Darrell Dean’s Tag Sale

Darrell Dean has an amazing antiques shop in Georgetown (and a site on 1st Dibs if you can’t make it there in person). What I love about his style is that he has an eye and appreciation for all kinds of different eras, from 18th century to Mid Century Modern. And if you take a look at his new blog, DarrellSees, you can get a feel for how he finds beauty in the everyday, the quirky, and the imperfect (no karate-chop pillows in HIS houses! — more on this later). Here he is:

So, it’s definitely an EVENT to see that he’s planning a tag sale at a warehouse in Rockville this coming weekend, June 22-23, and the following weekend, June 30 – July 1. “What happens when Interior Designers and Architects get rid of stuff?
Well we sell it for them,” he wrote in an email. “This sale features over 90 high-end design center chandeliers and lights from a project that was never realized with all still in their original crates.  Also lots of design center furniture from projects and clients who are changing decors or downsizing.  Name like Dennis & Leen, Neirmann Weeks, Baker, Thomas Pheasant, Barbara Barry, Dessin Fournir and many more.  Also antiques and art work that was left over and never used.  All must go.”

Wow. Take a look:

Light fixtures galore — if you need any kind of chandy or wall sconce, this is the sale to be at.

Great frame/ awful fabric. So easily fixed though – imagine lacquering the base and adding a great solid or modern print for the upholstery — awesome.

So many pieces — and possibilities!

And these pendants just totally knock my socks off:

Here is the link to the sale page, with the Rockville location and hours, plus more pictures of the items on sale. I mean it — you totally have to check it out.

And in case you wanted to know more about Darrell, I can’t leave without passing along some of the incredible images he’s shot with his iPhone for his blog, with is devoid of words and simply carries pictures of clients and collectors whom he admires — most notably the art collector and all-around impresario James Alefantis and his partner, political analyst David Brock.

Their art-filled home has been published and written about, but Darrell and his iPhone have captured the every-day essence of it, rich and lived in with an edge:

This is great: Not one, not two, but an entire shelf of silver champagne buckets. What a way to live!

Darrell also captures a rich, dreamy quality in the homes of others whom he describes as “people I have met along the way and through my antiques business. Some are clients, but most are people who I admire for their unique take on design and living.”

Unique, like this?

Wow. Who knew??

I also love these exteriors (from different homes) — the light and soft focus turn them truly into dreamscapes:

Darrell also captures the intensity of his subjects through the vignettes he finds in their homes — a true personality sketch:

This might be my favorite picture – I love the yellow velvet (and the un-fluffed cushion) on that rug, against the ornate mantelpiece.

Love this one too, especially because he didn’t remove the blue Solo cup from the coffee table! The rug ROCKS.

Same house as the previous image — you just know that people live here, settling right into their beautiful surroundings and mussing it up, like the hair of an adorable child, just to keep it all REAL.

Now that you’ve had a glimpse into Darrell Dean’s world, go to his sale. But more importantly, check out his shop — a curated collection by someone who loves exploring other people’s menageries as much as he does creating his own.