July 10, 2012

little things link love: vintage suitcases

Vintage Luggage photo by geishaboy500 - click image to view more

It’s officially summer travel season and that means the suitcases come out and all of our belongings get crammed into them. I’ll be honest and say that I have a passion for vintage luggage. Our modern stuff is just too black, too shiny, and too mundane. Give me a pea green leather suitcase any day! Besides, I’m sure the airport luggage guys would enjoy seeing a bit more variety during their day. Don’t you?

With the temperatures rising, get ready to travel in style this summer because vintage luggage is back and everyone is hoping to scoop up another piece for their collection.

Here are some fun links for my fellow vintage luggage lovers:

  • Louis Vuitton just came out with the most incredible, interactive website called The Art of Packing. Part game, part advertisement for their largest of bags, this site is definitely something to check out, if only to kill a few minutes and pack pretty things you don’t own.
  • In the market for some vintage luggage? You’ll definitely want to check out the Vintage Seekers’ Luxury Luggage guide to learn how to spot a rare piece and discover just how much is too much to pay for a vintage Prada.
  • If you already own a lot of vintage luggage but don’t know how to restore it properly, Go Nomad has a great article on Travel Chic: How to Refurbish Vintage Luggage. From how to get rid of funky smells to repainting your case, you’ll find everything you need to know here.
  • If you’re like me and enjoy a good upcycle, you’ll really get a kick out of these re-purposed cat beds by Atomic Attic. Whose cat doesn’t enjoy snuggling in their freshly packed suitcase?
  • My boyfriend was in the Navy and thus possesses insane folding skills (a dry cleaning lady in Scotland actually tried to hire him). If you want that same knowledge, e-How shared some tips on How to Fold Clothes in the Military.

How many pieces of vintage luggage do you own?

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January 13, 2012

little things link love: the joy of thrifting

Vintage typewriter – Just one of the many finds waiting for you!

For some people, the idea of buying vintage has a negative connotation.

Maybe it brings to mind thoughts of shopping at thrift stores in college, when it was the only affordable way to decorate their dorm or apartment. Perhaps they feel that it’s an indication of a lower status or lack of success; that it is beneath them to buy secondhand when they can afford the shiny and new.

To those on the other end of the spectrum, those who enjoy shopping for pre-loved goods and artifacts, it’s like being in on a wonderful secret. Flipping through channels today, you’ll see no shortage of antique/vintage/picker/storage auction shows.

Why is it great to shop vintage? Let me count the ways…

The price – The most obvious starting point. For most items, it’s cheaper to buy them used than new, unless you’re getting into the realm of antiques and collectibles. Especially in recessionary times of tight budgets, vintage answers the call of decorating yourself and your home on a dime. There has been no shortage of before-and-after pics of what people are able to do to transform their home goods and their wardrobes.

The eco-factor – Buying secondhand is wonderful for the environment. It saves on the construction of a new piece, which requires energy and raw materials, uses chemicals, and produces waste. Think of all the people there are in the developed world and how many beds, couches, tables, clothes, etc. they might purchase in a lifetime… and then throw away. It adds up exponentially. Secondhand is just smarter for Mama Earth.

The unique factor – Picture in your mind’s eye the rooms that you have seen that have really caught your eye. A truly great room reflects the owner, not the store it came from. You shouldn’t be able to walk into someone’s house and immediately know that they buy everything from Rack & Canister. The speedbump people hit when decorating a room or filling up their wardrobe is that they often feel that it needs to be complete NOW. Many of the best rooms I’ve seen are ones that have been curated over time, travel, and experience. Those rooms tell a story. They tell me a little more about who lives in them.  They are one of a kind.

The better design – Just as with furniture, the accessories, antiques, and collectibles from years gone by often are just better designed. In part, they’re simply cooler to look at. The other kicker is that in some cases, a lot of vintage items are better made than they are today. You’ll find more handcrafted, artisan pieces that are sturdier and pass the test of time. Why else do you still see them around, fetching some high-dollah prices?

The nostalgia – I mentioned earlier that these pieces, and the rooms they inhabit or the person they adorn, tell a story. In one way, that story is yours, as they define who you are and what you are interested in. They also tell the story of their past life or the person who owned them before: A vintage counter that sat in a soda fountain shop run by one family for over 100 years. The gown designed by that woman who was a pioneer in her industry. The advertisement for a time when life was simpler.

