It seems thrifted and vintage decor & design are having a moment. In all honesty, I don’t think they ever weren’t, but with the rise of social media and home design accounts, we are just seeing more of it. Vintage pieces are timeless and have never really been out of style, in my opinion.
If you had asked me five years ago what my “style” was, I would have most likely told you Midcentury Modern or something on the side of modern. Here is something you may not hear much or think about: just like your tastes in hairstyles and fashion change and evolve, so do home design style tastes. Yes, it is probably more expensive to change home styles, but I truly believe your home should reflect you and your family and tell your/their story. A home isn’t meant to be beautiful just so it looks Pinterest, social media, or magazine-worthy; it is instead beautiful because it is unique to you and only you (and/or your family).
Lately, I have started to lean into collecting vintage pieces for our home. The absolute best part about this is that vintage and antique pieces—whether it be art, knickknacks, or furniture—blend seamlessly with just about any and all home styles, from eclectic to farmhouse to modern. Mixing styles is another favorite of mine because it does tell a story.
Andy’s (my husband’s) grandmother was an artist, and in 2014, her house was struck by lightning and caught on fire. It was a total loss. However, many of her art pieces were in a separate shed out back and survived. Some that were in the house did not. But some did! We inherited a few pieces, and one of them is this gorgeous painting she did of a big tree (top middle). My mother-in-law asked if I wanted it restored, but I said absolutely not because its edges and some of the fire damage told its story. And it is perfect that way.
As you can see in this gallery wall, I have collected all these pieces over the years. The top right piece is a “pinball machine” from the early 1900s (I believe). I picked it up at an estate sale for $20 about 15 years ago. The tall skinny one with the birds was a gift from my stepmom because we found this piece in a boutique and she knew I loved it. The plate is from my step-grandfather. The little rectangle painting is from a garage sale. The Lord’s Supper is from FBMP. The big gold frame with the small tree is from an estate sale, along with the oval one. I probably spent $80 on all of these pieces combined! And look how they all work well together.
For about 2 months now I have been saving and searching Facebook Marketplace for a vintage chair for my entry. I have had this fun, boho-style chair for a few years now and it never quite “fit in” to the rest of my home style. I bought it impulsively when I really just wanted a chair there. This time around I decided to take my time searching for the perfect vintage chair for this space. And boy did it just pay off. I was up late and decided to do one last search on FBMP and lo and behold—I came across this adorable gold velvet chair for $20!! TWENTY. DOLLARS. Yes, please! I paid her via Venmo to secure it since I was unable to pick it up for 2 days. And look how adorable it is in this space? ~swoon
How to find the best pieces on FBMP, estate sales, antique stores, etc.
The best way to find pieces at a great price is to search. And search. And search. Sometimes I find something that I know I cannot pass up and buy it right away, but usually, I save it. If you are not familiar with Facebook Marketplace, it has an algorithm that learns what you like and what you are looking for. I start with specific keywords such as “vintage green chair,” then if nothing comes up after a few days of searching, I broaden my search to just “vintage chair.” Keep in mind that many people use broad terms for their titles when listing items and, believe it or not, some use incorrect words. For instance, I am searching for a vintage desk for my room, and while you’d think the keyword “desk” might find you what you’re looking for, sadly, many dressers labeled as desks pop up and vice versa. I know, that is weird, but I digress. Sometimes using words as simple as “vintage” brings up all kinds of things you might be interested in.
As for the algorithm, once you start searching for those items, it will then populate your feed with similar items or items that might be related to those searches. This is often where I find the gems that I am looking for! When you click on the listing, there are options (they are different on desktop than mobile, but very similar). Here is the mobile view. If you click alerts it allows you to receive any updates on whether the seller has dropped the price, sold it, or if it is pending. The send offer button lets you do just that—if you want to negotiate a price or just offer the full price. I always try to negotiate if I think it is marked too high, but if I think it is fair, I offer to buy it. The share button allows you to share it with friends or on your feed. And the save button is my best friend because it saves it under your FBMP profile, and you can come back to it & see if the item has sold or not. The save button also tells the algorithm what items you like. Often, if you wait and the item has been listed for a week or more, the seller will drop the price or be more open to negotiating because usually they just want to get rid of the piece(s). This is another reason to set alerts or save it so you can check back.
The rule of thumb for pricing on FBMP is about 40-50% of the original price you paid, unless there is wear and tear or damage. Hard-to-find and vintage pieces are often marked higher because they are just that, but I still see people list things for way too much. For instance, I saw these gorgeous green chairs that I would snatch up in a heartbeat, but there is no way I am paying $3k. For pieces like these, they should be sold on Chairish or a website that sells similarly priced items.
Design your home with vintage finds
The above steps can also go for any estate sale, antique store or garage sale. Not the algorithm part, but the negotiating and waiting. Never think just because it is already priced that you cannot offer a lower price!
When I designed my son’s vintage room in the ORC this spring, I bought all but a few items from vintage finds—mostly FBMP. I actually came out on top because we started from scratch with his furniture in the makeover except the bed. I sold his previous dresser, bookshelves, desk, lamps, art and nightstand. I think I made around $700. I bought his lamp, dresser, bookshelf and desk on FBMP for $250 for the makeover. WIN!! I also bought several pieces of art from estate sales over the course of several months leading up to the room makeover. Vintage art is one of my very favorite things to buy. The colors, the history, the original frames. They are all so personal and charming.
Start designing your room
Start by laying out a moodboard. If you don’t know how to do this, start on Pinterest where it essentially creates a board for you. Pin all the items to a new board that you that you love or want in the space. Just pin away at first. After you have lots of pins, go through and see what items are similar in color, style, textures, etc. These are going to direct you to your overall look and feel or style. Once you’ve done that go delete the ones that do not fit those aesthetics. They do not need to all be the same, but compliment each other. If you have pinned several rooms with stripes, then you most likely are going to want stripes in the room. Whether that be on the wall, wallpaper, curtains or even just throw pillows. It is a common piece that you have pinned so it means you probably want to stick with it.
Tips on how to go from here and lay out your room and choose colors go to this post. The rest is all about you finding those pieces you absolutely love and that tell your story.
Another good way to do this is to “shop your home”. By that, I mean walk in each room in your home, or even your basement or garage and find things you can add to a room or space that will tell a story. While decorating the room above I went up to my husband’s office and found these little photographs of his grandparents. They were a huge part of his life and my kids both met his grandmother and they loved her. These photos weren’t being seen by anyone where they were so I grabbed them, framed them, and hung them in his room. Not only did they fit the aesthetic, they tell a story about his great grandparents for years to come.
A good story shows rather than tells. Stories make friends linger. Stories create connection. A home rich in detail is rich in stories.
