I haven't been able to regularly update this blog due to personal reasons. I just came back to the US and it took some time getting settled back in. On top of that, I started school. But the one thing I'm most excited about is that I opened my own Etsy shop! 

It was a project I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have always loved the history and character of antique items. And it made sense that I wanted to share this with people. Blame the TV show American Pickers (ha!) but I fancied myself as someone who would reconnect history back to the public. I enjoy going through flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, barns, you name it, I've been there. I don't care if its dusty, dirty or old because it reveals the history of the item. It makes you wonder where it has been, what it has witnessed and who were the kind of people who you used it. This is the sort of fascination with old objects that will never go away. It is about connecting with our past. 

It makes sense to open my shop on Etsy because the community is better than Ebay. Etsy is much more known for specializing in vintage and handmade crafts. Etsy also lets me be more creative with my items. 

In my shop, I specialize in vintage items that can be used for home decor. I believe in reusing old items and giving them new life. This blog is an example of how people can use vintage items in contemporary interiors. I also try to find interesting items that are perfect for the collector. They might be odd and bizarre but in their own way they are beautiful. 

I'm proud of my shop and I hope you check it out!  

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBizarreNBeautiful

-Vanessa

Hey Everyone!

I was inspired by my recent upcycling post. So for this edition of Design Eye Candy, I'll be posting pictures of contemporary interiors that have vintage items in them. Enjoy! 

This industrial themed work office looks fantastic! I love the bare concrete walls paired with the brick walls. The vintage items like the old signs and the chairs go well with this kind of look. 

I love the look of renovated farmhouses. It has that old style charm without looking outdated. Here, the interior is matched with vintage items like old crates, vases, pitchers etc. But the white theme makes it feel new and refreshing. 

This is a great idea to repurpose salvaged wood. The old and distressed look adds to the charm of these place. And it works very well in this modern and minimalist interior.

I love this kitchen! I like the look of industrial themed rooms. The vintage drawers is a really cool and creative way of adding storage. The distressed LA sign metal and the old bar stools give this room a spunk. 

This is a very contemporary looking house with the black tones in the dining area. You would expect very sleek looking furniture to match it but the vintage chairs adds an unexpected and fun twist to this otherwise modern interior.

It shows that vintage items don't only belong to private homes but it can also look good in stores as well. Here, the smart use of vintage items give this store a unique and unforgettable look. 

Recently, recycling and upcycling have become hot buzzwords in design. It has particularly affected other industries such as housing, construction and retail, among others. The rising trend of consumer awareness and their impact on the environment has led to a shift in the paradigm of these industries. Recycling and upcycling have two different meanings. Recycling involves breaking down waste or a product and then turning it into a different component. An example of this is when plastic bottles are sent to a recycling facility to be melted down and formed into another product. Upcycling is taking a product or an item in its current form and repurposing it into something new or useful. A good example of this would be turning an old tire into a swing or taking an unused teapot and using it as a flower vase. Recycling involves several more processes to turn the waste into a reusable product. It is usually sent to a manufacturing or recycling facility that uses raw materials and in turn produces more waste and pollutants. Thus recycling is not always the most ideal choice. On the other hand, upcycling ends with the product. Instead, it involves human creativity, passion and ingenuity to turn the product or waste into something of more value than the original item. It is about looking at a product and determining its other uses before it is discarded.

  

Upcycling is a human, thoughtful process and that is probably why it appeals to designers. It offers many artistic opportunities for interior design. Whether using old books, typewriters, cameras etc. as accessories to repurposing an old barnyard door as a room divider, the possibilities are endless. The whole upcycling movement has given vintage items a resurgence in popularity in the last years. Flea markets, garage sales, estate sales and antique shops are the go to places for people to find that one item they can up-cycle. 

This idea of repurposing something is not just a way for designers to save on costs or as a form of backlash on consumerism. We rescue or reuse old items for different reasons. It is a sincere effort to save the environment and to keep them from our landfills. It is a way to preserve the longevity of an item. And in more ways, it is a way to honor our history and to pass on our memories. I don’t think the use of vintage items in interior decor will run out of steam anytime soon. The use of vintage items has something that mass-produced commercial items will never have; and that is history and character! 

