Since buying my first home last year, I’ve really enjoyed sourcing unique second hand or vintage furniture and decorating each room. I thought I’d talk through five of my favourite finds so far. I think a home is so much more interesting and personable when it has a curated mix of old and new pieces, rather than the same flat pack furniture as everyone else!

Austinsuite Teak Sideboard

Austinsuite Teak Sideboard

I knew I wanted a mid-century sideboard for the dining area and while this style is very popular at the moment, I think it’s a timeless design. It took a couple of weeks of checking Facebook Marketplace daily before the right piece came up at the right price – there were plenty either in bad condition or too expensive. And this one fitted in the back of a car too, another key requirement!

After we brought it home I found an Austinsuite makers mark inside a drawer, which was a British furniture maker most known for producing bedroom furniture in East London in the 1960s. There are a few watermarks on the top which I think are possible to fix although I quite like things not looking too perfect. I really love the wood grain pattern on the two cupboard doors. I’m currently using it store various arts and crafts bits including my sewing machine and photo printer, as well as extra dining table accessories.

Studio Pottery Lamp

Studio Pottery Lamp

I reckon I could very easily collect a lot of lamps! You can have a lot of fun with shapes, colours and textures and they can become quite sculptural pieces. I found this lamp base in Focus on the Past Antiques in Clifton, one of my favourite antique shops in Bristol. I knew the neutral colour palette would make it a versatile yet visually interesting piece. The plug had a PAT test label on which is worth looking out for when buying electrical items (if an item doesn’t have one and it’s quite old, it’s usually worth rewiring for safety reasons).

The base of the lamp has an Iden Pottery Sussex blue backstamp, which is known to be good quality stoneware. I’m not sure of its exact age. It can however be classed as Studio Pottery, which means it was handmade by artists working alone or in small groups, creating unique items or limited quantities. It took a while to find a suitable lampshade to pair with the base, I opted for a simple one from Dunelm which works nicely.

Utility Furniture Chair

Utility Furniture Chair

One of my (many!) favourite things about living in a city is that sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to stumble across a gem of a piece that someone’s left out for free at the front of their house. I found this chair nearby earlier this year, and instantly liked its simple design with the curved back. It was a bit wobbly but otherwise seemed solidly built, and I knew I could easily remedy this and also reupholster the cushion.

Once I brought it home I searched online to see if I could find anything about its history and was in luck! It had the ‘CC41’ mark imprinted underneath the seat, meaning it was part of the 1940s Utility Furniture Scheme. This was a scheme implemented by the government during and after the Second World War, when demand for new furniture was high due to the destruction from the Blitz. Most raw materials were required for the war, so furniture needed to be cleverly designed to use as little wood as possible, and to be easy to make by unskilled workers (many skilled furniture makers were needed elsewhere). From what I can tell, the chair is made of oak and was designed by Edwin Clinch (this may not be accurate). Some people might want to sand and re-finish the wood but I love the aged patina – this is what gives it its character and soul.

Folding Side Tables

Folding side table

While on the lookout for some coffee/side tables to place next to the sofa, I came across a pair of these lovely round folding tables at Paintworks Flea Market. I’m not convinced that they’re original pieces but they’re still made of solid wood and have a lovely mid-century design. I think they’re based on Poul Hundevad’s 1960s Danish design made of teak. An original set would set you back several hundred pounds so I’m pretty happy to have found these at a fraction of the price. The market was quite small for the price of entry, but you are paying for the convenience of browsing vintage furniture within Bristol city centre, and it was a very enjoyable browse.

TV Cabinet

TV Cabinet

Another Facebook Marketplace find – and while it’s not a stunning mid-century piece it serves a very practical purpose of storing a lot of boardgames, plus it was a bargain at only £10! It’s fun to think that TVs used to be such a chunky shape. I like the idea that you would’ve been able to hide the TV away so as not to distract from the rest of the room. So often modern living rooms centre around a TV – I’d love to see more spaces that are focused on conversation and human interaction instead.

I’d love to know if you’ve found any great vintage pieces yourself?

Alexa

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