A Week End with Oprah

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Santa Barbara has a way of grabbing headlines, and this last week has been no exception with all the press and hullabaloo in and around what the locals are calling The Oprah Yard Sale (the Kaminski Auctions billed it as “The Oprah Winfrey Collection”).

Whatever you call it, it was fun for us, and the proceeds benefit The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation College Fund. The fund is dedicated to helping all graduates from The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – South Africa.

This isn’t the first time Oprah has sold her personal items, seems she took to heart the cover on her namesake O Magazine a few years back that heralded, “De-Clutter Your Life!” 

 

The first sale was dubbed “O’s Great Closet Cleanout” by the press, but with today’s technology, Oprah tweeted her own advertisement to her followers, “I’m having the biggest yard sale ever!”

With a celebrity client like Oprah, Kaminski Auctions has been jettisoned to the forefront of the American psyche, if only for a few days. Oprah toured the goods with CBS News, Entertainment Tonight, and the story was, and is still being reported in almost every major newspaper and news broadcast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a recent O Magazine article, Oprah says, “I am evolving [and] my taste is too”. She said that “the gilded mirrors, marble urns, the lavish carpets and sherbet palette – it was all very grand, but it wasn’t very true to myself,” Concluding, “the thing that had been missing from all the beautiful places I’d ever lived in, was me!”
 

Seems she’ll be giving the whole 23,000-sq. ft., $85 million Montecito mansion a facelift.
Originally decorated by the late decorator Anthony P. Browne, a onetime rock-and-roll manager turned interior designer, O has passed the baton to west coast based Rose Tarlow to restyle. Tarlow commented that the houses contents don’t “have anything to do with” the mogul. Well, we can’t wait to see what you do with the place, Rose.

"All I can tell you is that I'm evolving, my taste is, too, and someday soon this room will represent the person I've become."

 

 

 

 

On Friday night the members of the Santa Barbara Polo Club were invited to a VIP party to view the “collection” As we waited for the valet to take our car, a shiny black Cadillac Escalade cut line and sped past us, only to be waived through by the head valet.
“Oprah’s here”, I joked with my car mates.

“I didn’t know she was going to be here”, responded my wife

“Hummm…” I thought, Will be fun to see the old girl.

 Our group was met by roving waiters serving champagne and hors d'oeuvres, our friend Erin Graffy was on stage as the emcee and Oprah had already made her entrance and was besieged by guests armed with iPhones snapping pictures left and right. I couldn’t resist and whipped out my iPhone and snapped a picture, only to realize that Oprah was snapping a picture of me snapping one of her! LOL.

She made her way very slowly to the center of the tent, where we were entertained by a chorus under the direction of Santa Barbara acting and vocal coach, Janet Adderley. The program began with the children singing the theme song from Oprah’s movie, The Color Purple, and Oprah sang along, clapping her hands and dancing to the music. She and the crowd were obviously delighted.    

After the performance, Oprah loved the kids and mugged in photos with them and gave them encouragement to continue in their singing.
Oprah was then summoned to the stage by the emcee where she shared with the guests her vision for her School of Leadership in Africa, how the girls were selected, a little bit about where and how the girls lived before coming to the academy.

 

She shared some anecdotes about being “Mama O” to over 100 girls. She said that she’s gone from a mom figure to a “consultant”. She gives, “advice when they ask for it, which they don’t take…” any parent with teenagers could finish the sentence!

She welcomed to the stage the young lady who had been standing next to her during the performance.The girl, a graduate of the Leadership School in Africa, is now a student at Stanford. Oprah said she had gotten a call that afternoon from her and that she asked if she could, “come home for the weekend”, and a short while later, she was here.  Though Oprah didn’t mention it, I was thinking it must be nice to have a private jet. Of course I have to show you a picture of the jet since it often sits at the Santa Barbara Airport, and while I was looking for a picture on the internet I saw a story where Oprah herself said, “It’s good to have a private jet”, when she addressed Duke University graduates back in 2009.

 

Oprah’s ride is a $42 million custom-build Global Express XRS built by Bombardier Aerospace, (Call letters N54SL)

After we heard the announcement that “Oprah has left the grounds”, we headed over to the tents holding the Oprah Collection.

