Amitha's Blog

Three pieces to look for at flea markets (My secret list!)

A few years back we were in Orlando for a paint demonstration. We were really excited to show off our products and had some pretty jaw dropping before and afters.

But sadly, all of our “before and after” furniture pieces were damaged in transit, and we had nothing to work with!

I had already done a quick search of the city to see if there were any antique shops I could visit in my downtime and thankfully, we were able to find some great pieces that saved the day.

Now, it’s a tradition I stick to whenever I travel. Whatever city I’m in — whether it’s in Orange County, the Italian Alps, or French Bordeaux, I do a quick Google search for the top antique stores in the area, and make sure I visit them while I’m in town.

Here’s the thing, though:

As much as I wish I could just pick up and bring home anything my heart desires (I’m sure you feel the same way)…

When you’re traveling, you have to be a bit more picky than usual.

Because you have to find pieces that are gorgeous, but can still be brought back on a plane or in a packed car.

But I have good news.

After years of antique-hunting on vacation, I’ve figured out THREE of the best go-to items.

They’re easy to transport, look beautiful, and are perfect memories of the places we’ve visited over the years.

Here they are:

Antique & Vintage Frames

I love stumbling onto old frames. They’re one of my must have pieces and are the first thing you should be looking for when you’re out of town.

Frames are incredibly convenient to carry back home, and you can easily turn them into a mirror or add a pretty photograph or piece of artwork inside.

Take a look at this frame I found at a flea market 10 years ago. My husband and I were on our babymoon when we stumbled into a small street fair just outside of Rome.

I brought it home and turned it into a mirror.

If you’ve been in a creative rut, going out of town and looking at what kinds of antiques other parts of the world have to offer can give you that jolt of inspiration you’ve been searching for.

But if you don’t want to leave town, don’t worry.

We just shipped in a few gorgeous old frames that would look stunning in your home.

Anything Floral

Old vintage floral paintings are my second go-to.

They’re great to decorate with and can easily be placed in a variety of spots around your home, like:

Leaning on a piece of furniture, or against a bookshelf
In a bedroom
In a guest bedroom
In a powder bathroom
Inside your bookshelves

You should also be on the lookout for great vintage floral paper to wrap gifts with or line your drawers!

Here are some we have at Village Antiques — we’d love for you to stop in and see them for yourself.

Old Boxes

The last thing I always look for is old boxes.

They’re incredibly versatile accent pieces, and you can use them strategically around your whole house — on your coffee tables, buffets, in bookshelves, and nightstands.

Here’s a very special “box” that I found, which is a model of an old European room. And it’s sitting in my bookshelf right now!