I'm a very visual person. I enjoy looking at beautiful things and that includes beautiful homes. Maybe that is why I like buying home magazines, if only to stare at the gorgeous designs featured within. So today, I would like to share with you stunning photos of Mid-century Modern houses. This kind of style features clean lines, natural materials, sweeping curves and organic forms. The best example of this style is best characterized on the TV show "Mad Men". Recently, mid-century modern has seen a popular surge in contemporary design. Mid-century pieces are mixed with contemporary styles to provide an updated look without looking outdated. So without further ado, here are some treats for your eyes! 

What's there not to love about this room? There's the color palette that is very reminiscent of Mid-Century style, the open layout and the furniture. I could gush about this room for days!

The one thing that characterizes Mid-Century homes are big, open windows that lets in lots of light. With a view like that outside my home, I wouldn't mind if I don't have as much privacy as I would like. 

This bedroom stays true to mid-century design by sticking to clean lines and natural grain materials. The chair and the bench are very iconic mid-century style.

This bathroom is the perfect blend of contemporary and mid-century design. I think its very clever to use a mid-century cabinet and convert it to a sink. Very nice indeed!

I love those bar stools and the very clean shapes of the kitchen. Its almost seems minimalist but still has that quality from the mid century.

This is my absolutely favorite room out of all! I love the Eames chair on the corner and the rest of the authentic mid-century pieces in this room. In fact I love everything in this room, even the exposed brick by the bed. If I had my own studio apartment, it would definitely look like this. <3

Well that's it for now for Design Eye Candy. I will be posting more pictures soon so keep an eye out for that! 

-Vanessa

Nowadays, the words "antique" and "vintage" are used so interchangeably that the meanings have become somewhat convoluted. It has become overused in the common lexicon that most people don't really know the formal meanings of each. So I think its now time to settle the score and figure out once and for all what makes these two different. 

The word antique and vintage both have connotations of being old but they have different and specific meanings that will differentiate each one. Formally, Merriam Webster defines vintage as the "period in which something was made or begun". While antique is defined as "a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age" 

Basically, in simpler terms it means that: 

• Antiques are anything that are older than 100 years. A 1900s Louis XV armchair would be considered as antique. Also, antiques are considered to be much rarer and more unique. There are mass produced furnitures during that time period that a lot of people have purchased. Even though that is older than 100 years old, you wouldn't call it antique. It is basically like saying that today's Ikea furniture would be considered antique in a 100 years which we all know it wont because it will fall apart.
• Vintage refers to an item that is representative of the time it was made. An example of this would be a midcentury chair from the 1950s or an art deco chair from the 1930s. There are a lot of sellers representing their items as "vintage" when it fact it is just a reproduction of that style or design. These are what you call retro. They are basically newer items that are made to look like items from an older era. The popular style nowadays are retro designs. 

I hope that cleared things up for you and hopefully it will help you when you're buying "old" items. Goodluck shopping! 

-Vanessa

Like every new story, it begins with the main character. With that being said, I think its only appropriate that I start talking something about myself. Well my name is Vanessa, I'm 22 and I currently live in California. As my domain name suggests, I adore everything that is vintage. Whether it be vintage clothes, decor, accessories, or just anything that has history written on it. I've always loved history ever since I was child. Anything and everything that has something to do with history greatly interests me. In Califonia, we have a lot of flea markets that are abound with treasures from the past. It has become one of my past times to walk around flea markets and to just marvel at the items from bygone eras. Just walking down the stalls gave me a peek into the lives of people and cultures. It fascinated me to no end. Recently however, my interests have somewhat shifted to home decors. I've shamelessly started hoarding design magazines and kept clippings of my favorite interiors. What I noticed in contemporary design is the shift to a use of more vintage decor. This love of both history and design is what compelled me to make this blog. 

In this blog, I will be posting design news, photographs, articles, DIYs, tips and tricks, and so much more. This blog will primarily be a vintage design blog for the home. But as I grow, I hope to expand to other styles that would still be loyal to my love for everything vintage. This is the beginning of my story, a journey that I hope I can share with you. See you soon!

Love Lots,

Vanessa