Curating a vintage collection in my style

Everyone knows I love antiques, vintage, old and worn, and if an object has a family connection, I love it even more. 

Since I have decorated my home almost exclusively with antique, vintage finds and handmade items– and on a nonexistent budget, I thought it would be fun to put together a similar collection of new things from several different online sources. So if money were no object, what would I choose?

I thought I would start with big ticket items like the French Provincial couch I bought at a thrift store for $50. I know these were popular in the 1980s, so chances are you can find one on ebay, craigslist, thrift store or estate sale. Mine was in perfect condition.

Here is a pretty option. 

Louis XV lounge at French Dressing $3,950 (AU)

Of course, there are other styles that would work just as well. 

Greenwich Sofa Home Decorators $1,299

I like how the clean lines of this one contrast with the tufting.

Watkins Sofa $899.00

Of course, Restoration Hardware has lots of choices that would work. I especially like the color of this couch.

Ondine Salon Bench Restoration Hardware $1,125-1,715

I also got my French chair for $40 off Craigslist, so here is a pretty option for a “new” version. 

Marseilles Chair $595-$675

My chaise lounge is an antique that belonged to my great grandmother, but here is a beautiful lounge from homedecorators.com.

Chaucer Upholstered lounge $519

One of my favorite antique chairs is this one inherited from a relative who had given it as a wedding gift to her husband. I had it reupholstered in this chenille fabric as a wedding gift for Luis when we got married. 

I like this similar one from Restoration Hardware.

English Roll-Arm Chair Restoration Hardware $1,080-$1,965 (mocha)

They also had a gorgeous armoire very similar to the one I painted. I think mine was originally $300.

Montpellier Armoire Restoration Hardware $2,445

I love pillows and make all of mine, but there are some great resources for buying them.

 I’m using a lot of pink this spring, so I fell in love with this one from Wayfair.

Surya Decorative Pillow at Wayfair $30

I really love this vintage-style pillow similar to the one my grandmother made.

Velvet Pillow Etsy $49

I made a ticking and burlap pillow for my couch, but this burlap pillow would make a great substitute.

Vintage French Grain Sack Pillow $49

I really couldn’t find patterned pillows with the colors I wanted, but these from Pottery Barn have such a nice texture, they would work just as well.

Embroidered Pillow Covers Pottery Barn $59

I love this brown one to anchor the light colors.

Brown Vintage Pillow $91.95 Bellacor

I am loving vintage and antique brass in my own home, and see it a lot in all the higher end home decor magazines. Here is a great antique mirror on etsy. 

Antique French mirror Etsy $65

I am crazy about sparkly chandeliers, and this one is gorgeous.

Florian Mercury Glass Chandelier (small) $1,275 Restoration Hardware

But I also love the one I got for a fraction of the cost. This is a great buy at Overstock for $179, and I actually bought the same one on Ebay for around $100.

Regent 5-Light Chandelier Overstock $179

Here is another pretty option and a great deal — also at Overstock.

Iron and crystal chandelier $91.99

I do have some antique floor lamps with mid-century, shades and this floor lamp definitely has the same look. 

French Glass Floor Lamp $335

I also love the square shade and base on this glass lamp.

Table Lamp $157.99

This desk lamp, I just love.

Antique style brass desk lamp $65.99

I have several bottle lamps I made with burlap shades, and this is a nice substitute if you don’t want to make your own. 

Portman Table Lamp  $189

I rotate a couple of antique tables around the house. I also like to mix up round and square so everything is not all the same. I love the chunky feel of this side table. 

Industrial Maison sidetable $369

I like this tapered metal end table from Wayfair, which is similar to the iron and wood table I made. This one is $229.

My dad made my wagon wheel coffee table, but this iron and wood table would also look great and the modern shape and materials keep the antique furniture from looking too stuffy or old. 

Watts Collection from Restoration Hardware  $715

Here is another one I really like from Pottery Barn.

Tanner Round Coffee Table $449

I think my favorite, though, is this Butler Metalworks coffee table from Wayfair at $619.

Y’all know how I love my persian rugs, but I did jump all over a trend (for a change) and bought this Jute Rug, which at Overstock is $236.99, but I got it from Overstock on Ebay for $200. I love the way it looks, and it does ground everything, but it’s not stable like a persian would be, even with a rug pad, and every now and then I step on sharp stick-like objects. Not the rug for anyone with children who like to lounge around on the floor:-)

I would jump all over this silk Turkish rug if It was in my budget. It is in the shop of my friends at Yellow Star Carpets in Adana, Turkey at $1,500.

Silk Rug from Yellow Star Carpets in Adana, Turkey 

I used drop cloths for my window treatments, but these sheer linen ones would be beautiful. 

Open Weave Sheer Linen $49-$219

…or the brushed linen. 

Belgian Brushed Linen $99-$419

Now the big things are out of the way, we need accessories. I LOVE old books and have many that have been in my family. You can find them anywhere from thrift shops to antique stores, but here is a nice collection on ebay. Encyclopedias are a wonderful choice because they are all the same. 

Vintage 1956 Universal Standard Encyclopedia $9 plus shipping Ebay

Here is a great old photo album similar to a family one I have.

Vintage Leather Photo Album $125 Ebay 

You probably have seen the collection of vintage vinegar bottles I use so much for everything from lamps to forcing branches and flowers. Here is a nice collection on Ebay.

Antique vinegar bottles starting at $5.50 Ebay 

Everyone needs a brass candelabra, and my mother brought this one from Lebanon.

There are lots of great ones on ebay, and many at thrift and antique stores.

Vintage Brass Candelobra Ebay $137.99

You can get a plain one and add your own crystals.

Vintage Candelobra $39.87 Ebay

Antique windows and doors are a big part of my home, and they are easy to find in varying prices everywhere from Ebay, craigslist, thrift shops, estate sales, and more.

Antique Windows Ebay 

I like to have a furry throw for cold weather and this is a gorgeous one from Overstock.

Faux Fur Throw $369.99 at Overstock

I got an almost identical one at Lakeside Collection before Christmas for $12. 

Fur Throw Lakeside Collection.

There are obviously many choices in every price range. I think the fun thing is knowing I could have spent more than $15,000 on my living room had I purchased a combination of these options from online stores or antique shops. 

Instead, by thrifting, repurposing, making and accepting hand-me-downs, I have put mine together for less than $1,000 over several years. Most of the things I bought were bought with money earned from selling something else, so that takes my budget down to around $100.

It just goes to show that you can make a beautiful home on a budget if you shop smart, repurpose, recycle, reclaim and trade up. 

In all honesty, I’d rather my things tell a *story* than come from a factory anyway. Although if Restoration Hardware called…I wouldn’t turn them down:-)

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