In 2003 an ostrich became part of the living room décor at my home in Chicago.
Ostriches have a reputation for being temperamental and quite mean.
If provoked or in danger, according to National Geographic, an adult ostrich can kill a full-grown lion, crocodile, hyena, and even a speedy cheetah, with just one kick of the powerful and muscular legs of this largest flightless bird.
Fortunately for me, my ostrich is made of wood and is closing in on a century-old, plucked from a carousel, once one of the gliding painted mounted animals of a park amusement in 1930s Berlin, Germany.
I purchased the carousel ostrich nearly 20 years ago in 2003 when Marshall Field’s department store staged an annual summer vintage treasures flea market, which included an array of unusual items originally from Europe.
The Lake House at Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park has resurrected this same concept with the swank hotel hosting the Lake House Vintage Market on property from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14.
More than 20 local artisanal partners will gather with wares and rare finds for market guests to browse a range of small local businesses to shop for vintage home goods, décor, jewelry, paintings and fashion. This event is free and open to the public.
Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park opened in 1988 at 200 N. Columbus Dr. long before there was a Millennium Park.
The hotel General Manager Clay Spencer and Director of Food and Beverage William Schultz launched the idea of the lake house fun theme, which continues through Sept. 9, having the hotel transform their lobby area to emulate the spirit of Chicago summer on the lake. Along with lively entertainment and themed nautical décor, The Lake House at Fairmont Chicago offers delicious seasonal food offerings, cocktails, yacht excursions and other fun all within walking distance of Navy Pier, beaches and harbors, pathways and parks along the bright blue waters of Lake Michigan.
When Schultz and Spencer joined me on my WJOB weekly afternoon radio show in June, the duo said the idea of hosting a vintage market in August, and another on Sept. 14, seemed like the perfect cap to summer.
The hotel’s Lake House lobby experience at Fairmont is open to the public 4:30 p.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday with reservations at www.FairmontChicago.com or 312-565-8000.
I interviewed Hilliard Brewitt, a British collector and former London antiques shop manager who used to coordinate the vintage flea markets of yesteryear hosted every summer at Marshall Fields. He said during the decades, he learned the nature of flea market shoppers.
“You can divide flea market and antique shop costumers into two categories: those people who are looking for bargains to later resell for a profit and those people who love the thrill of finding a unique item they love,” Brewitt told me.
“I’ve been around collectibles and antiques for years and I still see new items that get me excited.”
Some of the most popular items on the market are vintage linens, silverware, clocks and costume jewelry, according to Brewitt.
Some of Brewitt’s tips for flea market finds when shopping this summer include:
* “Re-purpose” old items and objects, such as using old table linens as curtains or an iron garden gate as a fireplace screen.
* Choose a vintage ring, necklace or bracelet and build an outfit around it.
* Try “grouping,” which means purchasing a selection of related objects to showcase in one area, like candlesticks, tiles or vintage bar items.
* If you’re new to flea market shopping, go in with a strategy to find one affordable object you love, which could serve as a focal point in a room.
I can attest the 300-pound wooden ostrich in my own living room is definitely “a focal point” that gets noticed.
Although sometimes, I think this long-necked painted feathered friend looks more like it walked away from the interior design of the house from TV’s “The Addams Family.”
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org.
