if you’re keen to get hold of some vintage pieces of your own here are a few places you could look. above are items from the aviary one of many vintage stores on etsy. a quick search using the words vintage housewares returned over 6000 items, but of course you could narrow it down using keywords. luckily people like the aviary and another store white elephant use a keen eye to select their pieces so you can be sure of seeing really stylish designs.
another great place to look is in charity or thrift shops. this is a place to seek out vintage tableware, glass, linens, anything that you see with an inspiring pattern. also if you have relatives in their 70′s, 80′s or beyond then they probably still have plenty of this stuff in their homes. when you next go to see them take a camera and ask to see the contents of their kitchen cupboards. below my aunty kate still has this seventies tea tray in daily use in her original sixties kitchen.
my art teachers used to tell us ‘you are only as good as your reference’, and these books which cost me about £1 each at a book fair are certainly great references. as a designer you should always keep a selection of books, not just design books, but reference books. flowers, leaves, animals, seaside etc are always popular motifs so come in really handy. keep an eye out for vintage and secondhand titles. etsy and ebay can help you on this one.
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