There was a time when finding the perfect vintage chair was an insider’s art – something only for those with a keen eye and the time to scour flea markets and auction rooms. But today there’s a huge online market for vintage furniture and homeware, much of it sold by small independents who have access to a global audience via Instagram and social media. Buying secondhand is better for the planet; it’s easier and less stressful than shopping at Ikea; and it’s a more creative – and often more affordable – way to furnish our homes. We all know about the environmental impact of overproduction in the fashion industry, and the lessons are the same when it comes to furniture and interiors, too.
While previous generations furnished their homes with tables and chairs made from quality wood that will outlive them – Victorian pine, 20s oak, 60s teak – we have become used to MDF chests of drawers that fall apart after a few years. They are so cheap, it’s easier to buy new pieces than repair them, so streets end up littered with broken, badly constructed furniture made from composite materials coated in chemicals.
But the reaction against throwaway culture is changing people’s buying habits, says Nina Hertig, founder of the mid-century Scandinavian furniture showroom Aelfred, which opened last year in London. It’s only a physical shop at the moment, but an Instagram store is in the works. Hertig’s online store Sigmar is the more expensive big sister. Anyone who has moved house with a piece of disintegrating furniture that won’t survive will buy something better made next time, she says. “It comes with a change in the understanding that the cost of a piece of furniture works out a lot better over many years if you buy something that will last longer.”
It’s all about “considered buys”, as stylist and florist Jemma Cox posted recently on her Instagram. “I have been guilty of buying ‘fast homeware’ – trendy, impulsive purchases that are now sitting in my loft,” she wrote. She speaks for many of us.
Georgia McGivern launched The Antik Store online and on Instagram in 2019, selling secondhand homeware, from floral plates to decorative objects, which she sources from antique fairs in the UK such as Ardingly, Shepton Mallet and Sunbury, as well as smaller rural car boot sales. She also scours flea markets in France and is heading to Puglia in Italy in May.
At 31, McGivern is part of a generation of young online dealers for whom Instagram is their shopfront. She launched her store on the platform just before the first lockdown and would sell exclusively via direct messaging. She has since created a website and launched an Etsy store. Bestsellers include storage baskets, Italian fruit platters and still life paintings.
According to a report published in February by the research and design lab Space10 in Copenhagen, “slowness” is becoming a driver for the way we are furnishing our homes as we look for pieces that will last for generations. If we are turning the thermostat down and switching off our lights, it doesn’t make sense to then contribute to a fast-furniture business model that encourages overconsumption. The report says that almost 50% of people in Britain are more likely to buy pre-owned items now than five years ago, and 62% of generation Z and millennials say they look for an item secondhand before buying a new one.
Narchie, a homeware app that features more than 800 sellers, is praised in the report for its ability to transform “flea market shopping into a digital experience, connecting buyers and sellers, to extend the life cycle of furniture and homeware”. The app – which is aimed at the Depop generation which understands that quality items retain a value and can be resold – is easy to use. You tell it what room or rooms you are shopping for, and what style, and you will be offered a selection of items specially curated for you.
“Vintage glassware is trending right now and good pieces go super-fast,” says Narchie’s founder, Harriet Pringle. “I think buyers are realising that they can get [pieces] at a fraction of the price of buying new. One-of-a-kind things get snapped up fast: a brass crab was sold within three minutes of being uploaded.” As well as the continuing desire for 70s, 80s and mid-century pieces, the 90s are becoming popular.
Elsewhere, Vinterior offers a single portal into 2,000 sellers from more than 30 countries, all offering upmarket vintage pieces for the home. Founder Sandrine Zhang Ferron launched the website after scouring vintage showrooms around the country to find a particular yellow chair she had fallen in love with by the Danish designer Poul Volther. She wanted to make it easier for people like her to buy – and sell – vintage furniture.
Alongside French and art deco antique pieces, G Plan is one of their most sought-after brands. You can pick up a small 60s shelving unit for £175. The site also encourages a pick-and-mix approach that isn’t defined by a period but rather aims to help people find “one-off iconic pieces that set the tone for a space”.
So how do you go about bagging your own vintage treasure? Read on …
How to shop
What should I look for?
A good-quality wood. One reason G Plan furniture is so sought after is the hard-wearing teak from which it was made, a material so durable it is used to build ships. “Look at the details to tell you how a piece is made,” says Aelfred’s Nina Hertig. For example, nails, staples or glue around a joint are signs of poor-quality furniture, which won’t last as long as items made using classic woodworking techniques such as dovetail joints. And look for functional designs, too.
How can I tell something is good quality if I can’t see it/feel it?
Do some research on the brand: for example, if it’s a bentwood chair, put the photograph into a Google image search to find more information. Ask questions of the seller, check what the materials are and request pictures of the underneath of a piece of furniture so you can check the joints are all intact. If it’s a piece of ceramic or glass, make sure there are no cracks or chips.
What period is best?
It’s not so much about sticking to a particular period as finding your style and buying what you love, says Vinterior’s Sandrine Zhang Ferron. For a lot of people, it’s about creating an eclectic look and finding a one-off piece to anchor a room. “Things you love will always go well together,” says Narchie’s Harriet Pringle, while Hertig suggests: “For a good investment, look outside what everyone else is after – late 19th- and early 20th-century pieces generally offer value for money.”
