Cedar Creek Solid Wood Folding Rocking Chair Get it by Fri, Feb 24 Lewys Fabric Arm Chair More Options: Finish » Magness Rocking Arm Chair Get it by Fri, Feb 24ELEVEN years ago, Pamela Scurry had an idea whose time had come: buying old wicker furniture, fixing it up and selling it. So in what was then considered the upper reaches of Madison Avenue, she opened Pamela Scurry's Wicker Garden. ''Everyone thought I was crazy,'' she said. Mrs. Scurry said she believed that ''antique wicker was fresh, young and stylish'' and would appeal to other New Yorkers. She has built a multimillion-dollar business, selling wicker made from 1850 to 1930. Old wicker is not easy to find, and prices for the finest wicker have doubled or tripled since Mrs. Scurry opened her doors in 1977. Mrs. Scurry combs the country for such unusual pieces as a sideboard from the 1930's in the Bar Harbor style ($7,500), a Victorian Victrola ($3,500) or a dining-room table, circa 1910, with six matching chairs ($9,750).
The shop, at 1318 Madison Avenue (93d Street), has an imaginative stock of natural and white wicker with delicate scrolls and curlicues. At the moment there are plant stands ($125 to $600), tea carts ($350 to $2,250), floor lamps ($600 to $2,500), a Victorian corner chair with a cornucopia back ($895) and a half-moon table with a scalloped bottom ($495). At a nearby warehouse, open by appointment only, 800 more pieces are on display. Hours at the shop are 10 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Monday through Saturday; Upstairs, above the Wicker Garden, is Wicker Garden's Baby, which sells antique wicker items for infants. One common problem with antique furniture is flaking paint. Mrs. Scurry suggests scrubbing off loose paint with a wire brush, using plenty of water. Once the piece is thoroughly dry, it can be sealed with a primer, followed by light coats of new paint. ''A Q-Tip works well to touch up little nicks,'' Mrs. Scurry said. At the Gazebo, 660 Madison Avenue (61st Street), new and antique wicker is used for display, but all of it is for sale.
According to Stewart Whiteker, a vice president, wicker can be made from any of four materials: rattan, a climbing palm with tough, slender stems; rush or reed, both grasslike plants, and twisted paper. The Gazebo currently has new etageres ($425); antique loveseats (about $1,000); new hassocks ($185) and antique sewing baskets ($275 to $375). Hours are 9 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. Monday through Saturday and 1:30 to 6 P.M. Sunday; Deutsch, at 196 Lexington Avenue (32d Street), sells new wicker from Hong Kong, the Philippines, China and Indonesia. A rocking chair costs $269, a cocktail table is $105 and a loveseat is $310. This 50-year-old family business will paint the wicker any color desired; so will the other companies mentioned. Deutsch is open from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Friday and 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Saturday; Photo of Pamela Scurry (NYT/Jack Manning)More than 200 audience chairs used on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" set will be auctioned off for a good cause Tuesday. WEST LOOP — Oprah Winfrey's fans did a lot of jumping out of their seats when she surprised them with lavish gifts likes new cars and trips to Australia over the years.
Some gifts were even hidden under the plush seats.Now, here's your chance to own a seat, straight from Harpo Studios. More than 200 audience chairs used on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" will be auctioned off for a good cause. The Oprah Chair-ity Auction bidding begins at 2 p.m. Thursday online. Each chair's minimum bid is $25, according to the website. The auction includes 213 single chairs, five double chairs and one triple chair set. Each set's base is affixed with a certification of authenticity plaque. A 20-inch single audience chair weighs about 66 pounds, according to the website. Net proceeds from the charity auction will benefit the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, which supports the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls in South Africa graduates as they continue their education. In October, the academy will celebrate its sixth graduating class. Winfrey established the school in 2007 to provide education for academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Harpo Studios announced in March 2015 that Winfrey would not renew the lease on the lot, meaning the longtime home of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and many other TV shows would leave the site.Harpo's move from Chicago to a new state-of-the-art studio in West Hollywood came after the OWN Network moved to a new location on The Lot in California.Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios in the West Loop closed for good in December. Harpo Studios signs were removed from the building in January. Oprah's — and Harpo's — move from Chicago began when Winfrey filmed her last episodes of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2011. The set subsequently housed "The Rosie Show," hosted by Rosie O'Donnell, for less than a year.In March 2014, Winfrey announced she had sold Harpo Studios to West Loop-based developer Sterling Bay for $32 million.While developer Sterling Bay has declined to answer questions about the site's redevelopment, renderings leaked in June 2015 show the largest studio building on the campus would be demolished.
Before it became home to Winfrey's studio in 1988, the largest building on the Harpo campus was formerly a cold storage warehouse, temporary morgue, armory and roller skating rink, according to the Chicago Architecture Foundation.For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:PDF version of this Web page formatted for print: When furnishing a home or using vintage items, care must be taken care must be taken to avoid lead poisoning. Building components such as window sashes, doors, and balusters from buildings constructed prior to 1978 may contain lead paint. Other items such as painted tin panels, lead crystal, hardware, jewelry, toys, furniture and dishes may also contain lead. These vintage items may be found at flea markets, garage sales, antique shops and online. Working with or handling lead containing items may produce dust or debris that can be inhaled or ingested and result in lead poisoning. Lead is a toxin. The possible effects of lead poisoning include:
Most individuals with elevated blood lead levels have no symptoms. The only way to tell is to have a blood lead test. Your health care provider can help you decide whether such a test is needed. Unless you are certain that the item does not contain lead, assume vintage items contain lead and take appropriate precautions to prevent lead poisoning. Do not allow children or pregnant women to come into contact with vintage items assumed or known to contain lead. Wash hands after working with or handling vintage items. Do not use vintage dishware or utensils for food service unless you are certain they do not contain lead. Do not use lead crystal for storage of any food or beverage. Do not dry scrape or sand lead-containing items. Use water to control dust and debris during these activities. Protect your work area and wash with soapy water, followed by rinsing with clean water when the project is complete. Consider the application of a sealant product on finished vintage items to minimize the release of lead dust and debris.