IYKYK These Stores, Vol. 1
This is the first installment in a regular series of posts on where to shop. Today I'm taking a lens to vintage.
An image of The Apartment, a store detailed below, from their 2019 Copenhagen popup.
While exploring a beautifully curated shop, I experience visual stimulation, sensory delight, and simultaneous calm. Ah, the true purchase-agnostic effect known as retail therapy. A merchant with a clear and unique perspective inspires me, and for that reason alone I enjoy the act of shopping. On top of that, one piece of the puzzle of creating a special home space is having great spots from which to source. In 2024 that can exist at a small local boutique, an international e-commerce emporium, or even a well-appointed social media account. Today we’ll look at a few of my favorites to get us started on this subject.
Most of the below resources sell a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces, but I’m taking an eye toward vintage here. At the risk of sharing familiar shops with you so early into our relationship, I see these as a 101 for my vintage enthusiast and vintage curious pals alike. If you already frequent these vendors, I hope I can spotlight some noteworthy items you may have overlooked.
But first, a little context…
IN WITH THE OLD
Whenever possible, I look for pieces with history. Why shop vintage? There are three simple reasons, not necessarily listed in order of importance (that’s a matter of personal values):
It’s good for good ol’ planet earth. Shopping vintage, aka resale, is my personal favorite form of recycling since — for better or for worse — I’m a consumer to the core.
It’s an investment. Whether it’s a light fixture or a piece of furniture, vintage items that are cared for should retain or appreciate in value. This is a point I make to my husband regularly because I know my audience. (Love you, Babe!)
It’s cooler. There’s a reason we all know the tongue-in-cheek phrase, “thanks, it’s vintage.” Go for the imperfect, storied, quirky find. These items infuse personality and uniqueness into a space.
Now, let’s dive in.
THE APARTMENT
Snapshots from my late-August visit to The Apartment in Copenhagen, Denmark.
My former colleague Erin Curry turned me on to this Danish boutique, and I haven’t been the same since. First of all, if you don’t follow them on Instagram, you should. These people are MASTERS of mixing color, pattern, and texture. I’ll summarize the taste level as ‘who I want to be.’ This summer, after years of following from afar, I made it into their Copenhagen store — hallelujah! It is actually an apartment — see above for the nearly unmarked doorbell I rang, which led me to (not pictured) wrangling two strollers into a charming cobblestone interior courtyard and then carrying a toddler and baby (once again, not advised!) upstairs to this stunning scene. The space is small — just a few perfectly curated rooms with nice light and classic architecture. Perhaps the first thing I noticed was this beyond-chic light fixture in their main room. After perusing their site, I am dreaming about this and that chandelier. You will find some familiar items, such as The Green Vase plants along with cushions and lampshades made from cult favorite contemporary fabric lines, including Décors Barbares. They have a smart selection of American quilts; that said, I would like to shop some of our domestic sources (stay tuned) before I weigh in on whether to purchase here. As an American, it just doesn’t sit well to travel to Scandinavia to buy American pieces, ya know? In addition to the ceiling lights, I was drooling for this 57 piece porcelain service by Arje Griegst, comprised of pale pink shell-inspired figures. This may take the number one what-I’m-coveting spot from my visit.
Part of said porcelain service, as pictured by the seller. Can one of you dedicated collectors please purchase this incredible set and have me over to dine off of it and live vicariously through you? Thanks.
This vintage Swedish wall tapestry got my attention — but was way, way, way out of my budget — as did this rug, which I believe they told me was of the same origin. A few of you have mentioned to me the pain point of buying art, so I’d also like to note their selection of framed textiles and vintage posters. I was particularly smitten with this vintage Swedish framed tapestry. And I was personally tempted by this 1976 Robert Rauschenberg at The Museum of Modern Art poster (as I wrote my college thesis on the artist before going to work for the museum), but again I got caught on the American-buying-this-American-item-from-Europe bit.
SHIPROCK SANTA FE
Shapshots from my past visits to Shiprock Santa Fe, including photos from July.
Apropos of being American, my deep love and appreciation of Native American art and culture makes Shirpock Santa Fe one of my favorite stores in the States. This destination opened over 30 years ago and is curated by fifth generation art dealer Jed Foutz, who was raised on the Navajo Nation. I’ve been visiting this shop, located on the second floor of the historic Santa Fe Plaza, nearly annually for over a decade — first, while in town for the International Folk Art Market with St. Frank and then later while visiting my husband’s family. Across about seven rooms you can find a world-class assortment of Navajo rugs and blankets (the main attraction), Pueblo pottery, Native American jewelry, folk and fine art by Native Americans, and even a smattering of collectable 20th Century furniture. Any style home — traditional (think Ralph Lauren’s consistent nod to Native American motifs), modern (sitting naturally with bold, abstract patterns), or bohemian/eclectic (obviously) — can incorporate these items. It can be tempting to look at a shop like this and think, “I love it, but I don’t live out West.” PSA: you do not need to be outfitting your Jackson Hole escape to shop here. I have been eyeing a blanket for years and would love to see one in my son’s Manhattan bedroom. Most of the palettes are browns or reds/oranges, but you can find unexpected multicolor plaids and even lovely purple hues. On my most recent visit, I was drawn to their art collection and noticed a piece by Fritz Scholder. It was a watercolor of the Grand Canyon, uncharacteristic of the artist’s style. The piece appealed to me partially because of the significance of that location in my own love story (a story for another time). This work is no longer available, but two lithographs by the artist — here and here — are still for sale.
FRANCESCA GENTILLI
The home of Francesca Gentilli, as seen on House & Garden, photographed by Chris Horwood.
This is a retailer I know exclusively through following on Instagram, but the vibe reminds me so much of what the St. Frank collection used to be (shoutout to one of the few remaining vintage gems I hand selected still available for purchase there) that I’m left feeling that I should be friends with the woman behind it. (Is that too self-important to say? I may or may not have DM’d her with the phrase “I’m obsessed,” but at least I refrained from pitching the friendship angle? Send help.) Francesca Gentilli specializes in Indian, Turkish, Uzbek, and Moroccan textiles. This appears to be a one-woman operation run from a studio in the English countryside, which 100% makes me love it more. Plus, HER HOME TOUR — it’s like The Holiday cottage, but way better. I have not yet purchased from the site, but based on what I can see, I believe it is well priced. In terms of what I want, I’m eyeing her suzani Christmas stockings. I also love her raw, do-what-you-will-with-this suzani assortment, particularly this and this and this and that. For those of you missing the old St. Frank assortment, check out her Moroccan and Turkish rugs, as well as her framed textiles.
1STDIBS, CHAIRISH, FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE, ET AL
An interior featured in 1stDibs Fall 2024 catalog, designed by JAM and photographed by Gieves Anderson.
After my intro, these fellas can’t be ignored. In my previous post I touched on the main resellers, so I won’t spend much time on them here. You can find my very high-level approach to searching and bidding in that post and, rest assured, I will be scouring these sites for you in my product roundups down the line. Before I move on from them, however, I will draw this quick distinction for those less familiar: think of 1stDibs as an aggregator of antique dealers; think of Chairish as an aggregator of flea markets (the highest end here reaching the lowest end of the former); and think of Facebook Marketplace as an aggregator of garage sales (hit or miss, but great steals when you score ‘em).
On the subject of marketplaces, my friend Natalie Wadsworth (along with Goop) recently underscored that I need to spend at least one full day shopping the iconic Parisian flea market Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen. I haven’t been, but just passing that along for those headed to the City of Light. Now, what are your recommendations for shopping vintage décor?