Obviously, this is a topic close to my heart - so many things in my home are older than me. I love strolling flea markets and discovering something that I'll never find again. In a world filled with low quality, build-it-yourself Scandinavian furniture, it's so worth it to take a little extra time to hunt for a pre-scuffed, solid wood credenza with dovetail drawers and brass fixtures (for the same price as a Malm dresser).
It's taken me a lot of trial-and-error to get the hang of collecting vintage. Learning to tell the difference between a diamond in the rough versus something that truly should remain on the curb for the trash collectors takes practice. Fortunately, there are some great resources for hunting down your next vintage piece if you're not quite ready to start trolling thrift stores. There are a number of places that have started taking some of the guesswork out of shopping for dinged up old furniture.
I was recently introduced to Chairish, an online vintage consignment concept that is truly genius (and they'll deliver, so you don't have to worry about how to fit that midcentury modern surfboard coffee table into your Honda Civic like I did). In addition to the online offerings of vintage furniture, decor, art, and jewelry, Chairish has curated city guides to help you source the perfect piece for your home (I'm loving the Chicago City Guide). They sent me a sneak preview of their latest venture in helping the world see beyond Ikea: a one-page vintage buying guide that breaks down the designers, materials and designs to look for when you're out there on your own and it's just between you and a large, worn-in leather womb chair on the side of a road somewhere.
