A weekend of antiquing and found treasures! I’m sharing my favorite pieces to look for — ones that bring warmth, character, and layered charm to my collected home.
A Weekend of Antiquing
Last weekend was such fun!
I went to Vermont to stay with my friend Ann of Dabbling and Decorating. I loved visiting her cheery, collected home with its beautiful Green Mountain views. On Friday we met up with Instagram pal Bernadette (@bhomewithbernadette) at the Vintage Market Days of Vermont. We did a great job cheering one another on as we each found our own treasures. Did you know antiquing is a team sport?
On my drive home on Saturday, I stopped at one of Ann’s favorite spots — the Stone House Antique Center in Chester. It’s a wonderful multi-dealer space with beautifully curated booths.
Then Sunday morning, back in Maine, I discovered the monthly antiques shows in Bath had started up for the season. With dealers from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, I couldn’t miss making it three for three!
It was my favorite kind of weekend — full of friends, laughter, sunshine, mountain views, and treasure hunts! It got me thinking, though, about the kinds of pieces I’m always on the lookout for — and how they layer together in my home to create a collected look.
From Hunt to Home
I’ve shared plenty of antiquing adventures with you over the years, but today I’m taking a bigger-picture view — focusing on the pieces I’m always on the lookout for, rather than one specific outing. I may not need anything these days, but I love old things — their timeworn beauty and the stories behind them.
Once home, my finds rarely stay in tidy little categories. Over time, they mingle and layer together. Take the fireplace, for example: above it hangs a wooden ship diorama with rope detail. On the mantel are two small lusterware pitchers filled with dried flowers, a sailor’s monkey fist knot, a wooden barbell, and a small brass shell — all interspersed with old books. This mix is what I love most: gathered pieces from different moments and places coming together to tell a story.
Whether I’m adding to a collection I already have or stumble upon a new one-of-a-kind treasure, half the fun is in the hunt. So come along as I share the pieces I’m always looking for when antiquing — and how I use them in my home.
1. Baskets & Wooden Bowls
Baskets and wooden bowls are both practical and beautiful, so I’m always on the lookout for them when I’m out antiquing. Whether they’re holding seasonal fruit or a display of shells, they bring warmth, texture, and instant coziness to a space.
I like to stack my wooden bowls—topsy-turvy for a little fun—in the center of the dining table. My favorite is painted deep blue on the outside. I bid with steel nerves at an auction to make it mine. There was a lovely small one painted light blue at the Bath show, but it was well beyond my budget.
My favorite use for baskets is to fill them with old books (I wrote a whole blog post on just this topic!). But they come in unexpected shapes, too. At Vintage Market Days, a vendor was selling a wonderful collection of rattan vases that had belonged to her Nana. I couldn’t resist one of the smaller urn-shaped pieces. I filled it with dried flowers from Trader Joe’s and set it on the coffee table.
2. Seagull & Shell Finds
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I have a soft spot for seagulls. I love to watch them out my windows as they soar high above the water, their cries echoing across the harbor. Over the years, I’ve collected carved wooden gulls and antique prints that add a bit of whimsy and a strong sense of place to my home. One of my favorite recent finds was a small wooden seagull diorama I stumbled on this summer — the kind of unexpected treasure that makes the hunt so much fun.
Shells are another classic coastal motif. I have them piled high in a big dough bowl on a dresser in the corner of the living room, but I also like to set a single shell on a table for a subtle nod to the sea. One of my most treasured pieces is a large shell box my mom gave me years ago. I was stunned to spot an almost identical one at the Bath show recently — with a price tag of $900! It made me appreciate mine all the more.
I picked up a sweet little shell wreath at Vintage Market Days for a much more reasonable price!
Check out my blog post on decorating with shells all year round for more ideas on how to use them in your home, no matter where you live.
3. Cornishware, Spongeware & Yellowware
My love of pottery runs deep — back to my mom’s spectacular collection of blue and white transferware. I’ve always loved how vintage dishes and pottery make such an impact when displayed together. A shelf or hutch full of similar pieces reads as one big, beautiful statement rather than a jumble of little things. And I always like to slip in a few that are “different than the others” for a little surprise.
Cornishware is an especially soft spot for me — those blue-and-white stripes remind me of the sea and sky. Spongeware brings a graphic, organic feel, while yellowware adds warmth that plays so well with everything else.
I brought home a few new treasures this past weekend: a set of vintage sailing ship plates from Vintage Market Days that I tucked into the Cornishware hutch for fall, a pretty yellowware bowl from Stone House Antiques added to my dining table bowl stack, and two thoughtful gifts from Ann and Bernadette — a Cornishware bowl and egg cup that I’ve already tucked right in with my hutch collection.
4. Painted Tin
I don’t know what it is, but I can’t resist old tin pieces painted or printed to look like wood or wicker. Many of these tins originally held everyday things like food, medicine, or tobacco, but they’re so much more charming than anything you’d find on a pantry shelf today. They’re whimsical, practical, and perfect for adding a bit of character to hardworking areas of the home.
One of my favorite finds is a tall faux-grain flour bin I discovered a few years ago at one of the Bath shows. It stands 20 inches tall and now holds Maddie and Cisco’s food. On top of it sits a wood-grain painted bucket, now a planter — two antiques doing daily duty. I also have a stack of printed picnic tins in the entryway where I stash gloves and hats.
