thrifty vintage vol. 1

the working title of my latest pinterest board

follow along here

Since we apparently all have a shared love of finding pre-loved treasures whether it’s online, in guild shops, dépot-vêntes, brocante markets, or car boot sales, I thought I’d share a few key words I use when sifting through piles of treasures here in France…

Linens-table clothes, hand towels, curtains, anything hand embroidered, french nightgowns, doll clothes

Furniture-French bobbin fireside corner chair, marble vanities, marble topped anything, children’s chairs, doll furniture

Silverware-butter knives, oyster forks, teaspoons, laguiole

Mirrors-venetian mirrors, french gold mirrors

Artwork-floral/fruit paintings, subjects that bring calm, botanical prints, charcoal sketches

Glasswear- Opaline pink glass, murano glass, green stemmed french wine glasses, champagne coupes

Barbotine-cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes

Dishes-dessert plates, oyster plates, tiered plates, limoges anything

Silver-baby cups, trays, wine coasters, little pitchers, plates, champagne/ice cream coupes

a few other key words

• shell shaped anything

• I’m always drawn to blue and white splatterware and toile patterns

• anything nautical tends to draw my eye

• my favorite color is pink sooo I’m drawn to opaline, milk glass, and venetian glasses in pink

• always on the lookout for wicker baskets and ceramic pots.

treasures I’ve yet to find:

• vintage jewelry-charms, bracelets, gold chains etc.

• vintage wire egg baskets

• dish racks

• aubusson tapestry

• portrait paintings

• tiles to use as backsplash

favorite finds + where I use them

• a duck shaped wicker basket we use to hold rolls of toilet paper

• floral sconces for our playroom

• a bobbin fireside corner chair as a plant stand

• a set of oyster plates hung on the wall

• alabaster birdbath housing my grandmother’s jade necklace

• cross stitched alphabet samplers for charlotte’s room

• a royal copenhagen tea set for 8 brought out for teatime with guests and macarons

• a collection of small gold rimmed mirrors all hung together

• a brass picture sconce

all cleaned up

the magic of old things is their mess. That being said, I always like to wipe my finds down with a soapy microfiber cloth once I get them into the house and peel off any sticker residue. For silver, I use the amazon wipes to shine them up which I find so satisfying.

pinterest + my camera roll per usual

inspiring spots + last words

• chateau voltaire

• la colombe d’or

• hotel du couvent

• universelle buly

• evrlast vintage

• menus, vintage photos and need I even say (pinterest!!)

I go many times without finding anything. The joy is in the hunt it’s not about finding the perfect thing every time. It’s rare I find something specific I’m looking for upon first search. Don’t discriminate and don’t forget to arrive early and pack water if you’re market shopping! xxf

**this post is unofficially sponsored by apple images organizing all my photos by location because otherwise I never could have put years of treasure photos in one place.