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Hi! I'm Michelle with April 25th Design and Decor, and an American Blinds customer for
myself and my clients. And, I'm here to talk to you about how I incorporate vintage finds
into my house and also with fashion and lifestyle and entertaining.
Incorporating vintage items into your home is a great way to add character and layering
into the design process, and I'm a big believer in it. If you have some, what I call investment
pieces, into a room, you can really get away with purchasing a $20 table and putting it
next to your expensive sofa. I have some pieces of art in my home that I have purchased from
estate sales and even garage sales, that I love just as much as my more expensive pieces
and that are really dear to me.
The key to purchasing art, when you're looking at vintage pieces, is really buy something
that you fall in love with. It might be the color palate, or the picture, or the frame.
I found an oil painting at a resale store 7 years ago, and I just fell in love with
it. It has a great color scheme, and also it was already framed for $75. And I get just
as many compliments on that piece of art, as I do any other piece of art that's more
expensive in my house.
When you're looking for larger items, your more investment pieces for your home at a
resale shop, really look at the quality of what you're considering purchasing. Look for
something that's in good shape, that doesn't need a lot of re-purposing, because that may
end up costing you a lot more money than you originally think in the end. I love buying
large pieces, like a sofa, and then thinking about re-upholstering them. Just make sure
that the frame is in great shape, and you won't have to do a lot of work to them other
than re-upholstering the piece of furniture.
One of my most fun and fabulous finds was this bar that was hand carved in Mexico, that
sat in a cantina. And I purchased this 10 years ago for $200, and it has been one of
my dearest investment pieces. What I love about it is, it really is multi-functional.
I use it to hide my children's toys and keep them out of the way. But I also use it for
serving pieces, or even outdoors for entertaining. I've used it for parties, and it has just
been one of the best investment pieces I've ever purchased.
One of my most favorite things to do, when I'm shopping at an estate sale, or resale
shop, is purchase smaller items that add a layering effect in a room. I love the look
you get with vintage items when you do that. For example, I found these luncheon trays
from the 1970's, that I fell in love with their color scheme and design. And I wasn't
really sure what I was going to do with them, but they were $20 for 21 of them, and I knew
I had to have them. So, I purchased them and brought them home, and I ended up using them
on this wall as artwork, because it was somewhat of an awkward space and a large wall. And
they just turned out fabulous and I get so many compliments on them.
So, when you're out and about, at a vintage store or a resale shop, once again, think
of something that you can do with these items that's outside of the box. And what you may
end up using them for is something unexpected. Another great idea I have with these trays
is, I really want to use them in a bedroom one day as a headboard. How fabulous would
these look on the wall, with a mattress underneath them? And you would never see these in anyone
else's house. It's a great way to have a unique statement in your room all for $20.
Sometimes you may be in an antique store, or garage sale, and you might see something
for under $5 that you really love, but you're not sure what to do with them. I really encourage
you to buy them. Buy whatever it is that you see, that speaks to your heart. I found these
slippers that were made in the far east in the 1950's, and I just loved the color scheme
and palate. And I wasn't sure what I was going to use them for, but I went ahead and purchased
them. Well, a year later, it ended up that I remembered the color palate when I was redesigning
one of my client's children's rooms. And so, it was my inspiration for their bedroom. But,
the most fun and fabulous thing about these finds and these slippers is that they now
sit on my vanity and I use them to hold jewelry. So, everyday, when I see them, they make me
smile, all for $1.50.