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. 

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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)

BASTIDE French Country Louis XV 3 Seat Lounge - French Oak & Taupe

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

Greenwich Sofa Home Decorators $1,299

Custom Greenwich Sofa

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

Ondine Salon Bench

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

Marseilles Chair $595-$675

Marseilles Chair With Burlap Back

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

Montpellier Armoire

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

Round Smocked Dove White Velvet Throw Pillow  Marc by GeeThatsNice, $49.00

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

Vintage French Grain-Sack Linen Lumbar Pillow

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

Melinda Suzani Embroidered Pillow Covers

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

Antique French style etched & beveled mirror in gold / bronze plaster frame

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

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

Florian Mercury Glass Chandelier Small

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

Gallery 3-light Wrought Iron and Crystal Chandelier | Overstock.com Shopping - Great Deals on Chandeliers & Pendants

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.

Vita V Home Tapered Leg Metal End Table

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

Open Weave Sheer Linen Drapery

…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:-)

I’ll be joining:

Inspire Me Tuesday

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Project Inspire[d]

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9 Comments

  1. Pinky at Designs by Pinky
    March 3, 2014 / 8:41 pm

    You can definitely have a beautiful home on a budget, you are certainly living proof of that! Love so may of the things you ave shown!

  2. Bonnie
    March 3, 2014 / 10:08 pm

    Great post, Anita. You have a great style and have done it expertly.

  3. Diane | An Extraordinary Day
    March 4, 2014 / 2:11 am

    Anita…you have an eye for seeing amazing possibilities and bringing all the details together!! Your rooms are gorgeous and to think you did your living room for so little really speaks to your patience and creativity. I'm a firm believer in decorating as I go rather than outfitting a room all at one time. It leaves much more room for originality and creativity.
    Thanks for the fun post. I bet you had fun "shopping" too! πŸ˜‰
    Best wishes for an Extraordinary week!

    • Diane | An Extraordinary Day
      March 8, 2014 / 2:03 am

      I so appreciate you linking this terrific post up at Project Inspire{d}, Anita! Truly…there is a wealth of information and inspiration here.

  4. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life
    March 4, 2014 / 1:05 pm

    Great post, but I really like yours the best. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

  5. Debbie
    March 4, 2014 / 2:49 pm

    Since my favorite things are also old things, especially with a family history attached, your home is, was, and will always be a huge inspiration piece for me.

    (And right at this moment, I'm rethinking the plan to pass along my camel backed sofa to a daughter. Now, I'm starting to think of it reupholstered. Hmmm….

  6. Melanie, LostandFoundDecor.com
    March 4, 2014 / 7:40 pm

    I love this post! Thank you for proving you can have a gorgeous home without a sky-high price tag. Of course, if money were no object I do LOVE all those Restoration Hardware furniture pieces, but I doubt any of them will ever enter my home πŸ™‚ Your room looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Patty Rumaker
    March 5, 2014 / 1:24 am

    I think your home is absolute proof that you can indeed have a great interior on a budget. It takes a little more work and imagination – but I bet you had a whole lot of fun doing it. Also I like the blend of a more collected look than one newly bought. Your home is lovely.
    Patty at Home and Lifestyle Design

  8. Unknown
    March 7, 2014 / 7:35 pm

    Seriously!
    I could hit every Goodwill in Phoenix and not find the amazing finds that you have procured.
    And even if I did … I would not be able to put it all together as beautifully as you have!
    Good Job, Mrs. Proverbs 31, Good Job! πŸ™‚
    ~Liz