I’ve got another antiquing adventure for you today – This time, I’m keeping it local to our own little hometown here in Lynchburg, Virginia. With the transition of our go-to secondhand shop in progress and the future uncertain, I’ve been forced to investigate other local diamonds in the rough. Pessimism aside, it’s actually been a really great excuse to try new places and discover fresh sources for antiques, case in point today’s story.
This particular antiquing trip, I asked my friend Ashley along for the ride. Ashely’s got great taste and knows a good bargain when she sees one. With a brand new house to fill, she had a list on hand and visions of pretty vintage pieces to fill all of the new extra space. That’s Ashley pictured below with her fiance, Nathan – Aren’t they adorable?!
Source | Colling Photography
So, first up we made a stop at From Shabby to Chic. The shop was having it’s seasonal fling market that day, so we got to wander between the vendors set up on the lawn sporting tables full of custom crafted frames, jewelry and bags. Inside, we took our time meandering through all of the rooms of the converted farmhouse, considering delicate tea cups, vintage framed black and white photos, floral paintings and antiqued mirrors.
This display of jewelry was like a magnet to my soul – no exaggeration. PERFECT colors, PERFECT shapes, PERFECT gold details. I am actually astounded that I managed to keep my wallet tucked away in my purse for this particular stop. I really loved the way the collection was displayed too in those simple trays lined with natural linen. May have to try that at home…
My favorite part of From Shabby to Chic, even with the assortment of beautiful vintage accessories at every turn, has to be the furniture. Each piece seems to have been lovingly restored with fresh modern colors and hardware. Oh, and I should note that everything in this store is surprisingly affordable considering how lovely and unique the selection is. I’m always tempted to pick something up for myself, and this is one store where I wouldn’t feel guilty indulging just a bit.
Unfortunately, this was the part in our trip where my good camera died…So the rest of this post is filled with iPhoto pictures. I think (at least I hope!) that you’ll still get the point though, despite the added graininess and blur.
I adore the brass hardware on that cabinet pictured just below, and my Instagram of the pink headboard below it got some major attention from you guys. I loved it too – Nothing beats that rich unexpected color.
Did we buy anything? Ashley did! She picked up this fun upholstered side chair for a STEAL at $65. The piece was in great shape and was just the thing she needed to fill a corner in her new living room. Don’t you just love the tufted back and the curvy wooden detail on the arms?
After that, it was off to our next destination – The Peddler Antique Mall. This store and I actually have a bit of history. My mom’s best friend used to sell her own antique finds here on consignment in the 90s, so my sister and I would get packed up in the car fairly often to go peruse the latest selection. For whatever reason, it had been over a decade since I’d been back to the store, so Ashley was forced to listen to me banter on and on as I regaled stories from my memories. We had a fun time walking up and down the aisles though, and through the rooms upon rooms of old antiques.
Our favorite room by far though was Bluebird Urban Farmhouse. The collection was perfectly suited to a modern woman looking to fill her space with little treasures. No digging necessary – Everywhere Ashley and I looked, we were compelled to reach out and touch something. From old clocks and dishware, to pretty reclaimed frames and metal signs, we were hooked.
I ended up choosing a palm-sized clock for myself (under $10!), while Ashley went ahead and grabbed this conversation-worthy wire rolling basket. It caught her eye right away and, after talking it out and deciding that it would be the perfect place to toss living room lounge pillows and blankets, we rolled it up to the register.
Before heading out though, we spent another fifteen minutes making our way through the Bluebird Urban Farmhouse room, shifting this and that aside and day dreaming about each pretty accessory. There were a lot of excited exclamations and frustrated grumblings that we didn’t have unlimited budgets (and square footage).
Below is a wide shot I took of the room (curse you, dark iPhoto image!!) because I wanted to remember those fabulous mod lights and the curtains. I was immediately drawn to the simple white linen with bands of burlap at the top. By stringing the clipped panels on a thin wire, the creative mind behind these lovely curtains saved install time AND money. Love it.
After one final look, we sauntered through the doorway to investigate the rest of the antique mall. As with any antique store, there were a few odd pieces that gave us the heebie jeebies – Take those clowns for example below. We moved on fairly quickly from THAT particular display, but found several other happy little corners that made us realize the limitless potential of the Peddler’s inventory.
Downstairs, the basement offered still MORE antiques to consider. This set of colorful dominos caught my eye right away. It doesn’t seem all that “vintage” to me, but I L-O-V-E all of that color, plus John I really enjoy playing board and card games throughout the week. I would love to add a nice box of dominos to our collection one day, but at $20 for these, I had to walk away…
I had to chuckle at the “Wife for Sale” novel below. Oh, the weird things you’ll find at an antique store…I considered buying this one for John as a joke, but ended up putting it back for the next sarcastic wife to consider.
Before we called it quits for the day, Ashley and I spent a little time in the Greige Market booth. While linking to the Facebook page just now, I discovered that this brand is actually an extension of Bluebird Urban Farmhouse. It makes total sense now that I think about it, although I would have to say that Greige is more of a masculine version of what we found upstairs. In other words, John and Nathan would have loved this section. The inventory featured a lot of really affordable LARGE restoration projects – Think big salvaged doors, cast iron pieces, windows and street signs. The pieces would have made for one fantastic “Man Cave”…
Those cool metal mesh baskets above were found ALL OVER the entire store and cost only $22 apiece – Such unique storage options, perfect for linen closets, pantries or a masculine office.
Ashley and I finished up the day with tons of great thrifted pieces between the two of us, and a brand new appreciation for the potential of buried secondhand treasure in this little town of ours. That said, do you guys have any great local places for vintage pieces? You know I’m willing to travel for a good find!
