I've always loved hunting for old furniture treasures and have nostalgic memories as a child watching Bagpuss on TV...I just loved the way the mice could always fix things like new!
Throughout my 20’s and 30’s I moved house and continent several times, creating the necessity to furnish and sell a house full of furniture every time I moved, so there was no better way to decorate than to buy second-hand.
It's affordable, fun, and creates a unique home with interesting pieces.
Today, I'm lucky enough to have turned my love of interiors and finding old pieces of furniture into my own business. From a design perspective, the joy of using second hand pieces in my own home and others is that it adds character, a unique style, and opportunity to inject a bit of personality into a scheme. Buying new furniture does have its place, but if I can find an old piece or reuse and upcycle existing ones, it’s much more satisfying for me and my clients.
Homes should be a reflection of the individuals living in it and this is much easier to do with preloved pieces as you can tailor them to suit the space and the people who love them. It’s such a joyful process.
What do you look for/look out for when shopping for second hand furniture?
My search for second-hand pieces usually starts when I’m dreaming up schemes for myself or others. Sometimes, I'm asked by clients to find a specific piece, but hunting for secondhand and preloved things has become a bit of a habit!
I begin with the functionality and what is essential to complete a scheme. My searches can vary from sideboards and consoles to dining tables and headboards. I don’t usually limit my search to a particular style or decade of furniture, as the first thing that catches my eye is the shape of an item. Then I research it, check for wear and tear and assess the work needed to refurbish it. I will contact the seller and check the history of the item and that the price is line with the market value, as I have to weigh up the cost to buy, fix and transport it.
Decorating this way helps to counterbalance all the negative environmental aspects of redecorating and renovating. The interiors industry has a lot to answer for when it comes to environmental accountability, so if I can do a little bit to recycle and reduce my consumer footprint I'm very happy to do it.
We love the Fermoie fabric you used to recover this chair; what things do you consider when choosing a fabric for (re)upholstery?
I adore fabric and colour, so looking at fabric is another wonderful part of the upcycling process and my job. I'm lucky enough to work with fabric houses for my clients, but I still prefer to look for remnants online from either Haines or eBay - purely because it allows me to hunt through numerous fabric brands at once, defined only by the colour, quantity and end use.
This beautiful barley twist chair was a case in point. I only needed a small amount of fabric, but it needed to work well and complement the very intricate and delicate chair. The Fermoie fabric was perfect, the pattern could be centred on the seat. I think it compliments the chair wonderfully.
Where do you source second hand furniture?
I hunt for most of my fabrics on Haines and Ebay. Furniture hunting takes place on various platforms. I use Ebay, gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Advert IE based in Southern Ireland.
Some more include:
- www.junkshopantiques.com in Edinburgh,
- www.auctions.lotsroad.com in London,
- www.kernowfurniture.co.uk,
- www.Vinterior.com
- www.rosss.com , and www.lagansideauctions.co.uk
Instagram is great for finding like minded treasure hunters like:
- @le_barn_.
- @reverie.antiques
- @hame_interiors
- @theretrobee
- @shop.petit.tresor
- @englishcountryfabric, to name a few!
