Happy Kitchen Project: Vintage Shopping
Day 10 Happy Kitchen Project: Vintage Shopping
One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to visit flea markets, vintage shops and thrift stores. You may well wonder WHY do I do this. Well, I think it is part of my tourist curiosity. It is part of really exploring a place in that it tells us something about the city we are visiting. I bought my favourite cut glass vase for $5.00 from the Good Will in Santa Barbara. I use that vase regularly in my ‘Happy Kitchen’ and every time I do I think about Santa Barbara and how I must get back to that Good Will soon.
We like to call it ‘Vintage Shopping.’ but it’s really just looking through other people junk. However, you don’t have to travel to go ‘Vintage Shopping’, just look for thrift shops in your own town and imagine the possibilities!
The main reason most of us love vintage shopping is the treasure hunt. We secretly hope we will cleverly discover an unrecognized, unappreciated treasure.
Or, we imagine that others may find the activity so unsavory therefore leaving us to find the treasures.
At any rate, vintage shopping is not about consuming generic items from chain stores which can be found almost anywhere, but a vintage piece from a quirky, backstreet shop, or thrift store, is a one-of-a-kind reminder of our clever selves.
Of course the other benefit of vintage shopping is being able to feel really good about recycling and saving another item from the landfill.
Vintage is perfect for creating a Happy Kitchen. There are so many beautiful items that are being discarded because of downsizing or because the owner wants a new look.
There are crystal glasses, china, silverware, art, and the list goes on. If you know what to look for you can mix old with new to create a style that is all yours. Why pay retail?
On this particular outing, we were looking for crystal or cut glass decanters to use for water jugs to add sparkle to our dinner table.
Not only did we find some beautiful ones but we also found other great stuff. Have a look at some of our finds after a recent day out.
Our vintage decanters above cost between $12-$40.
The decanters below are from a local shop giftshop. They are beautiful but cost between $700 and $1500.
Some clever DIYers have discovered crystal decanters and have turned them into beautiful lighting.
The key with vintage kitchen items is to think outside of the box and treat the pieces like art.
Do you have vintages pieces that make your kitchen happy? Please share them with us! Send us a pic or two!
Share with us on instagram with hashtag #happykitchenproject and tag us @designerscollective_ and @chewsylovers
We would love to share a few happy kitchens on our blogs in the next 30 days!
Tomorrow we are back with Mandi from Chewsy Lovers who will be posting from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We will post the link for her blog in the morning for all of you to read about her tips for a HAPPY KITCHEN!!
