A Warm Vignette Created with Recently Curated Objects

The sourcing for my pop-up shop has been sparse because I have been busy playing in the great outdoors and I have been fairly picky about what I have been buying. But, I have found some lovely items that will be available at my August pop-up shop. I styled some of these curated goodies to create a warm and unique vignette.

My next pop-up shop theme is "HOME STORIES". I hope to help customers find home decor that they love and that feel a connection to. I want people to have their living spaces tell their stories, not the local home story aisle 12 story. Keep reading to learn about the details of these vintage, one-of-a-kind finds.

This mid-century style chair I shared with you a few years ago. I have been using it in my home, but I am ready to part with it now. The pillows that sit in have great texture and I love the mix of patterns. The blue color on the front pillow (that does have a rust colored top stitched line that matches the chair seat color) is repeated in the silk stitched piece and the long, narrow needlepoint piece. 

The table next to it is an antique find. It was scratched and in rough shape, but solid.

I decided I wanted to leave some of the age and character so I didn't sand out every scratch and mark. Instead I lightly hand sanded it and then stained over it all with a dark, mocha stain. I then clear coated the table. I am happy that the original tag was still on the bottom. 

I did a little research and learned that the company manufactured furniture, mostly library tables, from 1906-1916. I love furniture pieces with a history so i don't want to completely erase that history by sanding it out or painting over it. This table has been used and enjoyed in other homes--I'd love to know its whole story.

I love the detailed molding or apron.

Across the table I placed a piece of yellow and brown plaid fabric. I thrifted this and will probably use it to recover a bench seat or chairs. It does make a nice runner in the meantime. The vintage art print in an antique piece is an interesting find. It is a print and it is old, I can see that from the paper it is printed on. But, it has a canvas looking texture to it which I haven't seen before in old prints. I loved the warm, rich colors and the frame. The little library table holds books on the bottom shelf. 

A trio of card wood boxes sit on one end of the table. They provide hidden storage and fantastic, interesting texture. 

Next to the boxes I styled a vintage, 1970's pitcher with faux stems. Remember, if you are going to use fake, make sure they are good fake and no fake ivy! I set the pitcher on top of an overturned copper dish to give it a little more height and to repeat the copper color in the oval dish I hung on the wall.

This hand embroidered, African textile has great colors and textures, The vintage, needlepoint, narrow wall hanging fills the space between artworks beautifully and incorporates more texture and repeated colors into the space. A stitched, silk, Asian piece hangs opposite the needlepoint. It has a few stains on it, but it a gorgeous and very old piece of art. 

The copper dish fills a hole under the silk stitched art and adds warm color. The oval shape breaks up the rectangles and creates visual interest. 

When hanging a wall grouping, don't hang items too far apart from each other because it breaks up the flow of the eyes. You want the grouping to feel connected not disjointed. 

SLOW decorating is all about telling your story and your home's story. Take the time to curate items that speak to you, that you love and display them in an interesting way. Let's say no to boring, cookie cutter, big box store decor!

An Eclectic Curated Vignette

These are a few of my favorite things--sourcing new to the pop-up shop treasures, finding one-of-a-kind, unique, vintage home decor, creating vignettes with the newly curated objects, and sharing styling and design tips with you. 

I put together these latest finds in a colorful, funky, eccentric vignette.

So let's start with the wall. I know I shared this in my previous post, but hanging a piece of fabric on a wall is a great way to add pattern and color and texture without a big commitment. A quilt, a curtain panel, a shower curtain, a piece of fabric all work. This hand-stitched, made in India quilt has different fabric on both sides. The golden mustard color on this side matches the little bench perfectly. A bench makes a great surface to create an interesting display on.

I love this watercolor and ink painting and may be keeping it if I can find a place to hang it. The colors are fantastic. The tile, art piece entitled Amethyst by Alphonse Mucha  is a little out of my normal color palette, but I loved it. The pink in it is repeated in the quilt, on the book cover it is sitting on, and in the upholstery trimmings displayed in the wood plant hanger on the bottom shelf.

A bag of candles became a candle bouquet in the vintage. Italian pitcher. three of the candles are used in the candle holders. Here's a tip, candles don't have to match each other. 

I've said it before and will say it again--repeat colors, elements, materials, textures. Use organic materials--note the wood beaded mirror, wood carved box, the wood candlestick, and the living plant. 

The antique gold candlesticks and antique gold key mimic the yellow gold on the bench and quilt. If I were keeping this display as part of my home, I would use antique gold Rub-n-Buff on the frame of the watercolor. 

Final tips--vary heights, create triangles, keep the observer's eye moving. Use what you love, what speaks to you and use vignettes to tell YOUR home's story rather than the local home decor store's aisle 12 display.

A Curated Vignette Inspired by a Vintage Barkcloth Panel

Is it encouragement or peer pressure when a fellow thrifter tells you to JUST BUY IT when you are thinking about and looking at an item at the thrift store?

Well, whatever it is, I am glad a gal encouraged me to go ahead and buy this lovely, vintage, barkcloth curtain panel even though I had no idea what I might use it for. In talking with the lady, we came up with a few different ways I could use this gorgeous piece. Here is one--as a tapestry or wall backdrop. 

I created a simple vignette with the panel and other recently curated items. Keep reading to learn more.

First of all, did you notice that I did not center the fabric piece in the vignette, but rather chose to hang it to one side? This adds visual interest and help the items in the white wall to stand out a bit rather than being lost against the pattern. 

The vintage art piece pulls colors from the barkcloth. The simple floral does not compete with the bust pattern. The wood beaded mirrors introduces a different shape in the vignette. The small square, antique, leaded glass mirror was a great find. The faded gold on the square mirror frame is repeated in the print frame and on the lamp.

