Megan (a.k.a. contentedsparrow{meg an} on Flickr) filled her home with colorful one-of-a-kind and re-purposed vintage finds. Her style is…very Megan. From what we can tell of Megan, this means upbeat, friendly, and positively adorable. Let’s explore her space and get to know the gal who lives there.

What was your inspiration when creating this space?
I decorate with things that make me smile or laugh or squeal with glee when I see them in a store. Things nostalgic, things colorful, things handmade, things that exude history, definitely things that are NOT perfect. Chipping paint is a plus in my book. Also, items that I can transform simply by slapping on a coat of turquoise paint. That said, I do find “inspiration” from places like Etsy, Flickr, blogs and the now-defunct Cottage Living magazine. Inspiration for me is….a visual and heartfelt affection for something that I store in my mind…taking bits and pieces from here and there to make my own as I feather this nest we call home.

What is your favorite vintage piece in the space & what is the story behind it?
My taste is always evolving so something that may be my favorite today may not be in a couple of years. That said, right now, I’m smiling every time I see my blue painted console table that is center stage in the living room…right under three big windows.

When we moved into our home a couple of years ago, there was a 94-year-old man living behind us. After he passed away last summer, his daughter had an estate sale. The table wasn’t for sale…it was just being used to display things on. It was rickety and water stained and chipping but I loved the scallopy detail on the apron. I could picture it with a coat of colorful paint in my space. The daughter said that her dad had made it. I could just see him carefully using a jigsaw to cut out the scallop. She was surprised that I wanted such a shabby old piece and when I inquired about a price, she asked if $5 would be OK. So, I gleefully toted the table home through the backyard and I think it’s happy here! :)

Where do you prefer to hunt for vintage?
If the mood strikes, or I have a few spare minutes on my hand and am out, I’ll stop by a thrift shop nearby. It’s very hit or miss…but when it’s a hit, it’s a BIG hit as everything is $.50 or $1.00. There is an antique mall very close that is NOT great but I do find small items like linens and books there sometimes. Also, there is an antique/flea market an hour away that I go to once in the summertime for larger things like benches & furniture.

My best friend and I used to love going to farm auctions before we had kids and we still frequent garage and estate sales when we can. Once in a blue moon I’ll buy something off of Craiglist and I find Ebay frustrating with so many people bidding on the same things I want. It sounds like I’m constantly shopping but that is definitely not the case….more like a popping in, checking in here and there kind of thing.

How would you advise our Vintage Addicts in decorating with vintage or re-purposing their vintage finds?
I don’t necessarily feel equipped to advise anyone on their own decorating…because their space is THEIR OWN. Like I said, I fill our nest with things that make ME smile. I don’t like to decorate with items solely from one time period or even solely vintage. Old and new mixed together is more interesting in my taste. So, I guess I would say, go with your gut.

• Don’t worry about things matching.
• Use a 40’s tablecloth on a modern table.
• Don’t feel like you can’t paint that side table red because it’s made of beautiful, dark-stained wood (unless, of course, you prefer unpainted wood!).
• Don’t hesitate to chop up and refashion all those linens that are gathering dust in the closet.

And, lastly, from my humble perspective, don’t hold tightly to your possessions. Buying a coffee table is not a life-long commitment. If after living with something for a bit and deciding that maybe it’s not quite right, sell it on Craigslist or give it to a friend or charity store. Of course, beautifying your home is well and good but it is the people who really matter.

When designing his new living quarters, Gabe created a strong + simple space outfitted with a few mid-century selections. We interviewed Gabe to learn about his design concept and how he chose to integrate vintage into his home.

What was your inspiration when creating this space?
My main inspiration when creating my space was mid-century designers such as Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen. I found these designers to blend form and function in a truly organic way.

What is your favorite vintage piece & what is the story behind it?
I have two favorite vintage pieces. One is a 1950’s Basset dresser that a friend owned. I kept pestering him to sell it to me. After two years he finally let me have it for dirt cheap. My other piece is a 1957 Yashica D medium format camera that I bought on Ebay. I bought it in “almost” working condition and found someone who amazingly had original parts to put it in working order. I use it as decor, but I also sometimes shoot with it.

Where do you prefer to hunt for vintage?
I don’t necessarily hunt for vintage. I have very often just come across things that I “needed.” Ebay tends to be too pricey and Craigslist is way to involved for me. I also sometimes get a general idea and just keep an eye out for what will fulfill it. Actively seeking for me seems to lead very often to overpaying.

How would you advise our Vintage Addicts in decorating with vintage?
I think that vintage can be taken to an extreme. Too much lessons the value of the individual piece. For me there is a balance between modern and vintage. Complimenting is the name of the game. Let those vintage pieces accent and therefore stand out as a truly great piece.

