finding treasures in the rubble
Two weekends ago a girlfriend and I headed West of the city to do some thrifting at a flea market-slash-antique fair. Did we see lots of crusty old stuff? Oh yes! But amongst the rubble of old paperbacks, VHS tapes, bottles, and knick-knacks, we did come across a few gems which I wanted to share with you today.
For those of you who occasionally hit up the local Goodwill store or local flea market in search of a diamond in the rough, you know that you have to go in with an open mind. And a good imagination.
When I spotted this gold patterned teapot with creamer and sugar pot I though “oh so chic!”. Totally Hollywood glamour. The bottom was stamped MADE IN ENGLAND but there was no price tag and no stall-owner to be found.
I knew I had seen this tea set somewhere else and after wracking my brain for awhile, I remembered I had seen the exact set in an apartment I posted about a while ago (see more of the stunning apartment here):
Here’s a close up of the tea set in action:
The next gem to catch my eye was this black chandelier. It was hung high up in the rafters but I suspect it was originally brass that had been spray painted:
I thought it looked very similar to a couple chandeliers I have saved away in my inspiration files. Like this one by Michael Penney, formerly of Canadian House and Home. [on a side note, I am very sorry to hear that he is leaving the magazine.]
Or this black statement chandelier, in the home of Emma Redington (recently featured in the Canadian House & Home Makeover special issue):
This next deal was a decent one I thought – $5 for the pair of these orb candlestick holders.
Perfect for a mantle, a bookcase, flanking either side of a console or buffet, they’d fit right into a more traditional decor. You could leave ‘em gold, or spray paint them black. Either way they are very reminiscent of the new line of chandeliers carried at Restoration Hardware:
So what did I walk away with? Stupidly, not any of the items above, but I did pick up a couple of these vintage Crown canning jars which I thought would be perfect for dry goods, or flowers, or maybe a DIY….
Have you had any recent success thrifting?
(images: 1-me, 2-style at home, 3-world according to jesscia claire, 4-me, 5-michael penney, 6-marion house book, 8-me, 9-restoration hardware,
