Filed under: Kitchen, Your Home, Furniture
Tips for buying vintage furniture for your kitchen.When I wrote Always the Writer, Never the Client here on ShelterPop, I mentioned that I was dying for some sort of vintage farm table. I got a tremendous response from readers who confirmed that yes, I should indeed get rid of that uninspiring round table that took up too much space and find something that suited my vintage dreams.
So that's just what I did.
My sister and I headed to the amazing Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market, one of the best places for vintage finds in Ohio (and only an hour from where I live). After trekking through the rows and rows of charming tables (on swollen pregnant ankles, I might add), and weighing my options (Did I want wood? Metal? Distressed? Painted?), I settled on this adorable 1950s table. The red accents are perfect for my kitchen and the rectangular size (with leaves that pull out to seat up to 8) was just the right fit. With just a little bit of cleaning and re-painting (just the wooden white base part -- we left the enamel table top alone), it was ready to go! We found retro-inspired chairs at Target (browse the manufacturer who makes them Richardson Seating for inspiration!) to complete the look. Success!
My vintage dining table. Photo: Judi Ketteler
"Buying vintage is often cheaper than buying newly made," says appraiser and historian Elyse Luray, host of both PBS' "History Detectives" and HGTV's yearly special, "The Longest Yard Sale," which features the World's Longest Yard Sale (also called the 127 Sale).
My table was just $75. But that price looks even better when you compare the quality you can get for $75 of vintage (a table that has stood the test of time and is well made); these days $75 doesn't buy you much quality. Plus, you've got a little piece of history there in your kitchen, ready for your family to add its own stories.
Luray offers some tips for getting exactly the piece you want (for the price you want) in your kitchen.
Do your prep work.
First, make sure you have the right transportation. "You wouldn't believe how many people see something they love, and then have to make frantic calls trying to rent a truck after the fact," she says. Also, take measurements before you go. Aside from simply measuring your kitchen space (how much room do you really have in that corner?), don't forget to measure the width of your doorways.
Decide what you want: investment or utility?
A marked and signed designer piece from a company like Herman Miller is going to be pricey, of course. But if you just want the look, you don't need to go the designer route. "If you want to actually use the piece of furniture, don't buy for investment," Luray advises. Buy because it appeals to you and you have a way to use it.
Assess conditions.
"Condition is the most important thing," she says, especially because once you bring this table or butcher's block or set of chairs home, you need to live with them. For tables, make sure the leaves work. Make sure chairs are sturdy and legs are even. Replacing something can decrease the value, but again, only if you're buying for investment. Things like re-chroming the legs of a table (which I considered doing for my table, but then decided I liked the weathered look), painting, replacing hinges and draw pulls, and re-covering seat cushions are relatively easy and inexpensive fixes. If it's an older piece, part of its charm is that is has some wear and tear, but separate that from true functionality because bigger fixes, like replacing legs, are more expensive and may not be worth it.
See if it's comfortable.
It's a no-brainer, but don't forget! Sit at the chairs to see how they feel, or if you're buying a table, borrow a chair to sit in and sit at the table. Make sure the height is right. For something like a pantry or pie safe, make sure all of the drawers slide easily in and out, and that the construction of the piece feels solid.
Get comparables, and bargain.
Walk around and look at what other similar pieces are selling for. (This is obviously easier to do at a big flea market than at an antique store.) "Use your gut," Luray says. "Always bargain with the seller: they expect you to haggle with them." You can always ask what their bottom-line price is.
Buy because you love it.
"Buy the look and style you want, regardless of labels like antique or vintage," Luray says. If you love it, it doesn't matter if it's 20 years old or 100 years old. "Just have fun with it."
For more kitchen inspiration stories, check out:
- $500 Kitchen Makeover
- 5 Kitchen Trends You'll Want to Avoid
And we particularly love this story by our sister site Lemondrop about women who keep clothes in their fridge -- weird!