What's On Your Vanity Table?....

[Forgotten Man]

This is my vanity. Don't have too much on it yet as I just got it a few weeks ago. But I love it!!! And it was free!!! I also have the matching dresser. Got it from my mom's friend who was donating it to a church garage sale. It was part of the set her aunt received as a wedding present in the 1940's.

Neat that it came with the dresser! Seems that your mom's friend painted it black at one point in the 80s perhaps. Does the dresser match the vanity in it's thick coat of black paint? I bet there is some amazing veneer under that paint.

 

[GlamourDoll]

This is my vanity. Don't have too much on it yet as I just got it a few weeks ago. But I love it!!! And it was free!!! I also have the matching dresser. Got it from my mom's friend who was donating it to a church garage sale. It was part of the set her aunt received as a wedding present in the 1940's.

The 2 fave things I have on it is my great aunt's 1950's pinup on a swing planter as a makeup brush holder and my 1950's table lighter that looks like a grammaphone. The little metal record is removable, the horn adjustable and when you put the arm over the record ot plays, "Smoke gets in your eyes".

Hey that black vanity looks almost like the one I have. (Lovely tho!) Which I ended up painting white after finding it out on the street for the trashmen. It had different colors of paint on it. Like someone had used it as a desk to paint other things on. Plus I'm guessing it had a similar round mirror at one time which hd been replaced with a U shap? one.

You can check my vanity out. Its the white one I posted earlier on in this post. and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Sorry, I'm just excited. I was trying to place my vanity for awhile. Wasn't sure of the era cause of the mirror. After looking at it more, realized it didn't belong with it. Wish it had the original round mirror though.

 

[*Schatzi*]

That is exciting!!! I didn't notice right away but yours is verrrry similar to mine. That is cool!!! Yours has the original hardware, I am jealous mine doesn't. I painted mine black after I got it. It was painted a flat cornflowerish blue and it was chipping and such. I actually have the dresser that matches too. They are both quite deco. I am pretty sure my mom said Jan's aunt got married in the 40's and this is part of the set. I mean looking at them i woulda say late 30's early 40's. Anyways, I am just blabbering away, but I am excited too. We are vanity twins. I love that you have your laptop on yours. I keep mine there too.

 

[*martini*time*]

I haven't posted on here in ages, but I do still lurk.

I just got this yesterday, so nothing is on it yet... just thought I'd share. Not sure what year it is from??

This vanity is almost identical to mine. I actually have a full set. I have the vanity, bench, tall dresser (chiffonere...?) and 3/4 bed frame. I love it. It was a gift from my Grandpa to his parents in the 50's i believe. It has 2 matching pink lamps too! i can't wait to get it back into the house where it belongs. It's been in storage for a couple months until i can find it a home. I'm moving in with my boyfriend soon and we agreed that because he isn't particularily "vintage" i get a whole room to put all my vintage stuff in. so the bedroom set will go in there with all my dresses and shoes in the closet. I'm getting so excited to finally have my vanity back. Once my 50's room is set up, i'll post pics. I PROMISE!

 

[Medvssa]

I wanted to ask, how do you do about being so far from the mirror in the low vanities?
I wanted a vanity that was more like a desk (so I could sit on a chair with my legs under it, and thus be closer to the mirror) which invariably seems to take you a few decades back, or a few decades further, I've also seen some of this style from the 50's or 60's, or even later, some of those are cool, with folding mirrors at the sides.
I haven't seen any deco vanity made this way. Unfortunately the storage space in the "desk" sort of vanity is minimal.

Even though I am closer to the mirror this way, it is still a bit far for detailed work. It is useful to have a mirror a bit further back to glance now and then and check that you aren't being distracted by details and the whole is still balanced, but I have to put another mirror close to my face on the vanity table.

So these low deco vanities, the big mirrors seem very useful since they are so low too, you must see your entire upper body at all times. But, how do you go about the detail in your makeup? I see some of you have smaller mirrors on top of them, but aren't they too low? you have to hold them with one hand? bend over? Or am I just getting too close to my mirror? lol

Today I've also taken a few updated pictures of my vanity (I had posted an old picture a few pages back).

Of course it is a lot more cluttered now

The "suitcase" next to it is my tabletop 40's Singer

I didn't have space anymore for non-makeup stuff on the vanity so it all moved on to baskets on the window sills: hair sticks and combs, and ribbons.

And here the hair flowers, I seem to have misplaced a few.

And even on to one of the drawers of my desk wich is besides my vanity, the blushes and nail polish and other things. I also had to put all of my BPAL elsewhere, in a drawer of the living room cabinet

 

[Elaina]

When I was a young girl, the woman whose bedroom set I got after her death taught me what I know about golden era vanities, amongst other things. You figure Viola was old when I was 10 (1985) and was 92 at her death in 1987.

