MODERN VINTAGE STYLE - HOW TO SHOP VINTAGE

Round Top holds one of the largest antique shows in the nation in the spring and fall, but did you know there is also a Winter Show? It's much smaller than the spring and fall shows but has been growing in size and popularity over the past few years. It's a great time to shop since the crowds aren't overwhelming. 

Since the Winter Antiques Show is quickly approaching and the spring show will be here before we know it, we decided to put together a guide on how to shop for vintage! We hope this guide will help get the shopping juices flowing!

SEARCH FOR PIECES YOU'RE DRAWN TO.

When you're shopping for vintage, it's not the time for casual browsing. It's time to dig! Look in corners, search under tables, and dig through piles. Look for shapes, textures, and anything else that speaks to you. Even if you're not sure what to do with it at first, if you love it you will find the perfect use for it.

I found these vintage corbels at a garage sale two years ago and didn't have a clue where I would use them. But they really spoke to me and I couldn't pass them by. A year later, we started work on Boho and I immediately knew I wanted to use these amazing corbels in the new cottage.  

THINK ABOUT THE EASE IN WHICH YOU CAN REPURPOSE A PIECE.

When shopping for vintage, there are some pieces that are purely decor and others that can be repurposed into everyday items, like lighting, planters, headboards, or memo boards. Think about ways you can incorporate the pieces you really love into items that will be useful in your home.

We loved the look of this old mattress, and luckily it was in suprisingly good shape when we found it. Functionally, the wires can be used to stick notes and flyers on it, so we decided to turn it into a memo board for the welcome area at the home. 

Do you love plants? Look for interesting tins, baskets, and other containers that can easily be made into planters and terrariums like this old WWII Bacon Tin. 

There are always great tins and architectural pieces to be found at the antique shows. These types of pieces are great to hang as wall art or to make into something like a headboard. 

PUSH YOURSELF IN CREATIVITY.

If you find something amazing that you simply cannot leave behind, do some major brainstorming as to how you can use it. Consider needs you already have in your home and think outside the box to see if this amazing piece can fit those needs. For inspiration, browse Pinterest to see how other people have you used similar pieces in creative ways. 

We're asked all the time about these sconces above the daybed, and they are actually made out of cow feed sifters. We found these while out pickin' one day and absolutely loved their texture and shape. We welded on some brackets to hang them, lined the inside with burlap, added an inexpensive light we found at Home Depot, and voila! Three beautiful wall sconces for our home.

Shopping vintage is obviously a big part of our Modern Vintage style and lifestyle. The tips in the guide above are all the reasons we love shopping vintage: connecting with a piece or story, renewing old things to new life, and challenging ourselves creatively. Another big reason we love it is because it's inexpensive. Even repurposing items didn't cost nearly as much as it would to buy them new.

We hope this guide has inspired and helped you prepare for the Winter Antiques Show! Now get to shopping!

Photos 1, 2, 3 by Natalie Lacy Lange