6 of My Favorite Home Purchases
Plus some links to similar items.
I first started investing real time and thought into home decor when I moved into an apartment with my now-husband Austin in 2019. I bought mostly vintage items that required days, sometimes weeks, of searching to find — and learned a lot along the way in terms of where (and how!) to look. Four years and two apartments later, I still have everything I bought during that initial sprint, plus some perspective on which things I appreciate most after living with and using them for a decent stretch of life. Below, I’ve shared a selection of my favorite purchases, along with a bit of directional wisdom if you’re looking to replicate a similar search. I’ve written about a few of these items before, but I’ve never collated all the sellers I bought them from, the keywords I used, and links to similar pieces in one place, so hopefully what’s shared here today will be uniquely helpful.
1. The antique screen behind my bed
This piece is a tried and true showstopper. When the sun reflects off the gold paint in the morning, the effect is — as they say — chef’s kiss. I bought mine from Vintage L A Furniture through Chairish. I love it as a headboard, but could also see myself using it in other ways or spaces in the future.
The origins of folding screens like this apparently date all the way back to the 4th Century B.C. in China, where they were mainly used by royalty. These tended to be heavier and more ornate. Later the Japanese would develop lighter, more portable versions that could be easily moved around. The ingenious blend of form and function is timeless, and we’re fortunate that there are so many beautiful vintage ones in circulation today.
Keywords used: vintage Chinese room divider; vintage Chinese folding screen; vintage Japanese room divider; vintage Japanese folding screen; vintage gold room divider; vintage gold folding screen
2. My naked lady in repose
I’m a sucker for soothing nudes, by which I mean nude sculptures or drawings where the naked person in question looks adequately peaceful and relaxed. My “dreamer” statue by American sculptor Vincent Glinsky is the perfect example. I like to keep her on top of a stack of books on my dresser and I do indeed feel soothed every time I look at her. There are always a handful of these statues floating around on resale sites, and once you know the artist they aren’t difficult to find. I got mine on Etsy from Lacuna, a shop full of excellent objets, but based on my research eBay has the best pricing for what’s currently out there. Here’s one for $70 and another for the same price.
Keywords used: Vincent Glinsky dreamer sculpture; Vincent Glinsky nude sculpture
3. My Magnus Oleson flip-top dining table
I knew I wanted an easily size-adjustable dining table for space reasons, ideally a Danish flip-top style. Great idea in theory, but good flip-tops can be hard to dig up. After a lengthy search I scored a vintage Magnus Oleson design with an abstract black dot pattern. I bought it from a vintage dealer I found via internet rabbit hole and paid them in cash upon delivery so I don’t have any digital trace of the sale, which is annoying because now I can’t remember the name of said dealer.
The good news is that I found the exact same table from another vintage seller, linked above. The bad news is that that they’re selling it for about triple what I paid for mine (though you have nothing to lose by using Chairish’s “make an offer” function to see what the seller would be willing to accept). The little coordinating side table I found on another site is a very cute alternative, but if you have your heart set on the larger size at a better price I’d recommend saving “Magnus Oleson table” as a search on any resale site that allows you to do that and keeping an eye out for other contenders that are likely to crop up if you’re patient and willing to play the long game. Or go the non-vintage route and opt for a classic, dot-less aesthetic à la this similar style from Safavieh that comes in both brown and black.
Keywords used: vintage flip top table; Danish flip top table; Magnus Oleson table; flip top dining table
4. My kantha quilt
My mom bought this quilt for me at a flea market, and I use it interchangeably as a throw blanket or tablecloth. It’s made with an Indian quilting technique called kantha that is used to upcycle layers of old saris or fabric scraps, hence the patchwork mix of beautiful colors. There are hundreds of kantha quilts on Etsy that you can buy from sellers based in India, and they’ve become one of my go-to, crowd-pleaser housewarming gifts.
Keywords used: kantha quilt
5. My arched semi-circle mirror
I bought the vintage arched mirror that rests on top of my bedroom dresser from @claudehome on Instagram (an excellent follow if you’re not already familiar). I was originally planning to mount it on the wall, but it was so heavy it made more sense to just have it sit on the dresser, and now I wouldn’t want it any other way. It makes the setup feel almost like an antique vanity.
Digging up mirrors with a similar look and feel for this newsletter was even trickier than I suspected. That’s the thing about finding the original vintage piece in question via Instagram — it was entirely a matter of luck (vs. keyword sleuthing). I’d always prefer to share fewer, better options than a bunch of links I only feel lukewarm about, which is how I edited down to the two above after a lengthy search. I love how special the shapes of the frames are.
Keywords used: vintage semicircle mirror; vintage arched mirror; vintage mantel mirror; vintage half frame mirror; vintage curved mirror; vintage art deco curved mirror
6. My cheerful everyday dinnerware
I collect vintage plates but tend to use them for decorative purposes only since they can contain high levels of lead (not something you want to mess around with!). For my everyday dinnerware, I prefer something safe, durable, dishwasher and microwave friendly, and not so expensive that my stomach would drop down into my knees if a dish were to chip or break. Of course, I also prefer that aesthetically they resemble something I might have stumbled across while shopping in a hypothetical small town on the Amalfi Coast…
Which is how I wound up purchasing a full set of these plates (4 for $32.97) and bowls (4 for $29.40). They’re sold at a bunch of retailers, but Wayfair currently has the best pricing. I really do love them (the coppery orange rim that contrasts against the blue and white pattern is my favorite part), and can attest to their durability after years of use. They also have a substantial, satisfying weight.
Keywords used: Certified International porto plates
Thanks for reading.
xo Harling
Love this! So great to finally see you on Substack, Harling. <3
Wow! You have such a beautiful eye! Thank you for sharing. 💌