I really try not to step foot in an antique mall/vintage store if I don’t have a photo shoot/room reveal coming up – it’s just too dangerous. I will find something, and it’s not necessary to keep hoarding if I don’t think I have a place for something immediately (right???).
But…recently Brian and I were on our biking trip in the San Juan Islands, and we popped into a vintage shop, Smorgasbord on Orcas Island, and I would have left with far more if I had the room in my carry-on. It was so good. And the owner, Melanie (I think!!), was a reader, which made me feel good (she has great taste and was very cool). I wanted everything, so I came home with some “souvenirs” to memorialize the trip. I also like to think of it as my duty to make sure these really good stores and dealers stay in business, especially if their prices are excellent (so fair). Here’s what I came home with (in addition to a few other recent finds)
This watercolor came from an estate on the island, and I thought it was the perfect piece to remind me of this trip (which was super special with Brian). I can always find a place for more art (especially this size), and I think I’m going to hang it in my bathroom. Unsure if I want to reframe it in a darker wood, maybe even with a green matte, but we’ll see if/when I get to it.
Brian and I both really loved this wooden handled piece – we thought it would be the perfect napkin holder for our dining table (or outside).
As if I needed more wooden pieces, but these are so good and were such a good price, and easy to pack. The wooden dish is perfect for a nightstand or bathroom for jewelry, and the mixed candlesticks are perfectly eclectic and special. Yes, a hoard, but also a great gift?
I couldn’t pass up this beautiful footed green piece of pottery, obviously. I think it was $22 and just felt both really special and easy to style with.
Ok, now these weren’t from Smorgasborg. I needed art for my brother’s family room reveal, and it needed to be moody with hits of burgundy (in a perfect world). So I texted Purl and said, “Any cool art for this room?” and sent him a photo of it. He had a grouping of these, unframed, and I chose these three. He framed them in simple wood, which is perfect, and we hung them vertically on the wall together. I really love all three. After framing, they ended up being $330 for all three, which I felt was fair for both original art and the framing labor/supplies.
This guy (and the lamp below) I bought for myself on Mother’s Day at Monticello Antique Mall, which also sells mimosas 🙂 I think it was under $20 (I hope, lol, I actually think it might have been $12?) and I’m not sure when/where it’s going to make its debut, but it’s quirky and weird and cool, so clearly I had to buy it.
Now THIS lamp is pretty incredible. It wasn’t cheap ($120), but I figured if I were in Italy and I stumbled upon it for that price, I would buy it, so why not save the money on the flight/shipping?? Let me know if you need help rationalizing anything vintage – it’s a real skill. I still have to get it rewired, which will likely cost more than the cost of the lamp, so I’m waiting til I know where it will go but it reminded me of the colorful Tiffany lamp in our kitchen that I’m absolutely obsessed with so I feel confident that I can find a place to add another colorful lamp that truly delights the eyes.
I LOVE this little piece of art and bought it for myself. It’s simple, with good texture and easy to incorporate into a lot of my gallery walls that have more abstract paintings in them. It’s by designer Anastasia Ratia.
Last but not least, another piece of art by Purl, a local artist whom I’ve commissioned for my coffee table, my corbels, and my oversized paintbrush and pencil from. He’s an artist who can do anything, honestly. I love the colors and the odd sense of balance.
What’s your favorite piece????
*Photos by Kaitlin Green