By Mary Fairchild
Perhaps it’s the economy, or perhaps it’s the younger generation finding a way to express themselves in the most unique and personal way. Whatever the case, even the popular mall stores like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters have gotten on the band wagon…
Urban Outfitters has a new, limited-edition line of clothing and accessories made from vintage materials–they’re even made in the United States. And, Anthropologie is an amazing vintage-style clothing store. Here is a link where you can browse through their monthly catalogs, which are pieces of art themselves. Enjoy the look back in to the classic style of the future. In the context of furniture, names like “shabby chic” also include distressed, rustic, and traditional furniture styles.
The term “shabby chic” was coined by The World of Interiors magazine in the 1980s and became extremely popular in the US in the ’90s with the revival of cult boho films such as ‘Chocolate’, ‘Moulin Rouge’ and a certain eclectic surge of decorating styles with paints and effects, notably in metropolitan cultural centres such as LA and San Francisco, with heavy influences from Mediterranean cultures such as Provence, Tuscany and Greece.
This is “Cracker Jax” in Dekalb, Illinois. Cracker Jax began in 1984 as a vintage clothing store. Here you can shop 15 cases of new and vintage jewelry, eclectic clothing, soy candles, unique gifts, books, antique and shabby chic furniture.
In partnership with Target stores, “shabby chic” was used as a name for a US company founded by Rachel Ashwell. Shabby chic is also a general term which can be used to refer to a person who is stylish rather than fashionable, where their style reflects quality as opposed to newness. This style is now commonly associated with French country or Louis style furniture and Gustavian furniture. About.com writes, “Rachel Ashwell, founder of the popular Shabby Chic ® style, began her decorating quest in the late 80’s, searching garage sales and flea markets for furniture with “good bones” and nice lines. Then she took it home and painted it all white. Upholstered pieces were dressed up in loose washable slipcovers, and vintage accessories were collected to complete the look.”
“Shabby Chic(r) is a look that’s easy to live with and remarkably versatile. It’s a study in contrasts between casual and elegant, fresh and traditional, simple and ornate, plain and patterned, rumpled and tidy. And it is a style that easily merges a variety of objects into one harmonious whole through the liberal use of white and pastels. If you love to collect mismatched teacups, vintage lacy linens, soft floral fabrics, painted furniture, crystal chandeliers, and lots of white accessories, this may be the style for you. Like “comfort food” it seems to appeal to our “grandmother’s house” sense of beauty and belonging.”
Antique collecting: the assembling of items of aesthetic, historical, and often monetary value from earlier eras. The term antique initially referred only to the preclassical and classical cultures of the ancient world. It is now applied to old artifacts of all cultures. Legally and traditionally, an antique is usually defined as an object that is over a hundred years old.
The Town Dump in Cave Creek, Arizona has one of the largest assortments of pottery, rustic antiques and numerous other unique items that can probably only be found in Cave Creek.
Collecting Lamps: It’s not always easy to get your hands on an antique lamp. Every ounce of effort though may all be worth it once you get the antique piece of your dreams. Lamps from a long time ago aren’t just exquisite decorative pieces. They are also valuable links to great historical times.
Antique lighting pieces can be found almost anywhere. If you are a good scavenger, you might just find the best pieces at auction sites and garage sales. It is however, usually only a good idea to buy from these places if you are an expert at assessing antique pieces. If you are not, you could end up getting scammed. Instead of buying from unknown sources, you can instead proceed to reputable antique shops or dealers. Local auctions may also hold sales for authentic antique pieces.