Tips On Buying Vintage Furniture From Esmeraldas Emporium Of Vanity
Amongst vintage caravan aficionados the ‘Coventry Knight’ has almost mythical status. Hugely sought after, and with few of them still in circulation, they have a scale and grandeur beyond the normal. These are facts well known to Esme Worrell, the creator and owner of the ‘Beauty Box’ She rescued this one and has re-invented it as a mobile beauty parlour. The furnishing for the interior followed a similar path with reproduction furniture from the 60’s that was destined for the dump. Pieces like these are so easy to just walk by and miss their potential, but by looking carefully at the style of this furniture, more commonly found as three piece bedroom suites in many suburban house 30 years ago, she saw classic design elements such as ball and claw feet, carved wood details and beautifully turned legs and has re-interpreted these into styling vintage pieces. Esme kindly shared her tips on buying vintage furniture with me and her key successes…
“I spotted a rare Coventry Knight caravan which was owned by a friend of a friend, who had a few stored away. They are very rare, with only 25 known to remain in the world. In their day they would have been more expensive than houses and I have a great respect for them and their history.
It is the shape of the caravan that particularly interested me as well as its uniqueness and the high level of craftsmanship, which is evident throughout. Many Coventry Knight trailers were custom built touring caravans and some of them were even used as mobile banks, which visited small towns and villages.
Throughout this restoration project I knew I had to use items of furniture that were sympathetic to the look of the trailer and complemented its shape and colour scheme, but finding the right pieces were the challenge. However, there were some key elements that led to my success.
Tell People What You Are Trying To Do
I discovered the 1960s furniture through a house clearance company that was based in the same warehouse as my workshop. They offered me all of it for £60 when they heard what I was trying to do.
Put In Some Creative Work To Reap The Rewards
Many people cannot be bothered to sand and paint tatty looking items but it is surprisingly easy and rewarding, as well as a great way to get a bargain!
The style and shape of the furniture I was offered had a perfect French charm to it but the deep cream colour was rather dated. I brought it to life by spray painting it with graffiti artist paints in a bone white colour and wallpapering the tops with a subtle grey pattern. On some pieces I covered the tops with a fabric that co-ordinated with the seat covers in the caravan. I simply glued it on and then varnished the top a few times.
Avoid The Obvious Places And Widen Your Search
In my experience I have found that avoiding the obvious shops is the best approach as well as not trusting everything I read. It is too easy to walk into a ‘vintage’ emporium and assume that everything is of value, but unfortunately this is not always the case.
A cheaply made and ugly 1960s cabinet will often be overpriced, and it will always be ugly. You can be much more successful in your endeavours when you go further afield and find a good countryside flea market or auction.
Be Adventurous
My love for vintage and antiques really started out with clothes and fashion so I find it easy to create the right aesthetic when dressing for work or dressing a room. I collect lots of affordable accessories and am adventurous with items.
You are most likely to find me looking in charity and thrift shops, and even exploring the men’s section for interesting accessories such as sock garters and braces.
When I buy anything from the high street I keep it basic unless the materials are outstanding. For me there is little value in cheap fashion and I’d rather invest in a special item that I’ll keep for a long time. Vintage garments and furniture are usually made from better fabrics and the construction is often of a much higher quality.”
For more inspirations from Jane Field-Lewis you can visit the ‘my cool… ‘ Pinterest page.
Thanks goes to Esme of Esmeraldas Emporium Of Vanity, also on Facebook and Twitter
Picture Credits: Ben Anders
