Vintage Interiors: Twelve Excellent Online Stores To Shop Without Leaving The House
If there is one thing I have missed during these times of madness it is visiting the bastion of the second hand, the charity shops. Looking at piles of preloved beauty is my favourite thing to do; battling my way through the shelves of not quite so lovely to reach the very lovely is on the same current level of personal satisfaction as being able to spend half an hour sitting by myself in silence perusing my interiors magazine with a cup of tea and a biscuit. A year ago, the chances of the latter occurring were high. Husband at work, kids at school. Quick lunch and a sit down on the sofa for twenty minutes was commonplace. Nowadays, we are a house of five for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and there’s no milk for tea as they’ve used it on their copious bowls of midday cereal and there are no bloody biscuits as the children have eaten them all. And, indeed, everything else in the fridge, even the things that I try to surreptitiously hide behind the jar of preserved lemons so they can’t see them (my children would rather cut off their own arms than go near a jar of preserved lemons). It’s like having The Tiger Who Came For Tea coming for tea EVERY AFTERNOON and it’s not like Joe can even take us to the cafe for sausage and chips as all the bloody cafes are closed. FFS.
I bought this cabinet from a vintage shop purely to house the huge amount of thrifted brilliance that I find on my trawls.
A magazine moment is now a memory from the past. My annual subscriptions to the three magazines I read religiously (World Of Interiors, Elle Decoration and Livingetc, in case you are wondering) are now akin to taking my money and throwing it brazenly into the wind and across the Yorkshire Wolds, never to be seen again. Their monthly arrival and removing from the packet heralds yet another £14 that I’ve pissed down the drain. Lockdown woes, indeed.
Anyway, moaning aside, I am desperate to return to my former trawling habits and I know from your messages that many of you are too. There’s nothing more exciting than finding something that has been preloved and reloving it; not a lot more rewarding than picking up something unique and special. Like many of you, I have a ‘route’. I’ve said this many a time before, but every year on my birthday, my friend Karen and I have a full day out perusing the charity and vintage shops around York, stopping for coffee and lunch, returning with bags of birthday goodness, much to the delight of my family who accuse me of purposefully filling the house with more shit. First stop is the charity shop trail, swiftly followed by a tour of the York vintage shops. It’s pretty much the best day of my year, only to be beaten if I swapped out Karen with Dan Levy (I am still waiting for Dan to move to Yorkshire and become my BFF - ONE DAY). Shopping for vintage is an activity that is only pursued by people who truly LOVE vintage and get joy from it and that’s why it’s always such fun.
The golden doorways to the wonderful world of of vintage are currently shut with no current indication of when they can reopen. Sigh. Much as my family are delighted by the drop in preloved additions to our home, it’s a big part of my everyday life and I’m missing my regular thrifted or vintage fix. However, all is not lost. Instagram shops specialising in these very joys are springing up. Some have been there a while and have carefully curated edits of finds combined with contemporary items for the perfect juxtaposition. Some act as a central platform for a variety of small businesses - like a vintage marketplace - who share their products on a daily or weekly basis. Some have online stores that you can visit via their feeds. And some post new products weekly on their feeds - their feed IS the shop. But they have one thing in common - all twelve I have listed below stock a glorious variety of preloved beauty that will boost your vintage interior joy levels whilst at the same time supporting smaller businesses during these times of madness. Happy shopping! And you love their feeds, please don’t forget to share so that others can discover them too. Just don’t tell my husband, it’s a need to know basis. PS: The eagle eyed amongst you may notice there may be one extra but twelve sounds better than thirteen. See, I’m always giving you that little bit more :)
1.Homeplace
Homeplace is headed up by Wendy who curates an eclectic but considered mix of vintage, mid century, retro & contemporary furniture, lighting and homewares, aiming to mix styles, eras, colours and textures to help you create homes that have as much personality as you do. Purely online, the website is a feast for the eyes and is regularly updated with new finds and stock. And if you fancy a short break away (once regulations allow), Wendy has two Homeplace holiday lets - one in Ramsgate facing the sea and one in Porto, both vintage styled to perfection.
2. Albie & Pearl
After 16 years in the fashion industry, Marie and her family moved from London to the Kent coast and she started her business, Albie & Pearl selling curated vintage homeware. And curated it is - her feed is a gloriously styled colour fest and very aesthetically pleasing. Marie posts an Exclusive Edit at scheduled times - the next one is 14 February at 11am so set your alarm! When it’s gone, it’s gone.
3. The Vintage Art Gallery
Owned by Sara Allom, whose passion is hunting high and low for simply lovely vintage art. They are not antique dealers (and admit to knowing very little about the history of their paintings), but they adore trawling antiques fairs and auctions, boot sales and house clearances tracking down the perfect vintage painting for eclectic homes. They have a constantly changing array of beautiful vintage art for sale and are always worth checking out if you’re looking for something a bit different.