The thrill of the hunt – Probably one of the least-mentioned aspects of shopping for vintage is the rush. Because many of the things you see for sale in vintage shops and at yard or estate sales are more rare, there is definitely a good buzz to be had when you find something you KNOW no one else will have. AND you got it for a steal? It’s a total natural high. No two are alike so it’s always like scoring a lost treasure when you get the goods. Yes, it can be addictive.

Wooden objects, perfect for storage and decor

Here are some outlets that can help you make the most of your thrifting:

  • Yard Sale Queen – The website from a woman who takes her curbside shopping very seriously. Learn from her tips!
  • Estate sale mailing lists – If you’d like to get into estate sale shopping, the best thing to do is get on multiple mailing lists of estate sale companies. You’ll get advanced shopping times, as well as previews of merchandise before anyone else.
  • Kovel’s – Kovel’s is a fantastic resource to research and learn more about antiques and collectibles. Sign up for their weekly newsletter to get some great tips and insights into the world of vintage.
  • Antiques Roadshow – Sure, we all know it as the long-running PBS series, but did you know they have lots of tips and information on their site to educate you? Check out the Resources section.

What’s been your favorite thrift find?

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January 5, 2012

best of… lia fagan: curvy couch

Let’s take a look back on 2011 – the posts that inspired, challenged, and encouraged us. Today, enjoy Lia Fagan’s first “Thrifted Thoughts” post on Scoutie Girl, published in March.

Finding the old in the new can be challenging. Especially when the old looks a little something like this…

Grandma’s 70s sofa is screaming, “time-warp!”

That’s most likely why it ended up here, in the basement of a Salvation Army Thrift Store, hoping to one day be loved by someone again. While many probably pass her by daily and think “yikes!” I see promise in her curvy shape & wooden details.

Seeing past scary upholstery and scratched wood takes practice. If you’ve ever house-hunted, you’ll know that the process is similar. When house-hunting, you need to force yourself to see past the current state of the home.

See past the current owners’ decorating style, furnishings, and colours to get a glimpse of the “bones.” If you can do this, then you can start to reimagine the possibilities that lay within those “bones.” The same is true of vintage furnishings.

Now the real fun begins!

Take grandma’s sofa, for instance. Her cushions are in great shape (probably because the sofa sat, unused, in her parlour, wrapped in the original plastic for the last four decades). The springs feel firm and legs are sturdy. The wood could do with a little refreshing, but other than that, it’s in great shape. For a measly $49.00, what more could you ask for?

The obvious choice here is to reupholster. Purchasing a sofa that is in no need of structural repair means that upholstery costs will remain low. Snap a photo of your find and email it off to several local businesses that offer reupholstering services.

Hint – be sure to tell them that you’ll provide your own fabric (rather than choosing from their standard selection) so that the quote only reflects the reupholstering charges.

When you rescue vintage furniture, you give yourself the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind piece that is completely customized to you and your taste.

Take advantage of this opportunity by giving your fabric choice some serious thought. This is something that you will want to do once and do right.

Two distinct design concepts come to mind when I re-envision this sofa. The first is for the bold, fearless, risk-takers. I’m picturing plush velvet in a deep saturated hue, like red wine, amethyst, or peacock blue. That would completely transform this tired sofa into a stunning statement piece.

Prefer to surround yourself with soothing neutrals? I hear ya! A light stone or charcoal shade of grey would look amazing next to the dark wood detailing and afford you the opportunity to inject some punch with pillows. Grey is the best colour to offset any other colour, making it a solid, timeless choice.

I’m confident that you could transform this sofa, or one like it, into a show-stopper for around $1000, all in. You will not find anything even remotely similar in style, quality or price (not to mention fully customizable) in any big-box chain store.

Do yourself a favor and include some vintage hideaways on your shopping list for your next big furniture purchase!

Has the makeover bug bit you? Tell me about it in the comments!

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November 4, 2011

little things link love: typewriters

Mmm… typewriters…

I got a small, portable typewriter for Christmas when I was about eight years old. I loved it. I’d type up random letters to no one. Well, except maybe my mother… I did click out a note one time in sixth grade to inform her how much it would cost for us to have a vacation at Walt Disney World. Not really sure where I got my figures from, though. To account for inflation, it probably would have set her back about 23 grand in today’s cheddar.

In elementary school, I had a few classes over the years where we made our own books. It was up to us to write the stories, illustrate them, and even assemble the pages and cover. There were a few times I went into my mother’s office for the day, just to use her typewriter (or have her use it for me) to hammer out my stories of puppies, or wizards, or alliteration. I still have those books, and I love seeing the imperfect, varied-toned letters dancing around the pages.

