When I graduated college I moved home but to my parents cute little rental house. It was a tiny house before those were trendy but such a blessing and a great place to live and save some money (thank you mama and daddy!)
Even though the house was tiny, I didn’t have much to furnish it since I’d been living the dorm life for four years. We bought a loveseat because that’s all that would fit and I redid an old entertainment center and trunk for storage and side table of sorts but we found everything else I needed at the Nashville Flea market… bed, dresser, side table, kitchen table and chairs, bar stools. I was set!
I share this story so you know how long vintage finds have been our jam. Even further back than that really, my current kitchen table was my parents all while I was growing up and it came from my uncle’s parents house. (more on that in a minute) My mama has always had the most perfectly selected antique and vintage items to mix in with whatever was in style at the time.
We love vintage pieces, not just because they can be more economical, but because they add charm and life where something new and polished will just fall short. If you don’t believe me, go to your local magazine rack and thumb through an HGTV Magazine then Country Home. Even if it’s not your style, you can see which looks the most warm, inviting and interesting.
All this to set up a little tour for you. I want to show you 10 vintage items in my own house and how I use them. I prefer a more eclectic style so I mix and match things that make me happy.
This is going to be a lot so I'm dividing up over two days be sure you check back tomorrow for part two!
1. Kitchen table: I mentioned this one early on but this table is kind of everything. It’s at least 100 years old, probably closer to the 150 range and the thing that finally defined my design style. I will never forget being in the Southern Living Design Home years ago in THE kitchen designed by THE Stephanie Sabbe. She made it feel historic, but also modern and even though this is a multi million dollar house, I noticed a few similarities to my own kitchen. But what my (not multi-million dollar) kitchen was missing was the old wood. So here we are. It had actually been in my parents rental (yep, the same one I lived in for year) so I brought her home, sanded and Hemp Oiled her and we’ve been in love ever since.
2. Walter + Mirror: We name our furniture. This is what we do. Meet Walter. Many, many years ago, this style of buffet exploded in popularity. The prices were outrageous for even the roughest of pieces. Then one fateful day at the Nashville Flea Market we found this beauty for $139.
The paint job left a little something to be desired and it wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for me. I think I ended up getting him for $120 which was a great deal. I lived with his distressed black finish for a bit then took on bringing him back to life. This was the first piece I stripped down to the original wood and stained. I loved every minute of it. He is still imperfect, but he is the piece that I have declared I will never, ever sell.
Let's chat about this mirror too. We're also in love. It's not antique but a really nice vintage piece. The original gold was fine, but I gave it a little love with a black and gold refinish and now we're even more in love.
3. Piano stool: This is another family piece that I grabbed for myself. These are a hot item right now and we’ve sold several in our booths but this one is what my mama learned to play piano on. My grandmother was always nuts about anything with claw feet and I honestly always thought they were creepy, but now I see it as a piece of her home and my mama’s history in my home. It’s floated around in so many spots because it works anywhere. These make perfect little side tables because you can adjust the height!
4. Silhouettes
Silhouettes will always be one of my favorite art pieces. They are so timeless and the graphic black and white keeps them from being too stuffy. Theses are all family pieces but there are so many great options to fill your walls. (please note signs of real life in this picture. A car lift and classic car adds to the charm too)
5. Coffee Mugs
If you follow me on instagram, you probably know how much I love these coffee mugs. They’re the perfect size (big) but narrow enough to help your coffee stay warm longer and the plaid is timeless. Cups and dishes are such a great way for just enough vintage.
I could talk about this all day long so be sure to come back tomorrow for 5 more vintage pieces that I love in my home!