5 tips on buying vintage furniture & decor
A few weeks back I did a post on my favorite vintage accent chair (here). I honestly did it for our good friends at One Kings Lane, to help bring attention to their amazing Home Décor Resource site. But I think it is also really important to share some tips when shopping for those beautiful vintage pieces.
Tip 1: Do your research- know what you’re buying. Research what time period, the designer, even just the company that makes the furniture you tend to be drawn to. Finding out these details ahead of time will give you a better understanding of the value of the piece.
Tip 2: Make it worth it- just because something is labeled “vintage” or can be bought at a thrift store doesn’t mean it’s worth big bucks. If it’s just something small and isn’t linked to a designer or time period, it might not be worth it. Not everything you buy from a thrift store will land you on antiques road show. That being said, if you love it and it’s in budget, then go for it!
Tip 3: Shop Smart- One Kings Lane, Charish, and (sometimes) Joss &Main are some great sites to find vintage pieces at a reasonable price. If you do choose to troll craigslist though, definitely be smart about it. Always request pictures and to see the piece in person before you send any type of payment. Emily Henderson frequently posts on her blog about her craigslist finds and gives great tips on what you should spurge and save on.
Tip 4: Refinishing options- sometimes there are little things about the vintage piece that you can live with, for now, but will want to change. Is it worth it? To reupholster or refinish a piece can get pricey, however if the overall shape is something that you’re in love with it can be worth the added cost.
Tip 5: Does it go?- My final tip is pretty simple and applies to anything that you bring into your home, ask yourself: does it go with the rest of the space? I am a big fan of offsetting modern with vintage, but sometimes things just don’t work together. Really think about it before you buy. If it’s an upholstered chair, think about what pillows you can throw on it to tie it into the rest of the room. Or if it’s a carved coffee table, find an awesomely sleek tray to rest on top.
My favorite advice to live by is; Think. Listen. Be Smart. Do those three things and you will always find the perfect piece to display in your home. Happy shopping!
vintage herman miller
I- like most other interior designers- design students, home décor enthusiast, or even just anyone whose heard of an Eames chair, are fully aware of the iconic brand, Herman Miller. This West Michigan company- started in 1905- was eventually bought by D.J. De Pree, with help from his father-in-law, the original, Herman miller. Ever since De Pree acquired the company, in 1923, the furniture world has never been the same. With legendary designers on their pay roll, Herman Miller became synonymous with the “modern” furniture craze sweeping the nation in the mid 1900s. And with such influential designers, revolutionary collaborations, and unheard of concepts, Herman Miller became leaders in the furniture industry.
While stumbling around my beloved pinterest feed the other day, I happened upon this great picture captioned “11 amazing vintage HermanMiller offices”. So as I sat in my Aeron chair, surrounded by my Herman Miller panels that made up my 8 by 8 cube and munched on my salad, I clicked this intriguing pin. And I was honestly so entertained by the images that followed. It really was amazing to see these vintage clippings that looked like they were taken off of the set of Mad Men, yet still had such relevance in today’s furniture market. This pinterest invoked google search eventually turned into a doodling session for me (the last three pictures), but I just wanted to share this great find with my favorite people. You all.
And for those of you who didn’t get enough in my brief history lesson, check out Herman Millers incredibly creative 108 second video, breaking down the company’s history a little more in-depth. Enjoy!
apartment pieces // accent chair
I have always been a big fan of vintage accents in the home. Old photographs that were taken and framed before digital printing was even thought of. An ornate lamp that’s craftsmanship is purely flawless. Or even your great grandfather’s hand-made hat quirkily hung on your wall waiting for someone to rock. When it comes to incorporating a vintage flair into your space, you can’t go wrong with really any vintage piece that you like.
Lucky for me, my family is somewhat on the hording side, so when it came time for me to leave the nest, there were quite a few vintage pieces for the taking. My favorite, however, has to go to my grandmother’s naturally amazing accent chair. Adorned in my late grandmother’s bedroom for years, this piece was a great way for me to incorporate my vintage love as more of an accent rather than the centerpiece statement of my living room; unlike the navy sofa right next to it. Although it’s decades old, its details and shape perfectly encapsulate my personal style. It’s clean and simple, perfectly made, and when you add the right throw pillow the possibilities are endless.
While it’s style was perfect to place right next to one of my living room windows, and sentimentally I was for certain attached to, I was somewhat bothered by the fact that I didn’t know much about my favorite furniture piece. So I started my hunt for more information. The first place I went was my favorite vintage furniture site, One Kings Lane. For most lovers of home décor, or even anyone who likes to browse the vintage online markets, the site OneKings Lane is probably very familiar to you. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that this site goes far beyond just selling the products, they actually have an entire section dedicated to educating people on different types of furniture. It’s called the Home Décor Resource, and on it I learned that my chair is, most likely, of the French style and definitely an accent to my space. I also learned, ironically, that the chair style that suits me best is, in fact, a French armchair (I promise I didn’t cheat. It’s just that good).
Now although, I am certain there is more information to find on my beloved accent chair, for now I am just happy to incorporate such a special piece into my space.
And for those of you who are curious, it’s cat’s favorite chair too.