My life in design started when i met my ex-husband matthew in 1990. I started with getting my degree in interior design. that majic twinkle wore off pretty quickly because i found another love that quickly over took me. i was fascinated with the details in old furniture, the tarnished silver that i would see at the Flea-market, the old lamps that sometimes needed Fixing, or the old fabric i would Find. my new love was anything old.
i started following rachel ashwell who started shabby chic, which was my style as well. i continue to love this style because it speaks to me in everything i do. everything i touch gets painted in a heavy chalk white finish with lot's of distressing. i want to get back to refinishing furniture that's vintage, or an antique.
when you see something that you love, purchase it! because you may never find another.
i purchase alot from marketplace, FIRST looking to make sure it is vintage. here are some things to look for when purchasing VINTAGE OR ANTIQUE PIECES.
1) Whenever possible, avoid changing the finish on vintage FURNITURE; for truly authentic character, you can’t beat chipped paint or weathered wood.
2) “It’s nice to see dowels instead of screws, and if there are screws it’s nice to see the old screws, FLAT HEAD. If THERE'S locks on cabinets, it’s nice to see that those are authentic.” That said, don’t fret if the original hardware is long gone. “There are so many dealers online now that you can buy lovely old handles and lovely old locks and stuff.” In the end, what matters most is the feeling of a piece. “If it feels like it’s solid and it looks like it’s solid, whether it was made 30 years ago or 120 years ago.
3) There’s a certain size drawer that is more appealing than others. There’s a certain way that a cabinet door opens that is economical—meaning, it’s not so big that you have to have such a wide swing to even open it.” “Economy of space is really important.”
4) Layer, layer, layer. “Because my whole essence is mixing and matching, it’s fine if I find two of something or one of something. I have some very simple white new dishes, but I love to layer in vintage, maybe as the bread dish or as a bowl.” Because older dinnerware collections tend to be smaller in size than modern pieces (“I guess they didn’t eat as much!”), vintage plates often make ideal accent pieces to supplement a basic set.
Make it your own. “We might find a whole big bag of rumpled-up napkins, say, and freshen them all up—maybe even adding a monogram. It really is a lovely way to create a future heirloom. “Just adding these elements to it—whether it’s a patch, whether it’s a monogram, whether it’s dyeing it—really does bring it back into life again And you have the beautiful quality of handwork that you can’t replace today, but it feels fresh.”
CONSIDER PAINTING YOUR PIECES. I'LL START A CATALOG OF PIECES THAT ARE PAINTED TO LOOK AS MASTER PIECES WITH EVERY DETAIL ON HOW YOU CAN CREATE THE SAME.
LOVE, TAINA