She told me once that the big mirror was for hair work and checking the appearance, and if you were blind (we both wore glasses all of our lives) a secondary mirror is a must. She had an antique adjustable one (I later had a lighted and magnifying one) and apparently this was fairly commonplace.

Before she died, I asked her how come she didn't have all the stuff on top. She replied that only a few things went up top, and that's what the drawers were for. I believe she had a lamp with a doily on one raised side, a vanity set/perfume atomizer that matched the lamp on the other, a brush/comb/mirror, the adjustable one on a doily in the center. I don't recall ever seeing anything else on top...but the drawers (all 9 of them) were a HUGE mess.

Unfortunately I broke the vanity when I moved out, and the bed my mother sold. I still do have the mirror that attached to it, however.

 

[Grant Fan]

ok here is mine I have an entire waterfall set but his is my vanity

my bench

and some close ups

there was once a glass shelf here or rather I have had about 5 I kept breaking them so no more of that it's not safe for me

 

[Grant Fan]

Medvssa to answer you question about how I get closer (and it isn't lady like at all) I sit with my lets under me all the time so I just push the bench as close as it gets let my legs sit on the low part of the vanity and lean in, I keep my bottom on the bench. I works well for me but I only get that close for eye liner so I mean I don't need to do that for very long.

 

[SuperKawaiiMama]

My you are all so inspiring! I was reading this thread at 5am this morning and decided to overhaul the contents of mine. I've almost finished now,and have separate drawers for all my gloves, glasses, belts and other lovely things.
You have to love a community that can motivate you at that time of the morning!

 

[Medvssa]

Medvssa to answer you question about how I get closer (and it isn't lady like at all) I sit with my lets under me all the time so I just push the bench as close as it gets let my legs sit on the low part of the vanity and lean in, I keep my bottom on the bench. I works well for me but I only get that close for eye liner so I mean I don't need to do that for very long.

Well, it does sound cute and quite lady like to me

 

[KateSpenser]

This is my vanity. Don't have too much on it yet as I just got it a few weeks ago. But I love it!!! And it was free!!! I also have the matching dresser. Got it from my mom's friend who was donating it to a church garage sale. It was part of the set her aunt received as a wedding present in the 1940's.

The 2 fave things I have on it is my great aunt's 1950's pinup on a swing planter as a makeup brush holder and my 1950's table lighter that looks like a grammaphone. The little metal record is removable, the horn adjustable and when you put the arm over the record ot plays, "Smoke gets in your eyes".

Hey that black vanity looks almost like the one I have. (Lovely tho!) Which I ended up painting white after finding it out on the street for the trashmen. It had different colors of paint on it. Like someone had used it as a desk to paint other things on. Plus I'm guessing it had a similar round mirror at one time which hd been replaced with a U shap? one.

You can check my vanity out. Its the white one I posted earlier on in this post. and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Sorry, I'm just excited. I was trying to place my vanity for awhile. Wasn't sure of the era cause of the mirror. After looking at it more, realized it didn't belong with it. Wish it had the original round mirror though.

I found this mirror on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Art-Deco-Style-...ture?hash=item439a524e26&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Decayla]

Show us your vanity!

Lets bring this post back from the grave! I'm sure there are lots more new members with lovely vanities to show. Please share!

 

[Foofoogal]

Way too much.

 

[Lenore]

Oooh. When this thread was last active I didn't have one. Now I can show off my baby. :-D

Pictures to come.

 

[miss_elise]

my vanity - not sure of the era, but I wanted a tri-mirror one

the stool is not original, I made that to go with it, and i've since got a basket for all my hairsprays on the ground

 

[Decayla]

Vanity

Oh good there are some new posts! Seeing other vanities and accessories is my favorite eye candy! Hehe. I have posted mine in the past, but deleted the hosted photos. I will take new pictures of my vanity soon! Miss Elsie thank you for posting your lovely vanity

 

[Decayla]

My vanity

Here are some pictures of my vanity. I hope you like them.

I have to much clutter on my vanity I had to put the rest of my perfumes on a shelf of their own hehe.

 

[Rosie_Beau]

I love them all. They're so pretty.

I wish I could have a vanity but we just don't have the space. We live in a tiny wee cottage which used to be alms houses and they're always pretty small. I can think of the perfect place to put one but it would mean evicting Monty (our snake).... Oh well! [huh] Needs must! See you later old fella! Ha!
xxx

 

[bellabella327]

Here are some pictures of my vanity. I hope you like them.

Decayla your vanity looks like heaven!

 

[GrrlFriday]

Decayla, your vanity and everything on it is drool-worthy. So pretty and pink!