Scouting from my Sofa

I've always been a fan of using vintage finds to add character to my home. Whether they're heirlooms handed down through the family, items picked up during my travels, or flea market finds doesn't matter to me as long as they're beautiful and functional. If they carry an interesting story with them that I can share with my children about times past, all the better. Like the claw from a claw foot bathtub that we use as a doorstop -- my children have never seen a claw foot bathtub, so that item was quite the novelty when I brought it home.

With three children, a husband, a dog and a job, I don't find as much time as I'd like to build my collection. Our local Alameda Flea Market is one of the best, but the first Sunday of each month usually finds me snuggled up on the sofa catching up on my reading or watching movies with my family. I've noticed lately that some really good big retailers are starting to integrate vintage finds into their collections, so collecting is a little easier than it used to be. Here are some of my favorites:

Flatware by the Pound from NapaStyle. The pieces are collected from old hotels around Europe, and recall a time before plastic forks and paper plates. This product is great for parties, just store it in a big glass jar and let your guests grab what they need.

Dough Bowls from Pottery Barn. Each is hand carved from a single piece of wood, and they're great for storage under the coffee table, at the end of the bed, on a desk. Anywhere really.

Vintage Grain Sacks from Pottery Barn. These make great pillows or table runners, and have a very interesting story: each stripe and monogram is custom to a local farm and farmer. When a farmer delivered his grain to the mill, the flour was returned to the farmer's own grain sacks so he could easily recognize his own product. Now that's a story you don't hear anymore.

Vintage suitcases from Jayson Home and Garden. They're not cheap, but if you feel like splurging, they're very chic for storage or stacked up next to a chair in place of a table. My children only know rolling suitcases now -- the concept of carrying a suitcase by its handle is completely foreign to them.

I still prefer to do the bulk of my treasure hunting myself, but it's nice to be able to let someone else do the leg work sometimes. I think of these big retailers as my own personal vintage scouts. I'd like to collect vintage flatware myself piece by piece from hotels around Europe, but really, who has the time?

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