Clean, bright, practical - these are the cardinal adjectives that guide interior designer Alex Kalita, the founder of Common Bond Design, a New York City based design firm that tackles interiors and budgets large and small. Kalitas commitment to a minimalist philosophy and the belief that any home can be enriched by accessible and affordable goods led her straight to us. In a recent Bidsquare auction offered by Skinner, Kalita scored a Scandinavian, rosewood and teak roll-top desk from the mid-20th century for just $123.00! We wanted to hear all about it...  Common Bond Design, 1st Place Residence. Brooklyn, NY. Photography by Kyle Knodel for Architectural Digest. BSQ: How did you first discover Bidsquare? AK: I was in Bucks County, PA this summer to see a show at the Bucks County Playhouse and visit the Nakashima compound (two excursions I...Read More

Ellsworth Kelly was reluctant to be classified as a Hard-Edge, Minimal or Color Field artist, though his work can easily be associated with any of these three movements. Lot 217, Ellsworth Kelly, 18 Colors (Cincinnati, Lithograph in colors on Arches, 1982; Estimate $15,000 - $25,000 As a young man, Kelly studied at Pratt Institute in New York, but was drafted into military service before he could complete his course of study. Sent to Europe in 1943, he remained after his service ended, living in France from 1948 through 1954. There he created some ‘Picasso-like’ compositions, mainly figurative, but was dissatisfied with the work. Lot 200, Ellsworth Kelly, Colored Paper Image V (Blue Curves), Colored and pressed paper pulp, 1976; Estimate $8,000 - $12,000 In an interview with San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Kelly describes being more fas...Read More

Property from the Avery Coonley Playhouse, a Frank Lloyd Wright construction in Riverside, Illinois, will be sold November 14 in Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Modern Design auction. The collection includes numerous works by Gustav Stickley and the Stickley Brothers, which would have been made around 1912 when the playhouse was built. We also have an original chair designed by Frank Lloyd Wright from the playhouse. The collection also includes numerous examples by George Nakashima that was custom built for the Playhouse when it received a modern update in the late 80s. George Nakashima trained under Antonin Raymond, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Built in 1989, these are some of the last works by Nakashima before he died in 1990. Explore notable items that will be featured in the upcoming sale. Lot 44, George Nakashima, a pair of Greenrock s...Read More

A blur of yellow taxicabs and hasty pedestrians flutter around Manhattans famous intersection, Columbus Circle, like a bright dial pushing the gears of a clock forward. Millions of yearly rotations are completed, generating the kaleidoscopic energy branded by no other city beyond the streets of New York. Anchored between Broadway and 8th Ave is the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) standing ten-stories high, above all the commotion, like a shimmering monolith.  This November, Bidsquare is proud to partner with the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) as the corporate sponsor and online auction host for MAD Ball 2017, an event that has recognized visionaries in the fields of the art design, business, and philanthropy for the past twenty years. The annual gala will bring together over five hundred guests for an evening that weaves creative recogniti...Read More

A young princess finds her heart in loves hidden amphibious depths while King Dumpling feasts on gnocchi inside a thick gold frame. Rago Auctions, Curiouser & Curiouser sale on October 22nd was no ordinary catalog, offering items cloaked in folklore and tightly tailored to the niche of both outsider art and one-of-a-kind oddities. Bidsquare’s online bidders clicked and waved their mouses like magic wands - bopping items on their heads and growing bids to twice their estimated size *poof!* Nearly 75% of all participating online bidders came through Bidsquare totaling over $160,000 of wins and securing the top 3 highest sales.  Here are some of the curious characters that enchanted the Curiouser & Curiouser charts: Lot 142, The Frog Prince, Terra-cotta with a fine polychrome, leathery glaze, German, 19th c; Sold For $37,120 Hopping over 4x th...Read More

The people of earth were busy in the summer of 1969; the Stonewall riots triggered the gay rights movement, 400,000 Americans (and their VW buses) descended on Bethel, NY for the Woodstock music festival, Charles Manson and his "family" committed a series of heinous murders and platform shoes were peeking up over the horizon. Through all of the violence and clouds of marijuana smoke, one particular event humbled them all - NASAs Apollo 11 Moon landing on July 20, 1969 and the gravity of the situation was far out, man.  On November 2, Skinner Auctions will host The Beauty of Space: Vintage NASA Photos showcasing the extraordinary photographic journey to the Moon and back as seen through the eyes of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronauts. Primarily viewed as scientific records, these NASA images clearly transcend documentation and confron...Read More

Silver, prized for its beauty and malleability, is one of the first metals discovered and used by humans. Silver objects dating ca. 4000 BC have been found in Greece and Anatolia (modern Turkey). Rago Auctions, Great Estates sale on Saturday, October 21 features a study in silver from some of the world’s most respected makers, including Tiffany & Co., Gorham, Buccellati and Georg Jensen. Explore the history and significance of some of these lots below. Lot 1037, Set of Gorham Martele Silver Plates (15); Estimate $30,000 - $50,000 The Gorham Manufacturing Company introduced Martele silver to great acclaim at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. Gorham’s Martele silver is hand-wrought in limited quantities, contains a higher standard of silver than sterling and often features extensive chased decoration - making it both costly and rare. These 15 Martel...Read More

Demonic possession. It can happen to anyone or anything - this unfortunate occurrence does have the tendency to befall objects and persons more easily this time of year. Perhaps, the concentrated acknowledgment of the dead is to blame. With thousands of Witches, Wiccans, Druids, and other Pagans gathering for Samhain painted skeletons parading on Dia de los Muertos and the conjuring of Americas similarly timed folk holiday known as All Hallows Eve, its no wonder why spirits come knocking.   While chilling winds begin to crawl toward winter's solstice, Rago Auctions prepares to host an unusual and fitting sale for the haunting season. Their Curiouser & Curiouser auction on October 22nd will feature objects curated by Marion Harris that lay latent with intrigue and shadowy pasts; outsider art, folk art, sideshow-related items, scientific and ...Read More

This season’s Asian Art market has gotten off to a great start! September saw an astonishing number of Asian Art pieces offered through Bidsquare with many exceptional results. It comes as no surprise that the majority of the Asian Art top sellers originate from China, thus showcasing the insatiable demand for top quality artworks from this region. The Chinese items still trending include traditional and 20th Century painting, classical furniture, mark and period porcelain, jade carvings, and bronzes. Skinner had their Asian Works of Art auction on September 15th. Their sale featured over 500 lots from China, Japan, the Himalayan Region, and India, with solid results across the board.  Lot 429, Kingfisher Feather Headdress and Four Hairpins, China, 19th Century; Sold for $110,700 Their highest-selling item was lot 429, A Kingfisher Feather ...Read More

As deciduous tree leaves gradually intensify and fade to perform their seasonal vanishing act, a warm display of color is revealed and provides autumnal bakers with an earthy template to reorganize their spice rack around - its about to be not-so-lazy-susan time!   Can you picture yourself happily clapping clouds of flour around a classic country kitchen? Then you'll want to thumb through Bidsquare's catalogs in search of antiques that have equipped dedicated flour fluffers for decades.    Here are some recommended ingredients when adding a savory dash of Americana, 20th Century Design and collectible antiques to your kitchen: Lot 2669, Jason Wein; Cleveland Art, Cluster Conveyor Light, Cleveland, OH, 2013; Sold for $687.50 Reminiscent of crab cages or deep frying trays, these reclaimed and patinated fixtures offer perfectly on theme lumino...Read More