I loved finding the old label on the back.

This sweet lamp is a soft bluish green color and it came with the linen shade. 

On the little green table (also recently sourced) I placed a vintage "wood" tray with a little inlaid ski scene on it. I covered up the skier with the books since it is summer, but you can still see the mountain behind the candlestick and lotus seed pod.

Use natural elements in vignettes--wood, rattan, plants. Real plants are always better, but sometimes not possible. If that is the case, use a GOOD faux plant like this jade one. This is a fake plant that I am sure my hubby may try to water. And, PLEASE, no cheesy fake silk flowers or fake variegated ivy from 2002. You aren't fooling anyone with those and they date your space, and not in a good way.

I placed the plant on a couple books to ground it. Remember--repeat colors, elements, materials and vary heights.

Use the triangle rule to keep the eye moving and to make displays visually appealing. In this vignette I created three triangles.

There is a triangle on the tray with the plant, seed pod, and candlestick.  There is a triangle on the wall with the mirrors and art. And there is an overall triangle with the wall pieces, the lamp, and the tray.

I love using this vintage fabric on a wall. It adds color and pattern to a space without making major changes--I am glad I was told, "YES, you need to buy that." The fabric panel can be used as a runner on a table, as a curtain pulled back on one side of window, or as fabric for pillows and upholstery. Today's tip--remember to look at the curtains section at the thrift store and listen to shoppers when they tell you to buy it!

Styling and Resetting the Pop-Up Shop

Did you know that I spend 15+ hours resetting and styling the pop-up shop between each opening? I try hard to make each shopping experience unique and inspiring. I love doing it, even if does typically take me longer than I anticipate. I have a busy week coming up so I have been trying to get a jump start on restyling the space for the upcoming "Cottage and Cabin" shop, June 13th and 14th. 

I typically don't have a real plan and don't like to reset the shop until I have most of the new furniture moved in. I move and rearrange and take pictures to see what is and isn't working. This time I started with the cabin decor in the middle of the shop. I pulled in a wood and corrugated tin divider to add height, to have a place to hang art, and to define the middle space. This sofa table that I built from reclaimed barnwood is a new addition. 

Stacking and layering items helps to give customers not only decorating ideas, but also allows them to better see items for sale.

The back side of the divider is styled like a cozy cabin sitting nook. 

Yesterday I sourced both a vintage cabin art piece and a cottage painting (I still need to frame it). This cabin piece is an ink and watercolor and was framed locally at a shop that went out of business 25+ years ago. 

This reclaimed wood table has such a fantastic stand and feet. It was definitely handmade and would be great in any cabin or rustic home.

No one ever said loving what you do and doing what you love would be easy, but sure makes "work" more enjoyable!

Curated Summer Cottage Decor

My next pop-up shop, June 13 and 14, is themed "Cottage and Cabin" so I have been busy curating items that fall into that theme. I shared some cabin items in my last post, so lets talk cottage now with this summer cottage mood board I created with recently sourced items.

Cottage style is about comfortable, charming, and cozy decor. It is embracing imperfections of worn and well-loved, vintage items. It involves styling with color and mixing patterns, using florals and pastural landscapes. Keep reading to see the close-up details of these recently curated, cottage goods.

Pitchers, like this lovely teal floral one, holding freshly cut or picked flowers exude cottage style.

This vintage linen tablecloth and six napkins with delicate yellow flowers is in pristine condition. Ne need to iron the tablecloth for the cottage lifestyle.

I love this brown ironstone transferware.

I love the maker's mark on this transferware. This pottery manufacturer began in Burslem, England in 1842.

An embroidered, floral pillow, a vintage (1983) print in an antique frame, a handmade, wood game board, and a yellow planter with the cutest, vintage wood squeezer in it all convey that comfy, cottage look.

A vintage Cezanne landscape print is peaceful and adds color.

A hand painted, silk, floral umbrella (that I may make into a light) and vintage field guides would be right at home in a quaint space.

A silky, sunflower print curtain panel would make a lovely table square or dresser scarf. The wood, yarn spinner can be used to dry flowers and herbs on. The cross stitched Home Sweet Home depicts a lovely, sweet cottage.

A copper kettle, an aqua bee pitcher, and a small wood tote (perfect for holding flowers) were fun finds.

A rattan fly swatter, and vintage stitcheries sit on top of an old crate painted cream. The crate can be used as a small bookshelf, a place to hold blankets, or a simple side table when sitting on its end.

The blue and white striped curtain panel that is under all the curated decor may be used in my shop as a curtain or I may use the fabric for upholstery. I love curating unique, vintage finds for my customers and look forward to styling these for my upcoming shop, June 13 & 14. 

A Simple and Pretty Thrifted Vignette

One of the hashtags that I have been using a lot this past year or so is #thriftcuratestyle. What does that mean to me? It means, to take the time to scour thrift stores and garage sales to curate (collect, select, choose carefully) objects that I love to style into eye catching vignettes and displays. Here is a simple vignette put together with second hand finds.

The mirror is the newest curated item. It is definitely an antique, I can tell from the back, and simply lovely. I styled it with my favorite, vintage, waterfall vase that I stuffed full of lilacs.

Our lilacs are blooming well this year, I have clipped many to place around the house both inside and outside.

Brass candlesticks with thrifted taper candles sit alongside the vase of flowers. They sit on top a wood box to ground them. The wood also adds warmth to the vignette.

I placed the mirror at a height that would reflect the flowers and the candlelight. Simple, sweet, springy and second hand!