i heart you
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!