In high school, we took typing classes. I will assume they still do this, though on computers, now [cue "I'm getting old" music]. We had those wonderful IBM Selectrics – made famous because of their golf-ball shaped typeball. The feel of effortlessly breezing through text, combined with the melodic sound of the keys, was crack for the senses. For anyone who remembers typing on a manual model, you know the relief your fingers felt from not having to put in a workout. Do you know that they still sell electric typewriters? I did not know this. For about a hundred bucks, that magic can be yours.

Today, I work part-time in a vintage shop, and we have our share of manual typewriters come and go for sale. I always love checking out the kids who are drawn to them like flies, amazed by something that must seem so archaic to them. But they still amaze us adults, too, which is why they have seemingly not gone away, but experienced a little nostalgic rebirth. In our house, we have two 1920s beauties that were my grandfather’s: a Remington and an Underwood. I even managed to score a dusty-green, 1950s Royal Rugged Quiet DeLuxe at a yard sale for a scandalous five bucks. I think a collection has begun. Old typewriters really are pieces of art, after all.

Here are some of the ways you can add a little retro type flair to your life:

  • MyTypewriter.com – If you’d love to get your hands on an oldie, you can always check eBay or craigslist, but MyTypewriter.com has a wonderful selection, too. They even stock ribbon and old manuals to make your find functional again.
  • The Virtual Typewriter Museum – This is an online curation that offers history and insight to why typewriters were such an important part of our lives, as well as a gallery of models and collectibles.
  • miTypewriter – This iPad app works on iPhones, too, though admittedly takes a little more patience with the smaller screen. Turn your keypad and screen into a typewriter and just giggle at the sounds, like I did, or use it to create emails in two classic typewriter fonts. I have to admit that I laughed when I read a reviewer’s lone comment, asking where the return button was. You use the handle on the left, silly! [cue more "I'm getting old" music]
  • USB Typewriter – There have been a few crafty people who figured out how to take old typewriters and convert them into keyboards for iPads. Jack Zylkin is one such genius, who sells his models on Etsy. Set up like a docking station, you can hit the physical keys and pretend you’re pounding out a novel in a secluded, woodsy cabin. Almost more exciting was the unveiling of Typescreen, which had a mechanism that flipped up onto the iPad to hit each key on the screen as if it were a piece of paper… until people realized it was an April Fool’s joke. One can always dream.
  • Keira Rathbone – There are some artists out there who flat-out blow my mind with their work. British artist Keira Rathbone is one of them. Her art, as you may guess, is made using a typewriter selected from one of apparently 30 that she owns. Still life, architecture, and even humans are part of her repertoire. I can’t imagine the planning and patience involved. Check out her work. Go. Now.

What do you love most about typewriters?

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October 6, 2011

thrifted thoughts: thoughts on thrifting

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have a furniture makeover idea to share with you today. In fact, this will be last Thrifted Thoughts post. But, I would like to leave you with some thoughts on thrifting (ha, get it?).

Here are my top tips for successful thrift shopping…

  1. Go often. As we all know, thrift stores and vintage shops can be hit or miss. Since the good items go fast, checking back often will ensure that you get first pick of new inventory.
  2. Don’t get discouraged. If you go looking for something specific, you’ll almost never find what you’re looking for, which will leave you frustrated every time.
  3. Keep an open mind. Almost anything can be repurposed and restyled to become functional and beautiful again.
  4. Give items of interest the 30-second test. If you can’t think of somewhere to put it, a new look to give it, or a new purpose that it could serve, walk away. When you bring items home without considering these things, you could end up with a slight hoarding issue.
  5. Sleep on it. If you see something you like, but it doesn’t pass the 30-second test, leave it at the store and sleep on it. If you’re still thinking about it the next day, go back and get it. If it’s already gone, then it wasn’t meant to be.

I hope my column has inspired you to look at vintage furnishings with a fresh perspective. I always find it amazing what some people will discard, but I’m grateful to them, because without them my business would cease to exist.

I hope you’ll keep up with me over on Mod Nest as well as over on the Style at Home Blog, where my new column will be starting shortly.

Please continue to share your makeover projects with me on my Facebook page. It always inspires me to see what you’re working on!

A big thank you goes out to the Scoutie Girl team for making me feel welcome and appreciated. It’s been lovely working with all of you.

Last, but not least, I’d like to thank all of the Scoutie Girl readers for keeping up with my column. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments, so thank you for speaking up and sharing your unique experiences and ideas with me.

Stay thrifty!

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