Dropping by a friend’s house, you spot the most fabulous new piece of furniture. When asked where it was purchased, the response is a casual, “Oh, I picked it up at a thrift store.” If such a statement makes you green with envy, wishing you had the same eye for sifting through trash to turn into treasures, read on. We have the advantage of living in a neighborhood full of thrift and vintage stores (some owners prefer the term “upscale resale shop”, but that’s just a nice way to say “someone else’s discards”). One-of-a-kind finds abound — it’s just a matter of figuring out which ones could use a little TLC to create the perfect new entryway piece or living room accent. For some perspective, we asked an interior designer and a frequent vintage buyer to spend an afternoon shopping at a handful of neighborhood stores. They picked out a few of the pieces most worth salvaging, and gave us their advice about how to breathe new life into a dated relic.
The experts:
Hollywood Heights resident Emily Miller of Emily Miller Interiors earned her design chops working for Sherry Hayslip of Hayslip Design Associates. She combines a simplistic approach with a love for flair in the pieces she picks. (And she has an admitted crush on white lacquer and vinyl.)
214.616.8532
emilymillerinteriors.com
Three years ago, Lakewood resident Mary Poe decorated her house on Nonesuch by scouring thrift and vintage stores, and redoing pieces with her own funky style. She’s ready for round two, and in her choices for this story, she shares mistakes she made the first time around.
Again & Again
Owner Leslie Pritchard stocks her shop with furniture and accent pieces just waiting for someone to recognize their worth and update them with a unique sense of style.
Bonita & Henderson
214.826.6666
againandagain.com
Pendant light, $195
Antique light fixtures can be painted to make them “less funeral parlor,” Miller says. She would color this one in orange or turquoise, “kind of a Moroccan feel.” Poe strongly advises leaving a project like this to a professional. “They will rewire it for you and paint it with a special metal paint. With one like this that is open, you’re going to want to get inside on the grooves.” Her professional of choice is Royal Touch Lamp and Fixture Service at Coit and Arapaho.
Tufted ottoman, $125
The two women would use it for extra seating or as a tuffet, and say it would fit nicely under consoles. Covering it in shiny vinyl would work in a more modern setting, Miller says. “That’s a piece you could do in a more funky fabric and not have to pay too much to reupholster,” Poe says.
Bamboo dresser, $350
The late ’20s and early ’30s Hollywood regency style is making a comeback right now, Miller says. “It’s a little bit of glam and a little bit of history all at once,” she says. Poe says she would paint it a different color, but she likes the current style of painting with the white lines outlining the drawers, plus white handles and surface. To tone it down a bit, Miller suggests making what is currently white a color and painting everything else white. It could be used as a dresser or changing table in a child’s room, they say, and Miller suggests removing the long, skinny handles and replacing them with two little roses or something else whimsical. To make it more “adult”, Poe would paint the entire piece one color and use Restoration Hardware-type handles that are long and sleek. To step it up another notch, Miller would add a white Carrera marble slab on top.
Modern chair with button back, $295
Miller and Poe spotted this ’70s-era chair, upholstered in damask, right off the bat. “You could put this in a bedroom, a little girl’s room,” Poe says. “It would be darling in a little girl’s room,” Miller agrees. “It’s not as bulky.” She suggests recovering in natural-colored linen, or to make it a little funkier, leather or vinyl. Poe says adding a funky print pillow would be better than covering the chair in a funky print. In her own redecoration project, Poe says she used “too much flashiness in my upholstery, and now I’m having to reupholster. Go simpler, but have accents that pop.” Miller agrees. “If you’re into bright orange, do it in a pillow or a lamp, so when you get sick of it in two years, you can change.”
Atomic console, $465
It used to be the bottom of a china cabinet, but Poe would refashion this mid-century modern piece as an entertainment center. “It would be great to put a TV in the back and cut a hole in the back for electronic equipment inside,” she says. Behind the doors on the right is a jewelry drawer, which could be removed or used to hold remote controls, Poe says. Miller would place it in a foyer with a sunburst mirror hanging above — “something unexpected to walk into.” She would redo it in white lacquer, or if lacquer isn’t in the budget, high-gloss is an alternative to make it look as lacquered as possible. Miller suggests the Benjamin Moore no-fumes Natura line, which comes in high gloss.