Which room in your new space is your favorite?
My place is what I like to refer to as an “abbreviated loft.” My favorite space is the living room/dining room. For me it was a real chance to create two separate spaces that commingled through modern and vintage.

Thank you to Gabe for sharing his new space with our Vintage Addicts! Is your home a showcase of vintage finds + design? Let us know! Email finds [at] myvintageaddiction [dot] com.

I browse Flickr (among many other sites) daily for vintage finds. Lucky me! I came across photos of Darren Bradley’s living room re-design, in which he showcased his amazing vintage pieces and stunning style. Lucky you! I caught up with Darren to get the scoop on his one-of-a-kind space and his own addiction to vintage.

Your living room is a vintage wonderland! What was your inspiration when creating this space?
Thank you! So glad you like the space. Hunting for vintage pieces is one of our favorite hobbies, as you can probably tell. It’s nice to hear from people who also appreciate it, since the usual reaction is that we’re nuts. Our primary inspiration for the space was probably the wonderful photos by Julius Shulman. My first interest was always photography – primary architectural photography – and I’ve long revered his work. I’m sure the decor and furnishings of the houses he shot rubbed off on me.

Second, I love old movies and TV series from the 50s and 60s. The sets of those movies like “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” and “Bachelor in Paradise” is pure eye candy. I guess I wanted to recreate that look. The hard part is to make it look authentic and comfortable, as if it was a photo taken from the period – and not just like a museum of vintage furniture. Not sure we’ve been entirely successful there but it’s always a work in progress.

What is your favorite vintage piece in the space & what is the story behind it?
My favorite vintage piece is usually the last one I found. In this case, it’s the Broyhill console/credenza cabinet from their Brasilia Line. It was made in the early 1960s, when architect Oscar Niemeyer’s completely new capital city of Brasilia sparked the imagination of people around the world (there were lots of films shot there as it was being built). The front of the cabinet is directly inspired by the graceful parabolic arched pillars on Brazil’s Presidential Palace there. It’s also a beautiful piece, made of solid walnut.

One thing you notice about vintage is the quality is generally so much better than what you find in furniture today, and that’s definitely true with this piece. Broyhill Brasilia furniture is fairly common in the US and is becoming quite collectible. But this particular piece was made in very small quantities and despite years of searching, I’d never found one until now. This was was located with the help of the folks over at Brasilia Connection.

Where do you prefer to hunt for vintage?
I browse a lot on line, but typically only buy pieces I see in person. But I travel a lot for work so that helps me to see lots of different dealers and stuff. My favorites are Boomerang for Modern, Klassik , and Soho in San Diego, Deja Vu and Xcape in Long Beach, all of the great shops like Studio 111 and Hedge in the Palm Springs area, and Modernicus outside of Alexandria, Virginia. Craigslist and eBay are also good sources, as long as you can check the stuff out in person first.

Have any advice for our Vintage Addicts?
My advice to Vintage Addicts would be to avoid filling your space with only well-known, marquis pieces to avoid having your home just look like a showroom of mid-century modern classics. There are lots of great mid-century chairs, artwork, and case pieces by totally unknown designers out there that are just fantastic, and don’t cost a lot. Then, sprinkle in a few marquis pieces. This is what really gives the space an authentic feel. (I’m not necessarily very good at following my own advice in this regard).

Also, don’t be afraid of color. As long as you stay in period-appropriate tones (light blues, mustard yellows, avocado greens, oranges, etc.), it all works together quite nicely (at least we think so).

Finally, decorate with what you like. Don’t get a piece just because somebody told you it was a name designer or a good investment. After all, it’s your space and you want to like it and feel comfortable there!

Check out some of my favorite rainbow selections from our Flickr group.

Candybouncer Chairs [via knockknocking]
Vintage Rainbow [via finsbry]
Vintage Metal Chairs [via sweet.eventide]
Primary Delight [via speedye]

I spent most Saturdays through high school at a nearby vintage shop, which happened to reside above the local Army Surplus store. I’m a bag maniac, and the vintage medic bags were my absolute favorite. Military jackets and accessories are big this Spring. If you’re not ready for camoflauge or army green in your wardrobe, why not bring the trend to your accessories and home decor with these wartime collectibles?

Clockwise from top-left:

Vintage 1960s 1970s US Marine Army Green Spring Jacket/Shirt $42 :: plundered

Vintage military awards from Soviet Union $18 :: spacejam

WWII Ammunition Box with Latch $140 :: Hindsvik

Vintage No. 11 – WWII Military Police Armband $15 ::TheInvisibleCircus

Found by :: Trisha Brink Design

Believe it or not these guys came together in a little baggie at my local Value Village! I love them, and am not sure I can part with them….but if I do, it will be on my etsy site~

At My Vintage Addiction, we’re constantly on the lookout for fresh, new vintage shops. Turquoise Shed gives new life to once-loved items, creating a unique & colorful collection of vintage furniture sure to brighten up any corner of your home. Of course, we asked the shopkeepers for all of their deep, dark secrets.

