Swankety Swank Showcase: Lock & Key Nightstands

These matching sturdy wood tables are part of furniture artist and Swankety Swank owner Yabette’s ongoing Steampunk Collection. They feature a hand-painted Victorian-inspired lock and key in detailed hues of brown on its newly refinished black surface. Both rustic and attractive, masculine or feminine, they have practical drawers and shelves with their original pulls. This signed art set would be a lovely addition to an eclectic modern, artfully traditional or bohemian decor.  Dimensions: 20″H x 15″W x 24″D

The above artwork references a very specific type of lock known as a “story padlock.”  These locks contain imagery relating to a theme or narrative, giving them a unique quality among other locks.  The antique Victorian padlock featured by Yabette is based on a 3-dimensional Werewolf lock manufactured in Trenton, New Jersey, circa 1880.

Swankety Swank Showcase: Floral Fascination

Red Flower Table

The seasons come and go, and yet creativity is always in full bloom at Swankety Swank!  In fact, flowers are bursting all over the store, as blossoms bring forth freshness and beauty to the amazing art furniture on which they have been painted.  Today Swankety Swank Showcase features three art furniture items adorned with floral patterns by Yabette!

Swankety Swank Showcase: Sugar Skull Desk

The Sugar Skull Desk by Yabette

Swankety Swank Showcase presents the Sugar Skull Desk!  This charming curvy desk is all wood and measures 49″ across, 18.5″ deep and 44.5″ across. Just look at those cute feet!

The large handpainted skull on this ruby red desk celebrates Día de los Muertos,  ”a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day(November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2).”

Spring Into Swankness!

All of us at Swankety Swank simply adore spring time!  We love the sights and sounds of the city coming to life, we love to clean out the dusty corners of our closets and under our beds, and we love to present the best handcrafted goods that we can!  We do our best to present a different experience every time you step inside 289 Divisadero St.  When was the last time you visited Swankety Swank?

Here’s a glimpse of what Swankety Swank is showcasing today!  In front, Yabette’s fabulous sideboard dresser is adorned with painted tree blossoms and natural orchids (center) by Laura Parson.  Beyond that is more amazing one of a kind chairs, tables and dressers beautifully handpainted with love (and sealed with a top coat)!

The glamourous glittery painting is by Kurtis Rykovich (who has three awesome pieces in our store right now), the handcarved fish are made by J.B. Ward,  and the Ode to the Neverwas Haul buffet is by Yabette.  The mannequin stands at permanent attention in a hat & bolero by DAS+OWL, bustier by gibbous, skirt by Wysterium, and leggings by Miranda Caroligne.  Check out the detail on that skirt!  I don’t know if that mannequin appreciates the solid construction she’s wearing, but I certainly do!
Celebrated spray paint artist, Jeremy Novy has envelopes, talismans, socks and shirts (not pictured here) for sale.
Superstar artist Phoenix has miniature paintings for sale.  These three celebrate the Zodiac signs of Pisces, Libra and Gemini!  You have to see these exquisite pieces in person to truly appreciate them!

The splendid colors of Simone Coulars’ paintings radiate above a rack of original upcycled fashions.  Simone has four large paintings in our store right now as well as three tiny paintings.  Her glossy finishes and effusive color choices are wonders to behold!  Again, you need to see them in person!  Art like this was not meant to be viewed online!
A vintage orange rococo upholstered chair lights up the corner!  That’s right, the chair and the fabric are vintage, but the upholstering is brand new!  This is a beautiful one of a kind piece of work!

The top shelf shows off smart looking cuffs and wallets by Project TransAction (we also have belts!), while the lower shelf displays the wondrous skin care by Nieves.  I use the Nieves skincare line and have enjoyed the results!  There’s natural anti-bacterial Protection Spray, bath salts and more!

So now you know about a few of the well-crafted goodies awaiting you inside of our store!  Remember, Swankety Swank supports local artists who create original work.  When you shop here, you support your community and local economy!  We look forward to your visits!

Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution!

The San Francisco Examiner’s Samuel Fleming Lewis writes about Swankety Swank in his column this week!  Check out the following paragraph and then go read the whole article!

“Yabette is a leader of a mini revolution. Everything in her store is handmade and produced by local artists and designers of every kind. Fashion, writing, illustration, craft, photography, furniture, jewelry, fine art and accessories are all part of the creative mix represented at Swankety Swank.”

The Story Of Two Lucky Girls

There are two young sisters who live in the Western Addition of San Francisco. They have a Mom and Dad who love them very much.  Over the past two years they have been building a wonderful environment in their shared room by honoring beauty, Earth and age from Swankety Swank. Several years ago, they started by acquiring this vintage desk turned art by yours truly:

Shortly after, they came back for a much needed, all wood, brightly colored shelf:

Recently, they decided to add to their collection with a commission that would go with both previous pieces in the girls’ bedroom. It was quite fun for me to use their size and shape parameters and find them a wonderful well made, wood piece that could be modernized and artfully blend with their existing furniture. Here are the results!

This can be your story as well. Come to Swankety Swank and we’ll work with you to find a way to have art in your life with your budget.
Regards,
Yabette

Yabette’s Art Furniture

Here’s my first piece for 2010. It has already sold.

However, here is the second 2010 project: a dainty desk duo. See details and more here.

All furniture will be on sale until January 24th.

Inquire for commission finds and makeovers as well.

Kind Regards,

Yabette