I am a lineman for the county, and I drive the main road...

I love how so many high-end designers are revealing their "secret weapons" in design. Like Vanessa Vargas. In Lonny magazine, she 'fessed up to using JC Penney's for lamps. And Target, which has sold items from great designers for years, is partnering with Liberty for a collection next month. You know I'm going to snatch up a few pieces. (Having lived in London for a few years, I have fond memories of Liberty and browsing through all their fabrics and even books.)

What are my secret weapons of design? You know I have several, since my target client (no pun intended) likes a mix of high- and low-end pieces in their spaces. I admit to spending a little too much time each week at Community Thrift on Valencia Street. It's where I scored some great space-age lounge chairs as well as this midcentury table:

The table might fit into a prospective client's new loft in downtown Oakland if it's refinished. Left distressed, it might fit into the little Mediterranean-Revival apartment of a current client. For now, it makes a nice space for me to meet with clients and talk over ideas in my living room.

These chairs (one pair of black and one pair of white), I'm holding onto until I find the right project:

One secret weapon must remain under lock and key. Let's just say that I whenever I go out of town to visit my mother, I always make a stop at a few shops in her city. These midcentury smoked glass bowls were literally pennies each:

I didn't snatch up this clock, but I might see if it's still there next week. God, I love the '70s...

If you love the '70s too, the thrift-store price of this floor clock might just kill you. A similar piece was offered on Craigslist in LA for $350.

Another charity shop was selling this never-been-opened bedding set by DwellStudio for Target. Retail price is $80, but I scored it for $35 (and no sales tax!) I think I know whose home this will go to...

I really enjoy hitting the road and finding unique items for my clients. I think it's part of the job to always have one eye open, to be constantly thinking of how an item can fit into someone's space. Just today, I popped into a local thrift store after meeting with a new commercial client and scored this great midcentury ceramic and wood lamp:

Any takers? Just drop me a line and let me know. (Oh and that Nagel tile above, featuring a rare male portrait? I found it at the Salvation Army store in Santa Cruz. It is not for sale!)