how to shop for vintage home decor
A room should always have something vintage IMO. Nothing screams boring to me than buying an entire f*cking room set from a furniture store or all of your home décor at Home Goods. Neither is wrong, but everything new just feels staged. To balance this out, I love using vintage pieces throughout my home. Something old just gives a space character and vibes you can’t buy from a store.
Like my coffee table. It’s sentimental now though too because it reminds me of the tirp we took to go get it. Kenzie was 4 weeks old and Jesse was bitching that we needed furniture in our house lol (this was when I was too indecisive to buy it). So to appease him, I was scrolling Craigslist one night while breastfeeding Kenzie and found it. Literally the most breathtaking coffee table I’ve ever seen and I hadddd to get it. The only thing though- it was in some small town in Delaware 3 hours away. Jesse said no way but I somehow convinced him it was a great idea for our new fam of 3 to make the drive together (LOL SMH). Pulling over every hour to breastfeed Kenzie or get gas… or food or sit in traffic turned out was as terrible of an idea as Jesse had said… but now our coffee table reminds me of that trip anytime someone asks me about it.
The thing about vintage though is that it can be hard to find the right pieces. I think a lot of people are unsure of how (or where) to find those quality vintage pieces so I thought I’d share my buying tips.
SHOPPING TIPS:
+ Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist: ok so I primarily search for furniture here and recommend searching with a variety of general key words. Nothing too specific—a lot of people don’t even know what they have to describe it or name. I use things like:
- Carved or teak wood
- Indian wood (it will bring back actual wood Indian carvings but mixed in should be furniture from India too—India makes a lot of amazing and delicate wood pieces that people have imported!)
- old plus whatever I’m currently looking for (e.g. stool, bench, armchair, leather...)
- Turkish, Moroccan or Balinese
For Craigslist, I use the craigslist app (specifically the purple peace sign one) because you can select multiple cities (or states) in a single search, rather than one city at a time. Other tips for Marketplace and Craigslist:
+ Don’t be afraid to ask for more pictures, especially if you’re picking up something that isn’t local. If a seller is serious about selling, they’ll happily send over more pics.
+ Price is almost always negotiable!
+ Thrift stores: Goodwill, Salvation army, etc. I mainly shop here for random tchotchkes. If you are local to Central PA, the Camp Hill Salvation Army off Trindle Road is my favorite.
+ Etsy: this is the BEST place for vintage Turkish rugs. I also love shopping Etsy for vintage pillow covers. Try searching: vintage hmong, chinese wedding blanket or vintage indigo and when you find something you like, check out the seller’s shop for their other stuff too. This is how you get the Amber Interiors vibe without going in debt. Don’t be afraid to ask for more pictures on here either!
+ Antique shops: expect to pay more but think of it as a curated style. I will say more times than not, antique stores are a miss for me but they’re still fun to browse because ya just never know!!
+ Flea markets / Antique shows: the best one BY FAR is the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena. I am 2/2 for planning my LA trips over the third Sunday of the month so I can attend LOL. Round Top in Texas is also amazing and so was Brimfield in Mass. I have also heard good things about the Kutztown Antique Radio Show (which is whyyy closer and I’m trying to go to next) as well the Brooklyn Flea!
+ Home shops: some stores make it really easy and carry vintage pieces BUT be careful it’s not fake vintage either. It’s also going to be the most expensive place listed but they take the guesswork (and let’s be honest, luck) out of it. Some of my favorite home decor stores for vintage: Amber Interiors (mostly look here for inspiration), McGee & Co, Threve Mercantile, Fernish (in Lancaster, PA!) and Gray Apple Market.
+ Have patience and be consistent! Don’t expect to search one time and find exactly what you’re looking for. It doesn’t work like that lol. I promise, having patience and being consistent about looking pays off when you find “the one.” Not to mention, you’ll appreciate it more because you spent so much time trying to find it LOL.
+ Know your measurements. If you’re buying furniture at all, you should know your measurements to be sure it fits, but it’s even more important when buying vintage. Most things come all sales final. So don’t guesstimate. Measure the specs of wherever you’re shopping for then keep it in your Notes so it’s always handy!
I hope these tips help and if they do, DM me pics of your treasure hunting finds!! xx