STORE SEEKS OUT AGE-OLD FINDS
Vintage furniture is a passion of business partners Suzanne Eblen and Amy Whyte. In 1996, Eblen restored the 1879 Old Lucketts Store in Lucketts, Va., into a regional centre of antique and vintage finds. She and Whyte have expanded the business to offer an annual spring market, which celebrated its 19th year in May with about 200 dealers in attendance.
Below, Eblen and Whyte answer questions about painted furniture, vintage garden urns, architectural salvage and crusty antique hardware.
Q Do you have any tips for getting old smells out of fabric? I love buying old tablecloths and such, but sometimes they have a funk that a washing on delicate doesn’t get rid of.
A Soak the item in vinegar, baking soda and water. About a half cup (125 mL) of each in two gallons (nine litres) of water should do the trick.
Q Our house is looking a bit tired, but we have guests coming over soon. Any ideas on how to freshen it up in a hurry without undertaking a top-tobottom overhaul?
A Get some new throw pillows. Also throws, flowers and a candle will bring instant freshness and charm.
Q Are there certain items you can never pass up on and always purchase?
A Old, chunky white ironstone ( bowls, pitchers, platters, etc.), as well as clocks, leather-bound books, good architectural pieces, pretty vintage baskets, pine and pieces with their original paint, especially in blue or green. We’re also suckers for old, folksy end stands.
Q Are there any decor trends that you love?
A We love a serene, tranquil palette, such as white and grey. It’s timeless and easy to live with.
Q Can you give us some tips for negotiating prices at a flea market?
A It’s always OK to ask once. If it’s a really fair price to start with, then just be happy and pay the price. It’s a lot of work to find and repair these items.
Q I have a large armoire that needs some love. I can’t move it from its location (on the carpet), so although I plan to take the doors off and work on those outside, the rest of it will have to be done on a drop cloth. Any tips for containing the mess from sanding, staining, painting, etc., inside and on the carpet? Also, this will be my first time refinishing a piece this large. How do I decide what to do with it?
A Make sure you’re heavily armed with lots of drop cloths, be careful not to step on your drips, skip the sanding, and use a liquid deglosser with a great paint, such as Amy Howard (available through Etsy), that requires just soap and water for prep. Also, visit Pinterest. It’s a great resource for getting visuals and ideas for deciding what to do.
Q Any ideas for all-brown furniture, besides painting it white?
A Grey, black and navy are all the rage.
Q How do you care for older furniture such as the drawers of antique dressers so they will hold up over time?
A Use an old candle or a bar of soap to wax the drawer runner to improve its function.
Q Where can I find fabrics that look old?
A We like to use old fabric. We source from flea markets and antique stores.
Q Do you have experience with Craigslist or eBay?
A We’ve bought on Craigslist but never sold. You just have to check it often, act fast and be ready to pounce. You can get some really great finds.
Q I bought a vintage piece that the seller appears to have painted using chalk paint without prepping the surface. Not surprisingly, the paint has been easily scratched off in places. Any suggestions on how to fix this without stripping, sanding and repainting the whole thing ?
A The only way to fix a bad paint job is to sand it. We recommend starting over with Amy Howard chalk-based paint (check with Etsy for availability). It’s more durable and will be very resilient.
Q Do dealers raise the prices of items by a certain percentage because they know they will be bargaining with customers?
A Not necessarily. We try to put our best price on the piece. At an antique market, the vendors are hoping for a sale within the three days, so they’re going to put their best price forward.
Q I have a fair amount of green in the bedroom (duvet cover, plant stand, wall hangings, etc.), but I also want to paint the walls green. Is there a light shade of green that’s still warm and would work well as a paint colour? My other colours in the room are white, cream and a touch of gold, and I have some distressed furniture pieces.
A Have you considered a white wall instead of a green wall? It’s a fresh, crisp complement to green.
Q If you had to pick one thing from your house to save from a fire, what would it be?
A After our families and pets, it would be our family photos.
Q I bought a 1970s Ethan Allen girl’s bedroom set in daffodil yellow on Craigslist. The question now is what colour to paint the walls. Should I go with a creamy or crisp white or neither?
A The best pairing with the colour of daffodil yellow would be a classic white, such as Sherwin-Williams’s Pure White.