Who is behind the scenes at Turquoise Shed? Is this a one-man-band or a group thang?
Turquoise Shed has two worker bees: Carly Martin and Melissa VanToever. We had trouble finding the pieces we wanted for our own home and on our budgets so we took matters into our own hands. We loved it so much that we decided to start a business and with a little bit of assistance from trial and error (and our upholsterer Earl!!) we are starting to get rolling!!

You’re a brand-spankin’-new shop on Etsy. Do you have a storefront location and what made you decide to open shop?
Yes, we have a storefront and a small showroom where we can sell pieces that we’ve redesigned and display our collection of vintage, recycled and custom fabrics. Our redesigned pieces also serve as inspiration for clients who have come to us to have their own pieces re-designed.

You give new life to furniture & objects tossed aside. How do you choose your pieces?
We pick pieces based on the quality of it. Vintage pieces tend to have been made to last and that’s something you don’t always find with new furniture. We also look for nice lines. Mostly, we just get a special feeling about a piece of furniture that we know is begging to be spruced up and given a second chance! Occasionally, one of us sees potential that the other may not but we trust each others’ vision and it usually works out…

What’s your favorite item currently for sale in the shop?
[Melissa] I have been resisting finding a spot in my house for the blue cabinet that we have for sale on Etsy right now…something about the relaxing shade of blue and the sparkly glass panels and knobs remind me of the beaches here on the east coast in the summer….

[Carly] My favorite item is also the blue cabinet. It’s hard to find media storage when you have kids who like to press buttons and this would tick off all my boxes: high enough, glass doors to house media devices and sparkly knobs!

Read all about Carly & Melissa’s adventures in shopkeeping at their blog. For more Turquoise Shed, follow them on Twitter & join the Facebook group. Visit them at their in-store location at 4-102 Queen St., Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island (Canada).

Collectors of kitch, rejoice! PlaidPonyVintage is stocked full of the vintage & adorable. Vintage salt & pepper shakers seem to be a pretty popular item for the collectors of cute & Plaid Pony has some of our favorites. We caught up with shopkeeper Lara Long to find out what draws folks to the tiny pairs of sweetness.

Do you find yourself drawn to certain shapes/colors/themed salt n’ pepper shakers more than others? Personally, I can’t resist anything kitchy 1960’s.
I’m drawn to salt & peppers that are kitschy, quirky or a little odd. I love animals with big eyes, anything anthropomorphic, woodland creatures and wiggle eyes. They have to be cute, but not in a sincere way (if that makes sense). I’ll reject things for being “too grandma” – that’s not my style. I’m drawn to bright, punchy colors. I also like really minimal mid century modern design. It’s the complete opposite of the kitsch, but there’s something so satisfying about a perfect minimal shape.

What is the strangest set of shakers you’ve sold and/or found?
One of the strangest sets of shakers I’ve sold – and one of my favorites are these egghead people playing banjos.

My grandmother owns almost 40 sets of shakers. Do you collect anything?
I used to collect a lot of things, but now I channel my passion for collecting into my business. I get to live with everything for a while, and after I sell it I can get new things. I have a vintage toaster collection that’s displayed in my kitchen. I love the designs and how there’s such an interesting variety of shapes. I also have a bunch of ice-o-mats, and a few small collections of art made by friends. I work from home and my work area is so overstuffed with cabinets full of knickknacks, glassware, kitsch and pictures everywhere that I’ve tried to make my living area more minimal.

A big thanks to Lara for taking the time to answer our questions! Are you a collector of kitsch?

A pair of stark white vintage chairs is a wonderful addition to any room. Used as either an accent or at the dinner table, taking it back to basics adds charm and wonder when the piece is as unique as these. Group a few white chairs of different designs and play on shape instead of the obvious- color. As an added bonus, white goes with everything! So, no matter how many times you change your mind about the wall color, you’re golden.

1 :: Vintage Saarinen Style White Tulip Swivel Chairs set of 2
2 :: White eames era vintage chair
3 :: Russel Woodard Sculptura Mid Century Patio Chair set of 2 or 4

We’re in the mood for love here at My Vintage Addiction. Why? Well, we’re inspired by our friends and fans foremost, but the lovey-dovey feel-goodery of Valentine’s Day is sneaking in, too. Today we celebrate fabulous pairs. Every great Vintage Find has a buddy to keep it company. I’ve included a few of my favorites from Etsy, but feel free to share your own via Twitter, Facebook, or Flickr.