We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Annie Elliott, the Founder of Annie Elliott Design, to discuss her perspective on incorporating vintage in the styling of your home. We always love sitting down with our most talented friends to discuss beautiful design, what is currently inspiring their creative process, as well as any thoughtful and helpful tips they might have for us to share with our readers.
Enjoy our conversation with Annie and then head to the online shop to peruse her carefully curated edit of her top selections from our most recent container.
In your projects, how do you select where to incorporate a vintage piece and where a new piece might be better? Where do you find your clients are open to vintage pieces in your designs and where do they generally insist upon something new.
Every room benefits from at least one vintage piece, because mixing old with new is the best way to make your home special. But when I decide which piece (or pieces!) should be vintage, practicality is a big consideration. My projects tend to require large, comfortable sofas, so I generally buy those new. Vintage upholstered items are a hard sell for most of my clients – unless it’s a leather chesterfield or Eames lounge chair.
My clients tend to be open to vintage tables and cabinets, e.g. a Lucite étagère, a burl wood dining table, or a red Chinese cabinet. Surprisingly, several clients recently have requested vintage or antique ceiling fixtures! We have to be careful with those, because they can make a room feel fussy – and they don’t always provide a lot of light! But the right fixture, especially if you’re not counting on it to light an entire room by itself, can add so much personality to a space.
A collected look says that you care about each individual piece – you didn’t walk into a big box store and say, “I’ll take it all!”
In the article you state the glassware and dinnerware are great items to buy vintage. Where do you like to shop for pretty vintage crystal and china?
This is going to sound weirdly specific, but if you’re looking for full sets of dishes, check out the opportunity shops and rummage sales run by your local churches. The…how can I say this?...older parishioners who no longer have need of their family china often donate it.
I used to visit a particular antiques mall to look for quirky dishes, but the vendors are over-valuing their wares now. I’ve seen the same pieces in some stalls for years! Now I prefer to look in junky stand-alone “antique” stores and Goodwill.
How do you feel about the abundance of reproductions available in the market. Is there ever a scenario where a vintage reproduction might be better than an original?
Vintage dressers can smell musty (they may have languished in someone’s garage for a while,) so I’m open to a reproduction if it will be used for linens or clothes.
You mention in the article not to be afraid of mixing patterns - where else do you think that advice applies?
Oh my goodness – I think you should always mix patterns! I have two secrets: vary the scale, and vary the type. For example, pair extravagant, large-scale floral drapes with a checked sofa, or place a wingback chair in an abstract fabric against a narrow-striped wallpaper. Color can be the throughline.
We gave you a peek into our new container of vintage finds. Please give us your edit of your favorite things.
Oh my gosh – it was hard to choose!
Stoneware Lamp with Raffia Shade
Accent lamps are hard to find, so I’d snap this up! The shade is amazing, but I don’t think it’s quite right for this petite lamp. I’d separate them and find new partners for each.
Vintage Art Deco Florist's Vase
Pairs of anything are always good to have. These vases would be terrific on a mantel or long dining table. With flowers in them, of course!
This lovely rattan umbrella stand would fill up a corner of a front hall so nicely. It’s a nice alternative to the blue and white chinoiserie umbrella stands you see everywhere.
This table would be fantastic in the center of a kitchen instead of an island. It’s table height, so you absolutely could add chairs, but it also looks like a great work surface. It would add character and warmth to a large space.
It’s always handy to have a low, good-looking stool around. You can use it as a stepstool in your closet or the kitchen, or put it near a lounge chair as a foostool. We keep a cute wooden one (with a bee carved on it) in our office near the flat files and use it as a perch while we’re riffling through samples. It’s so much better than kneeling on the floor!
We always like to finish with a recommendation. Even if it’s not related to vintage furniture, please share a recommendation for our listeners.
The next time you’re decorating a tiny room, paint it a dark color – walls, trim, and ceiling. The dark color reduces shadows and smooths everything out, creating a space that’s more cocoon-like than claustrophobic. Dark green, crimson, or even charcoal gray…the room may end up being your favorite.