There were so many sofas and chairs by the British furniture maker George Smith it could make one wonder just how comfortable could they be?

There was a pair of huge green velvet sofas, each 158 inches long (that’s 13 feet), and a matching set of four oversized English arm chairs and ottomans that came from Oprah’s media room. The sofas ended up selling for $8000, a bargain if you were in the market for two 26 ft. of sofas!

At the beginning of Saturday’s auction, Oprah took the stage again and actually auctioned off the first few lots all the while joking and playing with the bidders, with close friend Gail King in the first row cheering her on. She denied that the colorful ceramic parrots in one of the tents were hers, chiding one bidder for paying too much, and pulling one item, a doll, off the market while it was being bid on.

She told the crowd: “We have 76-77 girls graduating and going to college every year. If anyone has ever put a child thru college, then you know why I’m selling the sofa”

 

One of the first lots to be sold at Saturday mornings auction was a pair of canvas banners promoting Oprah’s film, The Color Purple, which sold for $4100 and $6000 (Pre-auction estimates was $1000-$2000). After they sold, Oprah signed them for the purchasers, thereby helping ensure there future value. 

 

The auction was all over the place with bidders paying thousands of dollars for autographed pictures

of Oprah, often exceeding auction house estimates by ten times, while valuable antiques sometimes achieved a mere fraction of their pre-auction estimates. Of courses there were those items that were true antique with provenance that sold at, or well above the auction estimates, including a set of 6 French chairs. 

 

Above: A set of six 18th Century Louis XVI armchairs with hand-embroidered fabric and carved details elicited, had a pre-auction estimate of $20,000-40,000, but claimed a winning bid of $60,000.

Above: But, a beautiful 18th Century Louis XVI paint cabinet with a pre-auction estimated of $15,000-$25,000, sold for just $8,500.

One of the biggest surprises was the sale of a painting by M. Burroughs, titled Cubist Women, which was inscribed “To Miss Oprah Winfrey Herself”. This painting had pre-auction estimates of $200-$400, but sold for $13,000.

 

A pair of Silver Candelabra’s, estimated to sell at between $3,000-4,000 sold for $8,000, while a Pair of 19th Century French Candelabra’s with doré bronze mounts, and sold for just $3,000 with a pre-auction estimate of $7,000-9,000.

Above: An 18th Century Louis XVI bureau, stamped Boudin, ormolu mounted and inlaid with kingwood and tulipwood, was estimated at $30,000-50,000, sold for just $21,000.

 

 

 

Above: Brand new Jetson electric bikes (retail price new $1995), never ridden, but autographed for this auction by Oprah, sold for $5,450.

An “Enlarged photograph of Oprah Winfrey”, mounted on foam core, autographed, and estimated at $350-$450, sold for $1,200… on foam core, not even framed!

A “Portrait” (photograph) of Oprah Winfrey, (a copy of) the original photograph produced for the book, The Autobiography of Oprah Winfrey, had a pre-auction estimate of $300-$500, and sold for $1,500.

TV Guide Cover from 1987, print, depicting Oprah Winfrey, stamped Triangle Publishing 1987, autographed by Oprah Winfrey. Estimated to sell for $200- $400, sold for $3,000.

Note: Prices above do not include the Buyer's Premium (commission to the auction house paid on top of the winning bid) of 20% for those in attendance and 23% for those bidding on the internet.

At the end of a very long day, over 500 lots were auctioned, one of which I bought. I won (bought) a 19^th Century English cabinet, and true to form, with a pre-auction estimate of $250-$300, I paid $700! LOL

Thank you Oprah for a great weekend!

 

Good night moon

High Point Furniture Market: Day 3

We started the day at Tommy Bahama (outdoor furniture, not clothes!). What we learned that it’s one of the most successful created Brands (there is no real Tommy Bahama) around the idea of weekend enjoyment, time off, relaxation, and everything else you can think of doing except working. Imagine such a corporate vision and philosophy. I somehow had the idea that it was inexpensive, not so. An outdoor sofa with the cushions will run you around $5K. What we liked was how closely akin their outdoor furniture is to indoor furniture.

