Thrifted Things

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve turned much of my thrifting focus to house wares and decor lately. Decorative objects are not everyone’s cup of tea — one person’s treasures can be another person’s clutter — but I love them. Being a maker has taught me to appreciate the skill and artistry that goes into creating these things which exist primarily to be beautiful. I enjoy having them around my house, though I do like to switch things up from time to time. I think of my house as an ever-evolving ecosystem (much like my closet, actually). That’s another reason why one of my longer term plans is to open up a small curated vintage shop.

Anyway, that’s my preamble for a post that’s all about the house wares I’ve thrifted lately. Let’s dive in!

The large still life, a Jae Dougall print (on stretched canvas) is one of my fave finds. This is actually the second Dougall piece I’ve thrifted, without really knowing much about the artist. I guess you can say that I really love her style. This also happens to fit in beautifully in my little reading nook in the living room. For a long time, that corner was fairly bare (well, the walls were) but it’s starting to really come together. That’s what I like about adding things slowly over time; it gives a space room to grow organically.

Candle holders are a small obsession of mine (after I gave up collecting globes, haha) and while I usually buy brass ones, I couldn’t resist this little ceramic one. The colour is so cheerful! It’s made in the Czech Republic!

Speaking of brass candle holders …

And then there was Lumiere! I’m not sure a formal dinner party is in the cards for me any time soon, but if and when it will be, I’m all set for table settings. In the meantime, I may use this outside on the deck. Fancy!

These Portuguese ceramic candle holders are also too adorable to pass up.

I know I said that I stopped collecting globes but how could I resist this little paperweight? It’s now sitting on my desk at home, and makes me smile whenever I look at it.

I haven’t yet found a place for this little antique mirror, but I know that I will. Besides, for $3, it was a no brainer.

I loved the abstract shape of these Hoselton made-in-Canada aluminum statuettes (one is a Canada goose, one is a crane). They’re lovely for shelf styling; I personally love an eclectic shelf, and have a few of them “curated” around the house. I think of them as little mini-museums.

Benjamin Chee Chee is one of my fave artists, and this is one of my fave prints. I adore the elegant simplicity of the line work – they are so graceful and fluid, and they perfectly capture the essence of the animals (in this case, more Canada geese).

This is a lovely little bowl from a pottery studio in Washington state. I love the colours, it’s my fave palette for ceramics.

This West Germany bud vase has a little bit of damage, but its shape is so wonderfully weird that I had to add it to my collection.

Japanese pottery is one of my favourite things to collect, and I could not resist this vase. The colour, the design … all so very lovely. It’s a piece I know my mom would have loved, which makes it extra special for me.

I guess I’m a sucker for oddly shaped vases because I also couldn’t leave this one behind. The thing that got me was the birch tree design; they remind me of my grandmother, who used to love them.

This is an 1980s Denby vase, but the shape and colour palette make it fit in well with my earth-toned Japanese pottery collection.

This is another Japanese piece, likely from the 70s (with a Sears Canada sticker still on the bottom). It’s hard to capture just how beautiful that glaze looks in real life; it has a milky sort of translucence that makes it seem as if the design is painted on water.

I guess I’m collecting swans now too 😉 (I have a few other Blue Mountain Pottery pieces, they’re a sort of Canadian classic.)

And although not a swan, this little made-in-Japan bird planter-vase had to come home with me too. Such a little cutie!

Do you have a favourite piece? If you also collect decorative objects, I would love to hear about your favourite categories or items, and how your collection started.