What is big now?
“Detailed lighting, from candelabras to intricate table lamps, and mid-century rattan and wicker are very popular,” McGivern says. “Think round wicker mirrors, antique bamboo side tables and rattan lamps.” In the past few years, Vinterior has seen a big spike in interest in bobbin and barley twist furniture, Murano glass lighting – particularly the mushroom lamp – and the Togo sofa by Ligne Roset.
What designers should I look for?
Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen is the classic designer for statement Danish lighting, but prices are at a premium. Try Artek’s 2nd Cycle for vintage Alvar Aalto, and Robin Day for British mid-century modern design. Vintage Ikea is growing in popularity, too – check out a steel and glass 80s dining table (an example of good materials made to last) for £397.
How do you style vintage?
Keep a balance between old and new, says interior designer Emma Shone-Sanders, founder of the studio Design & That. She sources vintage furniture and lighting from places such as The Peanut Vendor and Two Columbia Road. “Give pieces room to breathe so rooms are not cluttered,” she says, and have fun: a farmhouse table looks great with brutalist chairs, according to Vinterior’s Zhang Ferron: “I also love a mid-century chair in a living room corner next to an antique mirror.”
Should I reupholster?
Absolutely, says Celia Philo, co-founder of Philo & Philo vintage shop in Bruton, Somerset (on Instagram @philoandphilo). “I love faux furs and classic patterned linens, and anything that pops in colour is fun. It’s about making that bright statement piece the focus, though, and not clashing with too many bold items in one space.”
And don’t forget …
One of the joys of shopping in real life is being able to haggle. But even online it’s worth making an offer. McGivern says: “I price my items fairly and according to their age and rarity, but if something is out of my customer’s range, I’ll try to sort something out.”
Where to buy
Narchie
What A social network and online marketplace, with a website and app, which caters to all different budgets.
Good for French 60s glass cups and saucers, and vintage rattan lampshades.
Bestsellers Vintage Ikea pieces, such as an early 90s Lykta glass table lamp.
Shelf Living
What Preloved vintage homeware and furniture available to buy via regular drops on Instagram Stories.
Good for One-off items in clay, glass, wood and shell, and 30s mantel vases, stoneware jugs and wooden bowls.
Bestsellers 70s bamboo magazine racks.
Vinterior
What About 2,000 vintage dealers across Europe on one website.
Good for Investment/statement pieces – think auction house, not car boot.
Bestsellers G Plan sideboard.
The Saleroom
What Mothership for auction rooms.
Good for Trawling through more than 700 salerooms around the world.
Bestsellers Too much to choose from, but I’m bidding on a 60s Habitat lamp. Stick to a budget, though: don’t get overexcited or bid after a glass or two.
Selling Antiques
What More than 600 antiques dealers from the UK on one website.
Good for Going down a wormhole, and a serious chest of drawers or assorted fine but odd cups and saucers.
Bestsellers A 30s triple-mirror walnut dressing table, a mahogany sideboard or Victorian ceramic Staffordshire dogs.
The Antik Store
What A selection of homeware curated by founder Georgia McGivern. Antik supports a small, independent supply chain of market sellers and charities.
Good for Floral ceramic plates, quirky tableware and still life oil paintings.
Bestsellers Large antique rustic cottage core pieces such as old kitchen dressers.
Grandma’s Attic
What Instagram shop specialising in the sort of quirky thing you might find in, well, your grandmother’s attic.
Good for 70s mushroom-shaped glass paperweights, Carlton Ware banana split dishes or the odd Wedgwood urn.
Bestsellers Eccentric ceramic items and colourful glass candlesticks.
All Things Nice
What Instagram and Etsy seller with a constant churn of colourful glass, chintzy plates and 50s ceramics.
Good for Vintage glass vases, decanters and jugs.
Bestsellers Art deco cake plates and glass serving dishes.
Etsy
What Global marketplace, mother of all things handmade, one-off and vintage.
Good for If you know what you want, it’s always worth checking if it’s on Etsy. Many of the small independent Instagram vintage dealers are here, too.
Bestsellers You’ll find everything from a 60s Danish rosewood sofa to a 70s Bavarian coffee pot (if that’s your vibe, check out seller EvergreenGoldUK).
Facebook Marketplace
What A community-based online marketplace for buying and selling pretty much anything – one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
Good for Household castoffs from your local neighbourhood, children’s bedroom furniture, garden tables and chairs. “I recently purchased a beautiful Edwardian camel-back sofa here,” McGivern says, “and had it reupholstered in vintage floral fabric.” It’s an easy way to sell stuff, too.
Bestsellers Dining sets and large items of furniture such as sofas.
Vinted
What Marketplace primarily known for secondhand clothes, but increasingly popular for homeware – to buy or sell.
Good for Bargains galore, from 70s Spode plates to a great vintage-looking bamboo mirror currently on for £2.
Bestsellers Popular brands include Ikea, particularly nursery furniture and wardrobes.
