solid Black Kang Chest...as seen in June Better Homes and Gardens

Kang Chest used as chest in a bedroom, by designer Elaine Griffin.

Also have a couple of Mongolian pieces such as this, BB 74

...and then there are Tibetan infused pieces, such as BP 76 (and more on next shipment.)

 ….and if you have an interesting application for a Kang Chest, do let me know…and sharing a photo or two would be even better.

Ruth

 

 

Chinese Antique Galleria/Cheverly MD…& so much more.

Sandy Jenifer/Ruth Olbrych: Brought together through Antiques by Zaar

Believe it or not I have been stymied, and the sad result is that I have neglected this wonderful venue of communicating with “you” (yes, blogging), the very many things/people I have a burning desire to share….such as my dear friend Sandra Jenifer (featured here)…whose friendship was ignited in 2002 when she went “hunting” for Chinese antiques online and found Antiques by Zaar/me.

The crazy thing is that although I have been chomping at the bit to share “our story” with y’all, I have let my concern over the “presentation” get in the way of  putting this out there.  I  so wanted to do justice to what Sandy represents to me and to my business and yet was concerned over not enough emphasis on the product and too much on the persons. I was being conflicted about doing what I knew I wanted to do…share what has been the “icing on my cake” in putting myself out there with an online business.   It is a transaction that initially brings us together. In her case continued shopping (she has purchased no less than 16 pieces from me over the course of the years) triggers further communications, supplemented by my monthly newsletters which usually incites a personal hi back and forth.  It is in this way that we have continued on.

 An example of our friendship goes back to  when she gave  me a call asking “did you know you were in the current issue of Home In Style magazine? “…which I wasn’t aware of (was in the throes of preparing for Market)  and was so touched that she thought to bring to my attention this free publicity, which would serve me well to promote, and which I did.

Sandy truly has a way to put it all together. She should go into business as a Designer, wouldn't you say?

Yes, I have LONG been wanting to publicly acknowledge the very many customers that I have that are Antiques by Zaar collectors/friends and no better person to launch this campaign of gratitude than Sandy.  She has patiently been with me throughout this and readily contributes to my “cause”. To that end she wrote a testimonial for my Galleria of Collectors ,  a section on my site where I want to feature the many folks that have purchased multiple pieces from me…as there are many. Although still in infancy stages Sandy does indeed have a presence there, although the handful of  photos she sent me to include don’t give any indication to the scope of her home which is truly a Galleria.

So, I am pleased that it worked for  me to visit her last month on my drive back to Maine from North Carolina, and as such not only had opportunity to photograph  her  Asian “Galleria”  (please enjoy slideshow of photos here) but also sit with her to tape a video testimonial, which she had previously agreed to do for me. (Can also view photos of her home..not in slideshow format, by clicking here, if your preference.)

I hope you enjoy this window into her home and into what makes me so very grateful for this business, which has, and continues to, open up my life to so many great things and more importantly so many great people.

Ruth
P.S. Watch out. Now that I’ve gotten past the hurdle of how to present this (ie, just go with it Ruth) , there is so much more to follow. The floodgates are open!

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com

www.antiquesbyzaar.com

 

A Treat to Share: Chinese Antique Sideboard/Happy Customer in CA

My customers are so good to me!

It is only because of their generosity in sharing photos of their Antiques by Zaar purchases that I am able to boast of a wonderful Home Gallery section on my website. As such I was thrilled to receive the below message and accompanying photos, earlier this month, in my email.

Chinese antique sideboard elegantly placed in Bakersville, CA.

“Finally getting around to sending you a photo of our Hebei sideboard purchased in ’04.  We absolutely love the look in our dining space.  We continue to regularly search your site for the perfect “console sized” table or cabinet for our entry.  I have faith it will pop up eventually!”  8/6/09

 They say a picture speaks a thousand words. For me, a picture from a customer that purchased from me no less than 5 years ago, where communication has continued in the form of my monthly newsletters, speaks mere Volumes.

 I am touched, and looking forward to adding this to my Home Gallery Section.

Note: There may be a delay in such updates as my website manager is now working off site, but he will get to it…I promise. 🙂

 Shipping something as personal as an antique to someone across the country can be daunting to both buyer and seller, particularly when the entire transaction is done online and via the phone. In the early days of my business I would worry when I didn’t hear from a customer, but came to the place where “no news was good news”.  Lucky for me I have plenty of newsworthy notes as posted in the Testimonial Section of my website. These, such as the Howard’s note below, are unsolicited emails receieved after delivery of their purchase.

Ruth,
The Hebei sideboard has arrived and it’s lovely! What an incredible fit with the rest of our pieces. We truly couldn’t be more pleased. Thank you so much for the nice mix of professional/personal service.

We look forward to doing business again soon. 02/28/04

 And here, the Howards have reminded of the very real gift I have by way of customers sharing with me the good news of their satisfaction with their purchase. And the icing on my cake is in the sentiments being expressed afresh long after said purchase has been made.

 Yes, Happy Customers Do Make My World Go Around!

A lovely pair of red decorated chests placed side by side add a further infusion of Asian to this CA home.

 

 Ruth

www.antiquesbyzaar.com

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com

 P.S. To check out what we currently have in stock for sideboards, click here.