Tips to Take a Look from Work to Home

As a shopkeeper for an antiques store, Sally McNellis employs a few tricks of the trade in her own home. Here are a few of her tried-and-true secrets:

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• Start with the simplicity of white furniture and build from there.

• Use lots of fabric with basic white as the background, then bring in
floral prints to add pop to a room.

• Artwork adds personality to a space. Sally pulls anything from originals to antiques to fill her store.

• Be reasonable about how the item fits in with your lifestyle. Your
furniture and accessories should work for you, not against you.

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By Regan-Elyse Elder
Photography by Jaimee Itagaki
Styled by Jacqueline de Montravel

Shared by Cottages and Bunglaows

Found and Transformed

Home. We all hope it is a place where we can relax, escape from the worries of the day, enjoy our families and friends, and have some fun. Those are tall orders! The beauty of flea-market-style decorating is that it fits every style and every budget. Love expensive French antiques? There are booths for that. Does your style run more towards mid-century modern, farmhouse, romantic or a mix of these? You’re covered. At flea markets, tag sales, estate sales, yard sales and antique malls across the country (and internationally), shoppers can now find something to suit their personal decor.

{Credit in caption: Photo courtesy of Thinkstock.com.}

Recently I visited the Long Beach Antique Market in Long Beach, California. There were booths filled with old jewelry, vintage dishware, collectibles of all shapes and sizes, furniture and accessories in every style, and odds-and-ends like buttons and old pictures. Industrial décor has been on the radar for a while now, but it seems to be gaining ground with the masses. While at the show, I found a booth dedicated to all-things industrial (manned by Bryce Jackson, who has a booth at Country Roads Antiques in Orange, California).

Sue Jackson, owner of Country Roads says, “I am a very big believer in home decorating with what you love. An easy way to start blending the industrial pieces into your home décor is to use such things as industrial tables as coffee tables or end tables. Also, the industrial spotlight lamps fit into any home décor.”

While working on this mag, I see the deep connection to home that is shared by those who decorate with collectibles, found items, and repurposed and made-over vintage wares. Their ingenuity and creativity are inspiring-many times I am left thinking, “How did they think of that?”

In each issue and web post, we feature homeowners, designers and bloggers who have transformed their homes and their lives while seeking vintage treasures. You will also find bargains for every budget and style, and a handful of how-to projects. May you find the inspiration to make your house into the home of your dreams.

By Rebecca Ittner

Relaxed Refinement

Handmade cards will be saved over anything with a bar code on the back. The cupboard is filled with chipped café au lait bowls because I prefer my toddler eat from china over plastic. While I’ll always be in awe of a home that is styled opulently, it will remain far from my grasp, along with traveling by helicopter for weekend trips.

Rooms styled with chinoiserie-patterned wall art painted in gilded tones that connect to the pillows, valances and upholstery on little footstools are
certainly well-designed, though the thought of shoving that little footstool a bit to the right—an action that would set off a team of designers armed with tape measures—does not scheme into a life filled with sandy people and a 2-year-old boy who terrorizes the garden in search of bugs.

There are displaced shovels in the shower and wooden trucks in the birdbath, but refinement still remains in high regard. Original art hangs from the walls. Beautifully illustrated children’s books create a timeless mosaic within the shelves. Formal dinnerware is used regardless if the meal is halibut or fish sticks. Beautiful things are cherished without being victim to them.


By Jacqueline deMontravel
Photography courtesy of Thinkstock.com