One of the things I love most about decorating with vintage treasures is how much personality they bring into our homes. Some vintage treasures whisper romance. Others tell stories of hard work, family memories, or days gone by. And some? Well, they just make us smile. My favorites! That's the beauty of a vintage vignette. It can be soft and sweet, wonderfully worn, full of memories, or just a little bit quirky. So, what's your vintage vignette personality? The Hopeless Roman

There are few things I enjoy more than a good estate sale. For a vintage reseller, an estate sale can be sourcing gold. For someone decorating their home, it might be the place they discover that one elusive treasure they've been searching for. Unlike a thrift store or antique mall, an estate sale gives you a glimpse into decades of one household's belongings. Collections, kitchenware, books, linens, furniture, tools, and sometimes the most unexpected treasures are all waitin

I’m sitting in my living room looking at a piece of furniture I purchased this week. It’s a beautiful wooden hutch with brass hardware and brass windowpane dividers on the upper doors. It’s on the smaller side and fits nicely into the corner of my living room. Did I need this piece of furniture? I did not. But I wanted it for a very specific purpose, and when I found it at my favorite thrift store for $99, I couldn’t leave it behind. I brought it home and moved things aroun

A few weeks ago, I spent an afternoon browsing through a local antiques show. It was a good little show, filled with beautiful vintage treasures to explore and vendors I hadn't met before. As I wandered through the booths, admiring old things and making new friends, I came across something that stopped me. Tiny hats. Not children's hats. Not doll hats. These were miniature versions of real hats, complete with their own tiny hat boxes. Some were made of felt-like material, oth

I was recently browsing inside a little antique shop when I picked up what appeared to be a glass candlestick. The weight of the piece immediately made me think, This is crystal. Then came another thought: Is it actually the lead that makes crystal so heavy? As I turned the candlestick upside down to look for a label, I realized I was looking for something that would read ‘24% Lead Crystal’, which made me think: Why is it always 24%? Of course, I had to know the answers, a

One of the things I was looking forward to most during our vacation was visiting antique stores and thrift shops along the way. I didn't have a particular shopping list. Mostly, I wanted to wander, see what caught my eye, and find out whether treasure hunting hundreds of miles from home felt any different. What surprised me most was how familiar they felt. One of my favorite stops was Adamstown, Pennsylvania. Adamstown has earned a reputation as the Antiques Capital of the U

How do you know if an item is old, vintage, or antique and who gets to decide? There is some controversy about the definitions of these words, but I think the word antique is the simplest to accurately define. For the term antique, there’s a commonly accepted benchmark in the antique trade, and that is 100 years old or more. If an item is 100 years old or more, it can confidently be referred to as antique. When you consider the term vintage, that’s when things get a lit

The piece that makes you stop walking. The one you'll pick up every single time, even though you already own several. Today, while wandering through the Antiques and Vintage Show at the Virginia Highlands Festival, I met a couple who have spent decades searching for theirs. Vintage lovers appreciate all kinds of old treasures, but most of us have one particular item that makes our hearts skip a beat. The Virginia Highlands Festival is an annual event in my hometown of Abi

Don’t get me wrong - there is absolutely nothing wrong with Pinterest. I love Pinterest, and I use Pinterest. You use Pinterest. Millions of people use Pinterest. The problem begins when we start believing our homes need to look like Pinterest. That's where we lose ourselves. I love looking at beautiful homes, saving ideas on Pinterest, and learning about the latest decorating trends. But I've learned something over the years. The homes I remember most aren't the perfec

A home you love isn’t about following decorating trends. It’s about surrounding yourself with pieces that make you feel happy, comfortable, and connected—and creating a space that tells your story.

A beautiful home doesn’t have to belong to one era. Learn how mixing vintage treasures with newer pieces can create a home that feels collected, comfortable, and uniquely yours.

Rust, wear, faded paint, and a few well-earned imperfections can be part of what makes an old piece beautiful. Sometimes the things that show their age are the very things that add warmth, character, and story to a home.