I am a vintage dealer and artist who decided to start a new kind of interior design
I was introduced to the world of interior design as a vintage dealer in the days before smartphones. I used to sell vintage and antique furniture to interior designers, and the interior designers had clients willing to pay top dollar for high-end vintage, mixed with an assortment of highly-priced furnishings from a network of exclusive vendors. Designers were the tastemakers, and their tastes trickled down to dictate what sold at the flea markets and auctions and thrift stores.
I noticed that as the years went by, and design inspiration on social media grew abundant, there were many more people interested in decorating their homes. No longer were vintage dealers selling only to designers or storefronts, but also directly to clients. No longer were designers alone tasked with teaching trends to their clients—but interior inspiration was being shared from all over the world, igniting a growing passion for decorating the spaces we live.
As the world changed, so did my craft. Through my vintage dealing, I found like-minded clients who shared my love for the old and unique. But, they also needed my help composing a room. They know their style, they know what they like, and they enjoy the labor of love in creating a home for themselves. But the hardest part is often impossible to do on your own: making it all work together.
How do you make your grandmother’s chair and your collection of vintage brass and your kids toys and your ultra-modern coffee table and your love of the color red —-how do you make all those things you love mix together in a way that feels interesting and comfortable and above all beautiful? How do you find vintage? How do you know if this vintage chair is good quality, and worth the price? How do you pick curtains to go with the antiques or new upholstery fabric for the 60-year old Vladimir Kagan couch?
