I like to poke around my local vintage shop on a semi-regular basis to see what’s new. And I always visit whatever the local vintage shop is whenever I’m out of town.
My favorite china was procured at an antique store on a summer vacation in Plymouth.
The wicker bassinet my children slept in as infants was unearthed at a vintage barn in New Hampshire, and a lovely turned newel post and a set of balusters from an girls antiquing trip up route 1 has been sitting in my garage waiting for me to get a craftsman to use them to replace my builder grade ugly metal stair rail…#goals.
The diva’s vintage hats were all scored at various antique markets or online.
There are 3 main reasons to include vintage items in your home.
Add Personality
Vintage shopping often turns up quirky and unique items that can create moments of surprise, delight, or humor in a room.
Vintage art and accessories are an especially good way to quickly add personality to a space.
Our clients had amassed this collection of vintage Venice prints poking around antique stores over the years, and they were the PERFECT thing to fill this alcove in their new home!
I spied this carved whale and framed shells yesterday as possibilities to add some quirky charm to a new-build beach house project that’s wrapping up in the coming months.
The Asian chest behind the whale is a spectacular piece of furniture too - the brass butterfly hardware is such a fun addition.
Add Patina
Vintage and antique items add layers and patina to a space that is impossible to get with all new pieces.
Fine antiques and heritage furnishings add sophistication and elegance to classic designs giving the impression of family treasures passed down through the generations.
I came across this beautiful demilune Hepplewhite style chest handmade by Charak Furniture in Boston, a company known for fine reproductions in the early 20th century buried under a bunch of stuff in the back of a booth at my local vintage shop yesterday. The chest was numbered and dated 1931! If I had ANYPLACE in my home whee I could put this, I would have scooped it up.
These mother of pearl inlaid antique chairs are also extremely tempting…their sculptural presence would add a sense of story to any room - and they are functional extra seating too.
Rustic vintage pieces like this painted pine chest, have patina and history that can add depth to the design and inject a note of informality. (I may or may not need some of those white pitchers on top of it to feed my dishware addiction!)
Vintage steamer trunks can make a great coffee table AND add storage, and vintage suitcases are another great buy that can function as storage, whether stacked as a side table or built into a massive shelving wall like this one.
Save Money (and the planet!)
Vintage pieces are the ultimate in recycling, often better made AND less expensive than their new counterparts. Buy vintage and up cycle well made old pieces rather than buying new disposable furniture that will end up in a landfill in a few short years.
Vintage pieces evoke nostalia too - who remembers these cow pitchers for you cereal milk in the morning?
Vintage dishes are my weakness, so not sure how much money I’ve saved LOL, but tableware pieces are often a great vintage bargain purchase, and so full of personality. I love pitchers and use them as vases as well as tableware.
Antique mirrors in spectacular frames add so much too - bonus points if the glass is original.
Solid wood side chests and tables with nice lines can usually be found for a bargain price, and, unless they are significant antiques of some provenance, can be altered with refinishing or paint for an entirely new look.
This oak side table has nice lines and a practical lower shelf and a bargain price…I may need to get this and have it painted for a bedside table for a project!
Look at vintage stores for bargains on lamps and things that can be turned into lamps! Most will need new shades, but interesting lamps (and potential lamp bases) are plentiful. American decorating legend James Farmer says, “no really good lamp started life as a lamp”. And I think he is right!
There are so many other vintage items that are worth exploring…from the fashion world vintage hats and accessories if you have dramatic flair like my daughter, or even if you just want them as useable wall art for a bedroom or dressing room.
Vintage rugs that are in good shape are timeless. Antique books are charming accessories, and often antique book or calendar pages make compelling framed art.
Vintage wicker pieces are endlessly useful as accent pieces that add a layer of texture.
I spotted a pair of these lovely antique wicker chairs on yesterday’s shopping sprint. They are in remarkably good shape.
Vintage light fixtures and architectural salvage pieces can be incorporated into remodeling projects or used as art in their own right.
We once used a pair of 8’ tall French doors from a villa in Provence as art above a fireplace mantel in a cathedral ceiling family room.
Hunting through the junk to find buried treasure is part of the fun, so wade in past the plastic flowers and dusty tchotchke’s and think outside the box!
The internet has made shopping vintage even easier. You have to know what to look for, and what constitutes high quality, but Facebook Marketplace, EBay, 1st Dibbs, Chairish, and a host of online auction and estate sale aggregators are available for your perusal right from your favorite armchair!
