Magic With What You Already Own

Does anyone else get a little depressed when they walk into a modern home goods decorator kind of store?

On rare occasions I actually shop in a brick and mortar store.  By rare--I actually mean maybe once every couple of months.  I always leave with visual and brain overload--and overwhelmed by pillows, picture frames, chinese chinese chinese everything including modern knock offs of every widget you can think of.

Lately, I am taking a page, no, a CHAPTER out of my maternal grandmother's decorating philosophy.  Less is more and work with what you have, you don't always need to buy buy buy new.

Grandma Lenore was superb at decorating her home--she tweeked and rearranged items she already owned to give a new fresh look to her rooms--and she did it often.  A new little fabric on a pillow there, or a furniture rearrangement there.  She would take that lamp out of that room and reusue it on a different table.  Or rotate paintings.  These changes were often done seasonally and it really kept her house fresh to the eye.  She attended auctions--and would spend very little money to acquire a need New To Her widget and incorporate that in her scheme.

Our shop sales have been gangbusters the last two months particularly.  People are buying small furniture and paintings--and we work hard at pricing fairly and accessibly.  I am seeing buyers well under 40 years old--and I am hopeful that folks are seeing the value in quality vintage over the Poorly Made But Looks Good stuff from yet another mall home decorator shop.