Hello, my friends!
Time for a little quiz for all my antique lovin’ buddies…!  Let’s see if you can relate to any of my top five requirements for true vintage lovers.  😉  Our community is made up of some of the BEST people, and I want YOU in it, too!  Let’s see how many you can relate to!  (All in fun, guys.  All in fun.  😊)
Okay, here goes:

ONE: The Thrill of the Hunt

In today’s world, it’s sort of a strange feeling to know you want a thing, know you have saved up money for the thing, and then…to WAIT to buy the thing, rather than hopping straight onto Amazon to have the thing shipped to your door in two days or less.  You know?  The waiting and the thrill of the hunt are such exercises in patience and learning to only spend money on what you truly love.  These are not easy lessons, nor do I follow them with all types of purchases (spontaneous and immediately regrettable purchase of neon turquoise suede stilettos, I’m looking at you. 😩 😂)  However, my most beloved treasures were long sought and hard-won, and I think that’s what makes them TREASURED, if that makes any sense at all!

(Vintage French tufted chairs from an estate sale later chalk painted white….to mixed reviews 😂, and this gorgeous 1800’s fireplace mantel hunted up on Craigslist.  You will die when I tell you how much we paid.  $300.  🙀  These go for triple the cost most places!  Holy moly, worth the wait.)

(My ever-growing collection of tiny vintage bottles, mostly in shades of pale blue.  I love picking up one or two for a steal each time I’m out pickin’ at the shops, and these little beauts eventually turned into some funky DIY “chandeliers” [HERE] that you may have seen in different places in the house!)

(Another quirky vintage treasure in our home is this old, chippy hand cart that we turned into a coffee table a few years ago!  We had the large handles sawed off and smoothed, and I cleaned it and added a few coats of Minwax Polycrillic to seal in the paint chips.  It’s such a statement piece, and I love the memories of going antique shopping with my mother-in-law that day!)

TWO: The Story of the Day and Who Was With Me

Another thing I love about filling my home with vintage farmhouse style pieces is remembering the story of the day and who was with me when I found that perfect piece.  I go pickin’ at the antique shops with my husband, my kids, my mom and sister, my mother-in-law and some of my close friends, and each time I stumble upon THE ONE, I love that I’m always reminded of that special time with my people while we were out shopping!  Sounds kind of silly maybe, but I can honestly remember when, where and who I was with when I look at certain pieces around the house, and that makes me smile.  Love my people. ❤️

(There are the bottle chandeliers I mentioned earlier, and these old wood slat church pews were another score made with my MIL!  I remember I was in quite the haggling mood that day and feeling extra sassy, so let’s just say I got these for a steal.  😂)

(Okay, this antique wooden postal sorter used in the early 1900’s is one of my coolest finds to date, and this piece also forged a sweet friendship with the shop owner at one of my favorite vintage stores!  She has helped me source so many cool treasures for me and for my design clients, too!  Love how this stuff brings people together.)

(Another awesome Craigslist find is this French style vintage cupboard that we affectionately call The Beauty and the Beast cabinet.  Doesn’t it just look like it’s about to burst into song at any moment?!  😉  Because the inset glass was broken in the doors, we stole this lovely hutch for under $100, and I just added a bit of chicken wire to the doors for now…to keep tiny fingers off of my Rae Dunn collection!)

THREE: Weathered and Rustic Charm That Can’t Be Replicated

These days, you can find beautiful replicas of vintage items just about anywhere, but there is just something about the weathered details, chippy goodness and rustic charm that can’t be duplicated, no matter how nice the vintage-inspired piece might be!  I have many vintage-inspired finds throughout my house which add to the overall style I’m going for, but my true blue antiques with their worn in spots, their dents and dings, their homey history…those pieces have my heart.

(Saved from a farm fire, this vintage fireplace mantel was one of the only salvaged pieces to come out mostly unscathed from an 1800’s farmhouse nearby.  You can see where the old farmer tried to strip the paint and fix it up for sale, but then it was all just too much and he left it halfway finished.  We bought the pieces as-is, and I actually love the weathered, antique bits and imperfections, included the halfway stripped paint.  Somehow this mantel was spared from the fire for the most part, and I’m so glad it was!  Such a historical treasure.)

(For SURE, one of my most hard-won vintage victories was this 150 year old farmhouse harvest table that slowly made it’s way from New England to the Oklahoma area by being passed down in a family from generation to generation.  If you are an Instagram friend [HERE], you know how long and hard I searched for the perfect vintage farmhouse table, and this beauty was the one that captured my heart in the end!  You can see the scuffs and knife marks on the surface from when the farmers would bring in the harvest to sort and chop, and the original maker’s initials are carved into the table from over 150 years ago. I LOVE THAT!!  Plus…those sexy, curvy legs never hurt nobody…😍)

FOUR: The History and Story Behind the Piece

While we can’t always know every little detail about each vintage treasure we score, it thrills me to my core when I can somehow trace the item back to its origins, just like our antique farm table pictured above!  It might sound silly, but it almost feels like it’s now my job to preserve that piece of the past and it’s story, to not forget times and traditions of the past, and to try to repurpose and revive the piece while still honoring its history.  Vintage lovers will get this.  We’ve been entrusted with a moment in time, a glimpse of days gone by, and it’s ours to treasure and protect!

(If you read the romantic story behind this piece over on my Instagram [HERE], you’ll understand why I swoon a little each time I pass by this vintage cathedral cabinet filled with my antique ironstone collection.  I’ll not soon forget the story of how this hutch made it’s way into my home and heart! ❤️)

(After stalking this vintage Eastlake bed for months, the price dropped to $70…and it was MINE!!  Our guest room redo includes so many vintage treasures like the bed, the huge copper pendant light, those antique copper molds, and the vintage linens to boot!  Basically this room is an ode to antique, and I love that our guests get to soak up all this history!  Wallpaper [HERE])

(My antique dough bowl was shipped all the way from eastern Europe, and ’tis massive.  The kids think it is a canoe.  😂  Similar one [HERE].  I couldn’t find one that I loved around here, plus they were getting marked up SO high!  Not paying $400 for a dough bowl.  Geez!  So…I just went to the source of many of the true primitive dough bowls!  You can find so many true antique treasures from sellers on Etsy, so if you’re coming up short or don’t like the high mark up in your stores, check there!) 

FIVE: The Vintage Lover’s Tribe

We are a unique breed, the vintage lovers, and I can’t explain the fun of meeting another person who loves junkin’ around for old crap as much as I do! 😂  The community of pickers and antique appreciators is made up of some of the sweetest, most talented and stylin’ people I’ve met, and I love that I can just say words like “ironstone crackle,” “chippy goodness” and “NFS”…and my people GET IT! 🙌🏻  Always feels good to be part of a community of awesome people (you guys!), and my tribe is exactly that! ❤️

What do you think, buddies?  How many of the above rang your bell?  Are you a vintage lover yourself, or does your friend/mom/spouse drag you along through countless dusty shops searching for old crap?! 😂  Do you relate to any of the reasons why I personally love old pieces with history?  I’d love to chat with my tribe…leave a comment below!

SOURCES:

(*While most of these items are one of a kind antiques, many others can be found online, which I’ve linked below.  Some affiliate links used.)