4. Mosey Home
Mary le Comte - a former V&A Museum Events and Programmes Manager - is the owner of Mosey Home and she’s based in North London with both a bricks and mortar and online shop. She offers a curated selection of vintage products, alongside modern pieces and artwork. The shops aim is to source classic and quirky designs as well as little-seen rarities whilst remaining affordable and accessible. Mary also runs the Modern Vintage Collective which shows daily Edits on Instagram from their seller collective.
5. The Old Potato Store
Karen Barlow is a trained and qualified interior designer and stylist, working on the set designs, photography content and TV commercials for some of the country’s leading interiors brands and lifestyle magazines. Karen uses her stylists eye to source and hunt out unique and gently time worn treasures for your home. The Old Potato Store is located in a leafy suburb of Manchester, in a former Victorian, stone floored building, previously owned by the local Allotment Society since 1901, which was used to store seeds, bulbs and potato plants. Karen has stock on her website but her Instagram account is the place to be where she posts regular updates.
6. Vintage Curator Interiors
Vintage Curator Samantha Hansard is based in North London and has a website stocked full of beautiful vintage homewares. From glassware to vintage lettering, there is plenty to browse and you are unlikely to come away with an empty basket. Samantha is the co creator of The Virtual Vintage Fair which is an eclectic mix of antique and vintage dealers (you can subscribe to their monthly blog) and also runs the Virtual Vintage Edit which shows five pieces of vintage, five days a week at 11am from different dealer. Pop over now to follow. PS: You can also stay in Vintage Curator House, a gorgeous property in France close by to the brocantes.
@vintagecuratorinteriors; @virtualvintageedit; @virtualvintagefair
7. Discover Vintage Interiors
Keeley is the owner of Discover Vintage Interiors, based in Leeds - she has a bricks and mortar store which is by appointment (although she holds regular open days) but her online store and Instagram feed are stacked full of vintage loveliness. She does regular sales on her Instagram Stories on a first come first served basis and her stock is ever changing, from vintage side tables through to art and fabrics. Keeley is also the organiser of The Vintage Home Shows which are going virtual this year (go check out the website for further details).
8. Found by Sasha Wilkins
Found, based in the Cotswolds, is a treasure trove of found and limited edition vintage loveliness curated by Sasha Wilkins, formerly known as Liberty London Girl. An edit of new stock is posted at 7pm every Sunday so make sure you are following so as not to miss out. From pictures to plates to crockery, there is plenty of vintage inspiration to be found on the Found Instagram feed with regular updates on Instagram Stories.
9. Ratty Saint James
Jamie Weeden posts thrilling vintage interior finds for sale from her London base via her Instagram feed, Ratty Saint James. There’s lots of loveliness to see and it’s clearly labelled into Sold and Available highlights so you know what’s up for grabs. Jamie will post your vintage purchases worldwide so make sure you are following for the regular stock updates.
10. The French House
Based in York (and with a shop in London too), this is one of my favourite vintage locations and never fails to bring a smile to my face. Owners Stephen and Cath make regular trips to France to buy beautiful things and bring them back and restore them right here in their warehouse. Much of their stock is furniture (including a huge amount of amazing French mirrors) but they also are expert at brocante and there is plenty on their site which is shoppable from home. They’re also able to source specific products for you and they have the most amazing selection of French tables ever seen (when I last visited there was a 3.6m bistro table of dreams).
11. Foxberry Vintage
Jessica Berry is the owner of this Instagram store, a feast for the eyes that focuses on Art Deco, mid century modern and retro homewares. Stories and feed are both regularly updated with new finds - direct message Jessica to purchase and shipping within the UK is free of charge. Again, there are highlights clearly stating what is sold and available so you can shop until you drop with no worries.
12. Pam Picks
Pam Picks is based in Aberdeen but ships countrywide. After over fifteen years of being a 'picker' and treasure hunting for her own interior, Pam decided to take a break from her day job in the legal world and follow her passion. She has a carefully curated collection of new and vintage items, some familiar, others waiting to be discovered. She travels all over Europe looking for special pieces and you can find them on her website, as well as on her Instagram feed that is regularly updated with new stock. She’s also furnished and styled her gorgeous Airbnb if you fancy a visit.
13. Teeny Tiny Emporium
Based in London, ex Fashion Editors Bryony and Jane have curated a collection of furniture, curiosities and general all round loveliness that is shown in their Instagram shop. You can peruse such beauties as rattan lampshades and floral paintings by commenting on the posts or sending a message. Prices are plus shipping and there are regular updates.