When I think about this beautiful place where I live, gorgeous downtown Staunton, Virginia, and its awe-inspiring natural surroundings in Augusta County and the Shenandoah Valley, I can't help but reflect on its ancient origins and hope with all my might that such a great little mountain city and such amazing natural beauty will be here for many more centuries for future generations to love and … [Read more...]
Going Eclectic with Vintage and Antiques
"You can't pair that rug with that couch, they don't match!" How many times have you heard something like that from the decorator police, those friendly busybodies who want to tell you what's okay in the world of home decor? For many of us, we've heard it one too many times. But why should we? Those kinds of rules only apply if you strictly want to be either a by-the-book conformist or if … [Read more...]
Curation Counts in the Antiques World
I'm getting ready to dash off to another exciting auction and I'm on the prowl for fun, interesting, and compelling pieces to bring back for you, our loyal customers. But before I hit the road I thought I'd share a few words about why curation is important in the antiques and vintage resale world. Now don't get me wrong, I can have some serious fun buying a "surprise box" at an auction where … [Read more...]
Outfit Your Airbnb in Style with Vintage and Antiques
Location, location, location...but also style, style, style — these things go hand in hand. As someone who runs both an antiques business and a couple of Airbnbs (and who was formerly in real estate full time), I know the value of staging spaces for maximum impact, to impress and delight customers, to make people feel at home in a gracious and relaxed sense, and also to inspire trust and … [Read more...]