Modern Vintage

Punked-out serving platter: White opaque milk glass with studded rim and bottom
 

Everything Old Is New Again

London, England has Portobello Road; Brimfield, Massachusetts has the Brimfield Antique Show; and Paris, France has the Marche aux Puces de Clignancourt.  In your neighbourhood, you might find yard sales, tag sales, or estate sales; antique shops, junk shops, or consignment shops.  Whatever you find, wherever you find it, what they all have in common is a bevy of used goods that often show the hallmarks of beautiful design, skilled craftsmanship, and exquisite execution.

While well-designed, quality home goods are timeless in their appeal, how do aged furnishings become contemporary?  How does a Depression era platter, a decades-old dish set, or a centurial chaise become new again? 

To start, let's agree that being modern is not necessarily about being newly minted; rather, it is more about being fresh -- an fresh approach, an intriguing combination, a unique juxtaposition, be it in furniture, dishware or home accessories.  Layering vintage items with contemporary pieces keeps things feeling clean and up-dated, not stodgy and jumbled.  Strong lines and graphic designs never feel dated, and pulling together pieces from various decades ensures your space doesn't feel like you're stepping into a time warp.  Besides creating an environment that is eclectic and autobiographical with items that can often be purchased at incredible prices (particularly when compared to their present-day counterparts), you are reusing and repurposing one of the countless consumer goods our civilisation has produced, saving it from destruction or a landfill.  And really, what could be more modern than that?

Sourced Locally

Found in my backyard: delicate organic etching on clean-edged
geometric shaped Depression era fruit cups; also of note, the swirl-rimmed
dessert plates and bead-rimmed serving vessels in deep emerald

Clear colours and strong graphic designs on juice glasses (bottom shelf)
and shot glasses (top shelf)

A perennial favourite and always classic, antique blue and white
china can bring a sense of history and touch of vibrancy to a modern
interior

These jugs hold their own in visual weight and rustic appeal; they would
look great clustered together on a shelf in a white-walled room

In my mind these are the ultimate juicers; particularly lovely is the one
in centre back with its scalloped edge

Traditionally constructed black wicker set cries out for a bold
fabric pattern on the seat cushions in need of refurbishing

 

 

The Take-Aways



Top: a Wedgwood leaf patterned platter cradles a garden find -- a perfect
but abandonned robin`s egg; Bottom: from a set of five,
an octagonal Depression glass emerald-coloured plate presents
a scattering of peony petals



 



Images: D. Sleziak