I think you should be thankful that you missed that one. It seems very high to me as I can, and have, bought original art I love for the same and less. Although I have to say that when you find something you really, really love sometimes price is not all that important. I'm still not sure of the great value of giclees tho. Not yet for me anyhow as our local artists continue to produce very nice stuff so I'll continue to buy it as I see things I love. There's something about originals that is missing in copies of any kind. I do urge you to find a print of a commercial kitchen because that obviously means a lot to you and you will continue to find joy in it. Then get it framed at Michaels on sale or at a small framing shop where you may have to pay a bit but might not be 'taken' too badly. Shopping around for framing is well worth it because some places just plain gouge. Try not to be frustrated with this journey of finding art. It should be fun, a bit of a challenge, and if you are patient you will have a collection you love. Good luck!

I went looking for images of those elements. Ribbed glass panels in cabinet doors is easy enough. Here's one in a bathroom vanity: Ribbed glass (or ''seeded'' glass) is also often found in period light fixtures: As for marquetry countertops, if you asked most kitchen cabinet makers for such, I imagine they would gape blankly at the gabbling woman. But there are plenty of companies doing stock and custom hardwood marquetry inlays using CNC laser cutters. Here's the thing - they are doing it in floors. Google ''hardwood floor inlay'' and see. Yes, many of the rosettes are infeasible for a 26'' counter, but look for the ''border'' designs - or create your own. Assemble a 26'' wide section of inlaid ''floor'' on a 3/4'' plywood substrate, encase it in Waterlox, and I do believe you'd have yourself a marquetry countertop. Another option - perhaps cheaper - is stenciling on hardwood, of which this is an example. And so is this What else? Beveled glass is readily available, as is chrome countertop edging, and any furniture or auto upholstery shop can cover a panel of 1/8'' plywood in soft butterscotch leather framed in silver studs (maybe not actual silver, but close enough). I don't know exactly what version of Art Deco you are headed for, or if you even like butterscotch, but the point is, you are not doing yet another white kitchen, you're doing something that isn't being done by the mainstream, so the ordinary kitchen sources are not making this stuff. Sure, there is cool Art Deco hardware around, but what passes for ''Art Deco'' kitchen cabinetry in the online catalogs is . . . disappointing. You are going to have to make it, or at least source it, yourself - and I think if you're comfortable outside the painted lines, you can. You'll find yourself hiring a floor guy to work on a countertop, hunting down the local hot rod upholstery shops, telling your cabinet maker to fit bathroom vanity faces to kitchen cabinet boxes - they'll still look at you like you're crazy, but you'll know you're not. Go for it, girl!

hello ladies! thank you so much for all you sweet comments! most of all... hey! it's nice to talk to you again :))) luvs :) yea... it's been a busy year so far and oh yes! i'm really enjoying it :))) anj :) no wonder my ears have changed colors!!! lol!!! i really miss you all too :))) hello cc :) nice to hear from you! and am glad you're no longer just a lurker! this forum is a lot of fun!!! phonegirl :) hmm... i actually forgot what i wrote on the stool... it has been quite a while :)) but it was for a little girl named deanna... think you can actually faintly make out her name there :))

WOW --- some gorgeeeeous examples in these photos!!! Over the years I've experimented several times with 'aging' a cheapy print. The technique I ended up liking best (and was the easiest. lol) is the one using clear spray sealer. Please, please keep in mind ----Below might not be the proper way but for me, after experimenting, I found it to be the easiest and most consistent-looking. I used a box cutter and cut a couple large pieces of cardboard then taped them together, quite a bit larger than the print. Now I had a large flat surface where I could use bulletin board push pins to secure the four corners of the print. (My last print had been rolled up so long that I ended up having to re-roll it in the opposite direction and leave it wrapped with rubber band for a couple days.) I used Krylon Clear Spray and lightly, very lightly went over the whole print, holding my hand/spray can a little over a foot above the print and using a sweeping motion with the spray. Once dry I went over it very lightly a second time. This seals the print, keeps the colors from running when combined with a water base antiquing, and really helps with mistakes if you've put too much antiquing on an area of the print---it's much easier to wipe off with damp cloth. Any brand 2 oz. Acrylic craft paint in brown---depending on the aging you want you'll get a lighter or darker brown. Any brand 2 oz. sealer in Matte or Satin (sealers will look white in the bottle & no higher than a Satin sheen as anything shinier will show every boo-boo) Mix one part brown to 3 parts sealer in paper cup. With a chippy brush do a slip-slop stroke and brush the brown onto the print. With a damp terrycloth rag, start wiping off the brown in either a wiping/cleaning form or a pouncing form. Pouncing will give you lots of faux 'texture' and wiping will give an all-over aging appearance. If you want more of the aging removed, go over it again with a cloth that is a bit damper (damper? lol). For more 'texture' I used Liquitex Matte Gel Medium--adding a blob of it to the paper cup and instead of slip-slopping the mixture on the print I used brush strokes, like using crayons to color in the lines. Let the print dry completely while it's still attached to the cardboard (I left mine a whole day on the dining room table) Because you added the brown craft paint to a craft sealer there will be no need to seal the print after the aging has dried. Done.