And my antique Victory Chlorodyne Lozenge tin — a favorite find from Brimfield — now sits on the kitchen island, storing chargers, readers, and the usual odds and ends. (Chlorodyne lozenges, by the way, were a 19th-century “remedy” for coughs and colds, made from a very potent mix of opium, cannabis, alcohol and chloroform. Yikes!) Read more about my trip in Let’s Go to the Brimfield Flea Market Together.
At Vintage Market Days, I admired a tin spice holder with the most wonderful chippy faux-grain paint. Writing about it now, I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get it. Ah well — next time!
5. Nautical Treasures: Buoys, Rope & Ships
Living in a small fishing village with a view of the ocean, I have a hard time resisting nautical treasures. Over the years, I’ve collected old buoys, thick coils of rope, model ships, vintage nautical prints, and even a child’s sailor shirt — each piece adding a bit of maritime (faux!) history and personality to my home.
A jumble of buoys and rope sits on top of the corner hutch in the dining area. I love the contrast of these rough hewn objects with the smooth shiny glaze of the spongeware. In the Captain’s Room, a gallery wall of vintage ship prints sets the scene, and in the guest cottage a vintage child’s sailor shirt always makes me smile.
And then there’s one of my favorite finds of the year: the wooden ship diorama I discovered at Cabot Mill Antiques in Brunswick. It’s perched above the living room fireplace — a statement piece that quietly anchors the whole space. Read more about that find and how I styled it in this post.
Of course, nautical pieces might not be your thing — and that’s the beauty of decorating. Whether it’s ships or something entirely different, the magic comes from collecting what you love and letting your home tell your story.
6. Coastal Artwork
I’m always drawn to artwork that reflects the coastal landscape outside my windows. Over the years, I’ve collected a mix of paintings and prints that capture the beauty of this place I call home. Original art can be pricey, though, so I always keep my eye out for more affordable vintage pieces.
In the waterside guest room, a gallery wall of vintage coastal watercolors sets a calm, welcoming tone. And in the living room, a single seascape in soft blue-gray and rocky tan mixes perfectly with seagull art. Each piece helps tie the rooms to the landscape just beyond the glass.
I encourage you to look for art that inspires you and to bring it into your home.
Image ideas: guest room gallery wall, living room seascape, vintage prints.
7. Old Books
Old books might be small, but they do a surprising amount of decorating heavy lifting. For that reason, I always keep an eye out for them when I’m out and about. I look for soft, faded colors, well-thumbed wear, and beautifully decorated front covers — and I especially love finding one with a sweet inscription and date inside the front pages. Books that reflect my home’s story — tales from the sea, bird guides, and Maine histories — always feel right here.
At home, I tuck old books into baskets, stack them beneath decorative pieces to add height, or group them together for a richly layered look. They add both color and texture to any vignette.
One of my favorite displays is the bedroom fireplace, which I’ve filled top to bottom with books. Their muted colors and worn textures are a beautiful — and functional — addition to my reading nook.
8. Fish Plates & Moulds
I love a good theme, and fish have become a finny motif in my kitchen and dining area.
Above the drinks cabinet, wrapping around the corner and over the window, a school of vintage fish plates swims up the wall. I found the original set of vintage Limoges plates at a local store, and over the years I’ve added to the collection with others that mix but don’t match. Of course, I’m always on the lookout for more!
On a wall in the kitchen, a collection of fish moulds — some tin and some white ironstone — hangs in a cheerful cluster. It’s a strong example of the decorating power of many: these moulds, quite ordinary on their own, make a big statement when displayed together.
At the Sunday show in Bath, I lingered for a while admiring a small steel lobster chocolate mould. I’d never seen one like it, and the detail was exquisite. It was a bit pricey, though. I took the dealer’s card, so you just might see it float into this blog one day!
Of course, you might not be into fish — but I hope today’s post has inspired you to think about what kind of collection might bring a smile to your face. Then head to your nearest antiques store and start looking!
📌 Pin this post to save these 8 antique treasures for your next vintage hunting trip!
This Week Into Next
It’s been another busy week, and this post stretched longer than I planned — too much antique and vintage goodness to share with you!
Before I sign off, let me just share two things:
- Lucketts Fall Market
As we’re on the topic of antique and vintage markets, this weekend the Lucketts Fall Market is taking place at the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, Virginia. It’s such a fun event — I went two years ago and wrote all about it in my post A Vintage Hip Day at the Lucketts Fall Market. My daughter Zoë went on Friday and sent me updates all day, including the photo I shared above. Talk about great baskets! I was still feeling a good bit of FOMO, though. If you live in the Virginia area or are up for a drive, what are you waiting for? The market runs through Sunday. - Revival’s Birthday Sale
Last week I shared my new-old rug from Revival, and I promised to pass along details about their birthday sale. They’re offering 20% off sitewide through October 26 with code HAPPY8.
Click here to shop Revival’s Birthday Sale and maybe find that one-of-a-kind rug that pulls your space together just like mine did.
Phew! That’s it for now.
Be well, friends. 💙
