“Your home is your expanded body. It grows in the sun and sleeps in the quiet of the night.”
Khalil Gibran.
Hello, young Padawan
Do you want to talk about decoration? Yes? An incredible coincidence, that’s the topic of the day. We are connected! It’s been a while since I wanted to talk to you about several things in terms of decoration, and the old rusty trinkets are one of them, lol.
If there’s one place where it’s essential to feel at home, it’s your place. However, when people enter my home, the first thing I am generally told, and this has always been, is that it feels good to be there, and sometimes I am asked for some advice. Having a small idea of the why, I thought that an article in visiting mode, not of a vintage market or an antique fair, but of some trinkets and small pieces of furniture I could found through the years would be great to give you some ideas since I can’t invite you all home for a beer.
My interior is a mixture of cheap furniture and trinkets and some more expensive things, old and new, souvenirs, finds at flea markets or antique shops, or other basic objects found in supermarkets. I think that’s why and how people appreciate my decor: everyone gets something out of it. Whether you like the old or Ikea, some vintage trinkets and old books, or paperbacks and decorative objects from Target, all this is arranged and brought with my taste, my own Feng Shui, while keeping in mind and without pretension that: “Good taste is the disgust of others” (Pierre Bourdieu, ed). Let’s go for the photo novel of some of my old stuff.
For an interior just for you.
Nowadays, we all have the same furniture and decorative objects from Ikea, Target, or other furniture chains; in France, we have “Maisons du Monde,” Roche Bobois. Whether cheap or overpriced, they are still mass-produced and can be found in everyone’s interior. Everyone, except a handful of diehards, French or not, lol, prefers to get out of “all standard.”
Vintage can bring character, individuality, and joy to this sad and insipid mass consumption fashion; some charm to our decoration, at a lower cost, or not, and originality, or not. Whether it’s yours, meaning from heritage, or whether you went antiquing, vintage allows you to put your personal touch into your interior, which becomes your decoration and no one else’s. It’s like a civilized way to piss in the four corners of your living room, indeed, if you ever had a puppy you know what I mean, lol, but if you take the time to think about it, it’s coherent because we like an interior that looks like us, with our history and in which we feel good.
First of all, there are the family objects or furniture inherited from your grandmother or great-great-uncle, allowing the continuity of your family history to remember your ancestors with tenderness while advancing on your path. Isn’t that romantic?
Then, there are your memories. The tajine you brought back from Marrakech, the ceramic dolphin from Miami, the cigar case from Cuba, the porcelain plate from Limoges, France, the “Prince Harry” mug from London but made in China, the necklace of noodles from your youngest or your eldest’s candy pink salt dough trinket tray with sequins (because it’s like Barbie, ed), the “Ming-style” vase that your great-aunt gave you for your wedding, the folk doll that your mother-in-law brought you from Spain but that you keep in a shoebox in the garage because you’re scared of it… All these objects remind you of your different trips, the evolution of your kids, your wedding, your 30s, your 40s, your divorce – funny, moving, touching, or funny memories.
Finally, there is the second-hand piece found in flea markets or in antique shops, which, by the way, has a real green side. Indeed, when you buy an “old” object in a flea market or an antique dealer, these objects have already been there for years, there is no stock replenishment behind them, and they do not go to the trash either. And then what could be nicer than appropriating objects that already have a story? Not to mention the price: bringing charm to your interior is not so tedious and can also be done at a lower cost, because it is not uncommon to find a nice chair for a few euros, for example.
A lil’bonus: The value of things. If you don’t want to lose money, it is better to invest your bucks in vintage items that can increase value than decorative items from large retailers that will not be worth anything in 10 years. So, by investing in a few well-chosen pieces, not only will you not lose money after enjoying your pretty things by reselling them after a few years, but you might even make a capital gain…
How to find vintage? First, basics: your parents, your grandparents, your friends, your neighbors may have old things they want to get rid of or offer you, then there are the flea markets in your region, the antique dealers, but also the internet with Selency, Etsy, Design Market, Debongout, “Le Bon Coin” in France, and of course eBay… If you’re wondering what you can find on the second-hand market, the answer is absolutely everything. Here is to illustrate a small anthology of articles that I have been able to find over the years. If you like it, I will gladly make other editions for you.
The book was offered by my mother, Pewter candlestick from the 19th century, Limoges Jammet Seignolles teacup from the early 20th century, Teabox from the 20s, Ficus ginseng one and a half years old, lol.
Late 19th century demijohn
In another life, I must have been a bookworm; because I love old books so much, lol. You can find them everywhere at flea markets, for example, and they bring so much charm to your decoration – and have a good time reading them, of course.
London, Sherlock Holmes, and old books to bring charm to this bland library full of “useful” but charmless books.
A few schoolbooks from the early 20th century, a red and white string, a pretty music box that belonged to my grandmother, and… two trinkets from Maisons du Monde, a mass market decoration store in France.
Early 20th century J.Dell desk lamp, A couple of Danish bookends from the 60s, A really nice paperweight that belonged to my grandmother, and we are good to work on this blog.
Who remembers these cute French phones? Know it works. Indeed, only rotary phones are no longer compatible with our modern telephone lines. It’s sitting on a school stool, you know, the ones we had in school, in biology class? I bought it for ten bucks at a flea market.
Toilet set, placed on a sewing cabinet that belonged to my grandmother, which I modernized with a lick of paint and porcelain knobs. It is a beautiful decoration that brings all its charm to a bedroom that is nevertheless Ikea.
Other books that I found here and there. With Marius, the cactus, and the Biography of John Coltrane, whose article you will find here.
Here we are; I hope I have given you some ideas to make your home a unique place without having to urinate in the four corners of your living room, lol. Do not hesitate to tell me if you liked this article, in which case, I will launch a new decoration category on the blog.
In the meantime, have a lovely evening, and see you on Friday.
XO ☎️
Reading advice: The Selency website’s book, “Y’a pas d’âge pour le vintage” (There is no age for vintage), ed Marabout (that you see at the bottom left of the photo of the demijohn, ed).
