before it was popu lar, and I started collect/ . ng."

S usan Dresner never planned on becoming a lifelong antique
mous," she says. "I find it interesting, beautiful and unusual. No two
buff, folk art collector and designer. She just wanted to stand
pieces are the same."
out a little in high school.
An interior designer, Dresner now works with other interior
"I started antiquing at 16, buying beaded sweaters from the
designers, assembling collections for their clients. "For example, for
40s and '50s, and 1920s beaded dresses, to be different," the West
a vanity, they need a collection of milk glass, and I find 20 beautiful
Bloomfield resident recalls. "I started going to Saline when no one
pieces, and present it," she says. She has closets brimming with
knew What Saline was."
antique quilts, linens,
From those inauspi-
folk art cats from the
cious beginnings, a
1920s, tramp art frames,
passion was formed.
even a collection of
"I was really interest-
100-year-old handmade
ed in anything hand-
spiders from an apple
made, and I love wood
orchard, originally
carvings, paintings
made for Halloween.
and inlays. I devel-
Some of Dresner's per
oped a passion for folk
sonal favorites include a
art," she says. "As I
memory chair of folk art
was going places, I
created by artist Diane
would find something,
Vertromile, of old pop
before it vas popular,
bottle tops, buttons,
and I started collect-
beads and other artifacts.
ing."
If there is a signature col-
While lots of people
lection, it would be her
today trek to area
hundreds of Naughty
antique shows and to
Nellies. "They were cast
Saline during its season,
iron boot jacks, made
Dresner has had the bug
from Victorian times to
for years, wandering to
the 1940s, that are a little
remote areas of the
risque," she says. "Now,
country in search of
my kids search and sur-
something.
prise me with them for
"I'm not a great
my birthday."
sleeper, and I would
After schlepping
wake up at 3 a.m., and
them around for years
not fall back to sleep,
while she antiqued, both
and it would be a
her kids caught the bug.
Sunday. I would turn to
Son Eric, 12, collects
my husband Bobby, and
totem poles. Daughter
say, 'Do you mind if I
Katie, 8, who sleeps on a
go antiquing?' and I'd
modern tramp art bed
call my sister, and we'd
created by Texan Noah
drive to Chicago,
Edmundson, topped
Kalamazoo, Indiana, and
with an old postage
we'd be back by 7
stamp quilt, loves china
Clockwise: This corner typifies Dresner's West Bloomfield home filled with interesting antiques and collectibles. Artist Diane
p.m.," she says. "We
dolls. A Mennonite
Vertromile's memory chair (left), a Carnival Punk collection and a wood chair by Italian cartoonist Moroso flank the 1923 Tramp
would just scavenge."
chest from the '40s also
art cabinet. "It's not your typical antique item," says Dresner about her collection of cast iron boot-jacks called Naughty
Nellies. The broken memory vase and sterling silver art deco vase sit atop a French horn table. Dresner's collections of Four-
One of Dresner's pre-
resides in Katie's room.
eyes bottle openers grace the kitchen wall. Dresner discovered this Tramp art decorative piece circa 1890s in up-state New
mier passions is for
Dresner spends the
York. Opposite page: Interior designer Susan Dresner poses in front of an oil painting by Bloomfield Hills artist Bertha Cohen.
tramp art furniture and
summers antiquing
frames, which have only
throughout the East
recently come into vogue. Travelling tramps during the Depression,
Coast and the South. "There are towns where farmers open up their
using cigar boxes, wood and castoff materials, created tramp art. In
fields and people go through their attics and closets, and sell in the
Dresner's home, she has several premier quality pieces, from tables to
field," she says. "It's Americana."
lamps and accessories. "I love the detail, and I love that it's anony-
--Lisa Brody

.

STYLE AT THE JN • AF'I:11. 2001

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