                     Wood Outdoor Bobbin Chair; actually it’s Aluminum

 

The Furniture Market is always interesting because of the creativity we see, both good and bad, expressed in varied materials, often pushing the limits, or at least the boundaries of the ways in which then materials are used. Case in point, the Bobbin Chairs above.

Parchment Covered Dining Table

We saw parchment used to cover an entire table, instead of used for writing on. We saw Resin finished as metal, iron or pot metal finished to resemble Brass, Bronze, or Silver; Aluminum used to replicate wood; Plastic used as glass or crystal; Polypropylene (plastic bags) used as Sisal and Seagrass, and more.

Sand Cast Bronze Lidded Figurative sculpture; Cast Iron

 

Gold leafed Lamp on crystal base; Resin body and Lucite base

Bronze Stools; Bronze finished Resin

Alabaster Table Lamp; Cast Resin

Contemporary Stone Tic Tac Toe Set; Abraded Cast Resin

 

With all of these impostors, as good as they are I heeded a primal call from within to look at some organic product, like wood. I spied this huge live-edge Bench made from a very large tree. I felt I did have to tap my fingers on it to make sure it was wood!

Live edge Wood Bench

Another Bench was made from an interesting collection of limbs, cleaned and sanded, then gathered with an iron band and welded to an iron frame creating a bench. Yes, I did tap on this wood too! It was wood.

Wood pole and Iron strap Bench

Ahh…I spy more wood in the back of this showroom. Big blocks of burled wood cut into blocks, one a dining table and the other a stool. The natural voids of the tree, once occupied by natural sap, sap wood, or perhaps a smaller branch were filled with clear Lucite crystals floating in hardened clear Lucite. The effect was super cool. The effect on a broader expanse such as on the Dining Table Top, middle and bottom pictures, below, looks almost as some naturally occurring landscape viewed from afar…perhaps the effect of global warming? (Thanks for the $5 bucks Mr. Gore).

Wood and Lucite filled stool

Wood and Lucite filled Dining table

 

Wood and Lucite filled Dining table, close up

 

There seemed to be a renewed interest in ceramics as a result of the strong interest in mid-century furnishings and design.

 

TREND: Each day it became more and more apparent that Brass and Gold finishes, particularly polished Brass, were the metal to get ready for. I know, you just put in that Oil Rubbed Bronze faucet, and now you’re out of style again. Well, boo hoo, its now going to be polished brass, in short order.

Your balls on a tray; Frosty glass balls and lacquered brass

 

 

Pendant Lighting fixture in Satin Brass with alabaster (resin) shade

 

 

Lighting fixtures designed by Mary MacDonald in Mat Brass

 

A room setting that seems to revel in Brass: Brass framed Mirror with Brass and Glass Table Lamps

 

 

TREND: More Blue in Table Lamps, Ceramics, Furniture, and Accessories:

 

 

Before we get ugly with “Worst of Show”, have a look at these beauties:

A pillow collection from Tourmaline Home

Candlesticks of gold plated bronze (gold metallic paint on cast iron)

 

 

Over size Porcelain Mellon Vases in palest blue; will be most artful on simple pedestals; in stock at CH Santa Barbara in November 

Cast Bronze occasional table in natural Verdi finish

Oval occasional table on walnut base with Shagreen printed leather top and detailing

 

Mouth blown glass vase in purest amethyst color

A trio of occasional tables in burnished brass with dark green stone tops

 

And a little humor before “Worst in Show”:

 A Bird in Hand… ; Bronze finished cast iron with gold leaf iron

MacKenzie Childs woven Pagoda Chair with tasseled Ottoman; Adult size, woven colored synthetic material.

 

Now, for “Worst in Show:

Table Lamp infested with Dragonfly’s

 

 

Dining Table on steel base with wood, Lucite and L.E.D lights that flash and change colors

 I don’t think there's a formal name to this style chair, and here’s to hoping there never is! Is the mannequin embarrassed to be standing next to this chair- she wears a mask

Carved and distressed Cabriole leg chair with printed velvet upholstery

 

 

All for today! Stay tuned for Day 4 of the High Point Market

 

 

Good night moon