Big Daddy’s: Interior Monologue

First look

“Wow, so many cool things outside … I almost hate to come in, but Big Daddy’s Antiques, er, BD’s is gonna close in a few minutes … I’ll snap away now, look later … omigod, that table with a base of gigantic feet! The dogs of the gods are holding up a massive zinc conference table that would fill up our living room end-to-end … and those towering armoires, they must be 15-feet tall; that column must be 20 feet! … Industrial étagères, old office wall lamps, a giant urn from Asia, scruffy old luggage, globes … the inside of this place is as good as the outside garden area! …

Other way

… looking the other way’s just as awesome, the lighting options are amazing, lots of rusty old reliquary goodness … French rustic feel; that fantastic gnarly old root fragment under the basket wall! Love those vitrines and bell jars, too … this place just might have too much good stuff … I think I’ll save price checking for the next visit …

Horned, reflective

… more wow, more amazement, look at those great bottles, and those hanging lanterns and chandeliers … I love those industrial bins and that enormous mirror’s literally awesome. Great display cases and that huge copper bowl … that metal-topped trestle table, the antlers … plenty of skylights overhead; somehow the warehouse has a dim, seductive air about it … better keep it moving …

Rustic, refined

… nice display contrast: the rustic crates overlooking the sweet spindle-enhanced settee, love that! And that artist’s easel, complete with swooning portrait looks right at home. Hmmm, movie lights, makes sense. This place has to be a source for many a movie set designer looking for just that piece …

Nice legs!

Oh, gorgeous! Love those huge metal legs on this massive table … and the bull’s head, the spotlight-driven carnival car, old wood-topped drafting table, crated bottles, metal bistro set, silver domes, wooden trunks and containers, men’s tailoring form … good thing I have my camera with me, I would never remember all these things without photos …

That glow

Mmmm-mercury glass, and more enormous storage and display pieces; look at that old Victorial scale, nice numerals. No time to test it, but I think Paul and I both could fit inside that huge metal cage. Too bad there’s no time to look at all the interesting tabletop items, I could definitely live with some of these odd pieces!

Lovely dovey

So that’s where that singing was coming from; what a pretty little canary and what a pretty pagoda-style cage. Looming in the background is a carved wooden door with wrought iron filigree insets, wonder what estate sale or demolition yielded that?!

Textures galore

So many textures in this area and I’m awestruck by that mile-long tufted leather sofa! Not to overlook that industrial light fixture overhead and that wood table, those multi-paneled mirrors, the storage pieces, more glass bottles, more mercury glass, pendant lights, carved wood pieces, that metal vise, that card catalog, that cast iron urn and clock-face … and the addition of plants into the scene tempers all the hard surfaces with luscious greens and textures of their own … how big would our house have to be to fit that sofa in the living room?

Super natural

Holy Moses, what a huge — astounding — piece of rock! Wonder how this came to be? Wonder where I could use such a piece; would look great outside, for sure, but inside, in the right space, it’d be a knockout, too … more textural interest, more metal and wood and woven surfaces … more patina, movie lights and pieces that entice …

Hides, too

… and still more: add in animal hides, more glass and wood and metal and crystal chandeliers; more tables with intriguing bases, and mannequins and étagères and globes and baskets.

Back out ...

Damn, it’s time to go … I almost hate to leave, I’m sure I haven’t seen everything. I know I heard workers speaking in Spanish in the back, working on finishing furniture; I’d love see their workshop … and ask that friendly woman up front about prices … I know I heard a man in the garden area haggling over prices; he did seem like an ‘industry’ guy; they must’ve been giving him price breaks because he’s a repeat customer. BD’s, what a place, I can’t wait to come back and really get a good look inside and out. The friendly lady said they’d normally be open 7 days but since it’s Easter tomorrow, they’re closed. Good to know, I think next time we’ll come early and stay awhile.”

Big Daddy’s Antiques is located at 13100 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90061; 310 769-6600; click their website here: bdantiques@gmail.com