Vintage Home Décor
December 2, 2020
I moved to San Francisco nearly 5 years ago to attend college. Earlier this year, when the pandemic began, my current job was becoming more fragile, and rent was becoming exceedingly more difficult to pay. Out of necessity, I started frantically applying to new jobs in hopes of preserving the life I created in San Francisco.
After a long winded search, and many doubtful thoughts, I came across a listing that sparked my interest. It was a vintage company hiring for an assistant role, which to my surprise, I was hired for. As a lover of vintage and antiques already, this role was incredibly exciting for me. I now spend my day job curating vintage accessories, and it has taught me a few key lessons.
1. Pick items in your style
A good rule of thumb when choosing home accents is to always pick items that you like. This may seem obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I have stood in front of a pile of product, vintage or non, and been completely lost on what to purchase. Am I choosing this because I want other people to like it? Is this item of any use to me? Will this go with other items in my home? I’ve learned it’s incredibly important to stick with your own taste and go with your gut. If you like it, and can see a use for it in your home, you are likely on the right track. This vintage linen wheat bag pictured above has just enough intrigue for me. With unique stitched red initials and a long draping torso, it replaced any boring department store artwork that would have otherwise been there.
2. Elevate Your Essentials
If there is something you use everyday like coat/purse hooks (shown above), silverware, a mug, or even bedding, make them special. Knowing that these items will be in view nearly everyday, it only makes sense that these items make you happy. As John Wildsmith once said, “You are either in your bed or in your shoes, so it pays to invest in both”, so as to say, invest in your surroundings! We found these embellished sturdy brass hooks at a local antique store. It only took four screws to completely amplify the space. They are a small addition but their unique nature add something quite special to an everyday item.
3. Go Sustainable
In order to keep up with demands, large companies manufacture product at a rapid rate. That means, many items being manufactured for the sake of affordability and accessibility are often not sustainably made. We are entirely understanding of this factor in shopping! Not everyone can afford their time or finances for handmade, designer, one-of-a-kind, or small business products. That being said, if you have the time and ability, there is a huge opportunity here to support a more sustainable way of shopping in the world of antiques/vintage. It is often that secondhand is cheaper too! This mirror was only $30 and being that it is preowned, we are able to enjoy it for another lifetime.
4. Use What You Already Own
If you’re anything like me, you have probably spent time rummaging through old family photos and knick-knacks that have previously been tossed to the side. This painting above I actually already owned! It is an old painting made by a distant relative in the 1950s. I happened across it one day while organizing old boxes. If you can see its potential, there is really nothing quite like getting mileage and enjoyment out of the items you already own. This painting paired perfectly on the mantle with a few dried bunny tails and a small brass olive branch - giving new life to unexpected pieces.
5. Have Fun
Most importantly, just have fun with the search. Finding something you love never gets old. That is the main reason we love vintage, there is always something exciting on the horizon. This velvet equestrian riding helmet pictured above was a purchase that leaned a bit more impractical in terms of everyday use, although I just had to have it. I spent time as a kid riding horses and there is something quite nostalgic about it for me. This hat now sits atop a few gifted coffee table books, and I am in love with its frivolity. There is something to be said about items in your home that are purely about joy and excitement. Surely, not all of it has to be so serious. We are in a lifelong pursuit of enjoyment, and that means our surroundings should sing.