I don’t know about you, but there is a version of me that could totally do big city loft living. In my mind, the building is an über chic, converted warehouse oozing with massive-windows-and-exposed-brick-and-wooden-beam charm.

Photo courtesy of www.thestwrd.com

My neighbours are of course artists and architects and musicians and innovators, and we all take turns hosting wine tastings and cooking parties where we talk about art and inspiration and our favourite recipes (and never discuss politics). The kitchen would no doubt look like this:

image found on Pinterest

My husband and I spent several glorious years living in the charmingly European neighborhood of Bloor West Village in Toronto. Though not a loft neighborhood, the 18″ gumwood baseboards and beefy (nearly edible) matching wood door casings were delightful. It had some of that ruddy charm that I love about a good loft, too. Something of a sense of history that made you feel very much at home and somehow connected with a meaningful story right there in your own neighbourhood.

We live in Oakville now, and it has many benefits including mature trees and bigger back yards. With that also comes normal ceiling heights, no 18 foot high walls of architectural windows, no real exposed brick or beefy gumwood baseboards…so we need to think of other ways to bring that vintage warmth and nostalgia into our spaces. For me, it’s about the art of the mix. It is about a home that is carefully curated over time – perfectly imperfect and reflective of a journey.

I recently trotted off to the local Christie Antique Show in search of just this kind of nostalgic inspiration. Here are a few of the treasures  I found:

As it turns out, I went on this little adventure with something very specific in mind. I was searching for an antique, square, pressed-glass, footed cake stand. I knew exactly what I wanted (a dangerous place to start, I find) and had stuffed two $20’s in my pocket in the hopes I would find it. After spending $10 on parking, I had a generous $30 budget left and a pocket full of dreams. I had nearly gotten through the entire show and was feeling rather deflated when – like a mirage in the distance – there it was. A perfect, square, pressed-glass footed cake stand (skirted, even!) that was exactly as I had imagined it. 
My elation quickly turned to deflation once again as I learned that my intended treasure – a Fostoria American collectible cake stand, patented in 1915 – was in fact $275. The fact that they took Visa did not help in this case (a budget is a budget), though the dealer was really hopeful when he saw how excited I had been to discover it.
So instead of going home with my intended treasure, I came home with an education on what I’m looking for, a little less naivete over the price of things and a few images to share with you! Hope to see you at the September edition of the Christie Antique Show!
xo
s.