Consignment Solution
The store is known for carrying unique items, says owner Karyl Leonard, and the mix of furniture and accessories ranges the gamut in periods and styles.
Skillman & Oram
214.827.8022
consignmentsolution.com
Three-panel tobacco grid screen, $245
“Screens make really good dividers for rooms that feel a little too big,” Miller says. They work especially well to create two separate seating areas in renovated homes in which a wall has been knocked out, or ranch-style homes where rooms are longer and narrower, she says. The finish isn’t bad, Poe says, but it’s dated, so she would strip it and stain it dark. Miller would paint it with white, black or orange lacquer. Another option is using it to “hide stuff,” Poe says, and to do that, she would place antiqued mirrors or frosted glass behind one side.
Medium hanging lotus chandelier, $195
A great light for a nursery, over a dining room table or in a bathroom, Poe says. She wouldn’t put it in a kitchen. “I have a light like this in my kitchen, and it’s not so bright, which is annoying.”
Armoire, $495
This could be made into a TV cabinet because the doors are so wide, Poe says, or “for $500, if you needed a big piece of furniture, this would make a nice little storage piece. It’s a burl finish, so Miller wouldn’t paint or change it. “It’s an expensive application,” she says, “and you never want to do something to decrease the value.” The door pulls could be replaced, she says, but “if you’re an art deco person, I would keep the pulls.”
Ross and Peak Thrift Store
This is one of the spots where other more “upscale” storeowners find merchandise to stock their own stores. It’s a hit-or-miss place, and that includes hours of operation. You can’t even call ahead because the place doesn’t have a working phone number — but that just adds to the “treasure hunt” allure.
Ross & Peak
Barstools, $60 for the pair
These modern-looking seats would be great re-covered in a vinyl, leather or small repeat retro print fabric, Miller says. “I would do it in velvet,” Poe says, explaining that she has barstools at home reupholstered in velvet, and emphasizes that it should be a dark velvet to hide stains. As for the bases, “I would clean them up a little, but I like the stainless steel,” Miller says.
LB’s Antiques and Estate
Not much furniture here, but you’ll have fun sorting through all of the kitschy knick knacks that owners Lynn Piccola and Bill Dickerson have amassed from auctions and shops in the Deep South.
Bryan & Peak
214.824.2552
Japanese plate, $48
Dragon matchbox cover, $28
“I like Asian influence in any space, whether or not the overall look is Asian,” Miller says, adding that these two accessories would work with modern, traditional, retro or transitional décor. “You can never go wrong with little pops of Asian,” she says. “It’s better in small pieces like this than overdone on a huge scale.”
Vintage tin, $12.50
Poe immediately thought of her 1-year-old daughter when she saw this tin. “In a little girl’s room, you could keep it out and have her crayons in it, and pair it with a couple of vintage pieces.”
Salt and pepper shakers, $24
“Very kitschy,” Poe says. Miller pointed out that they would need new corks in the bottom, but that’s an easy fix. And they don’t necessarily need to hold seasoning. “These would be cute to put baby powder in,” Miller says.
Dolly Python
Much of the store is retro garb, but collectors also hawk their vintage accent pieces.
Haskell & Delano
214.887.3434
myspace.com/dollypython
Part of an old cactus, $4
Miller plucked this from atop a stack of old photos and vintage propaganda. It would add a nice natural and organic element to a room, she says, adding that “it’s always nice to bring a little bit of outdoors inside.”
Antique sari trim, $65
Poe not only spotted this fabric in a basket full of unique textiles — she bought it before leaving the store. “I’m making a table runner for myself using antique trims,” she says.
Office chair, $250
It’s probably from the ’50s or ’60s, and they don’t make office chairs like this anymore, Poe says. She would drape it in a funky fabric with a “bright, fun design,” making the masculine look a little more feminine. “If you live with a man like I do, they’re not going to let you get a decorative chair” for an office space, she says, but this would be a happy medium.n
