Flea market finds can elevate a home’s charm

To ensure safety, designer Brian Patrick Flynn had this 1960s-era glass and chrome chandelier — found for $150 at a flea market — rewired before installing it in a dining room.
To ensure safety, designer Brian Patrick Flynn had this 1960s-era glass and chrome chandelier — found for $150 at a flea market — rewired before installing it in a dining room.

The arrival of spring means that flea markets are reopening for business around the country. Shoppers will hunt for treasures amid acres of used goods. A few will come home with just the right art or quirky piece of furniture to make their home more beautiful.

Jaime Rummerfield, co-founder of Woodson & Rummerfield’s House of Design in Los Angeles, sometimes mixes flea-market finds with high end new furnishings to decorate the homes of her celebrity clients.

Los Angeles-based interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, creator of the FlynnsideOut design blog, also hunts for old pieces: “Vintage and thrift is the best way to add one-of-a-kind flair to a space without insanely high cost,” he says.

There is luck involved, of course. But skill also plays a role.

Here, Flynn, Rummerfield and another interior designer who shops for used decor - Lee Kleinhelter of the Atlanta-based design firm and retail store Pieces - tell how they do it.

WHEN TO GO

Winter and early spring are perfect for flea-market shopping, Flynn says.

“I usually show up just as the flea market opens to ensure I see every new item as it’s put out on display,” he says. “When you wait until the end of a flea market’s run to check out its stuff, you’re likely to find mostly leftovers, things priced too highly which others passed over, or things that are just way too taste-specific for most people to make offers on.”

TIME TRAVEL

Rummerfield occasionally finds signed artwork and ceramics by noteworthy artists at flea markets and antique malls.

“It is amazing to see what people cast away,” she says.

So read up on the designers and artists from your favorite periods, and then hunt for their work or impressive knockoffs.

A single flea market might offer goods from every decade of the 20th century. Can you put a lamp from the 1970s on a table from 1950? Yes, if the shapes and colors work well together, Kleinhelter says.

If your home has contemporary decor, Rummerfield says it can be powerful to add one statement piece - a side table, say, or a light fixture - from another era.

But “a little bit goes a long way. Use vintage in moderation with contemporary spaces,” Rummerfield says.

FIXER-UPPERS

You may assume that old upholstered furniture should be avoided, especially if the fabric looks dirty or damaged. But these designers say it’s actually a great thing to hunt for: “Hands down, upholstery is the best deal to walk away with at flea markets. Just make sure you train your eye to pay no attention to the existing fabrics,” Flynn says. “Zero in on the lines of the frames instead.”

The same goes for lighting. Buy it if you love it, rewire it or get the wiring updated by a professional. Flynn usually estimates an extra $50 to $75 per fixture for updating the wiring.

MIX AND MATCH

Be on the lookout for pieces you can use together. “You don’t need multiples of the same chair or sofa to make a room work,” Flynn says. “Stick with those which have similar scale and proportion, then recover them in the same fabric.”

Once you get home, use flea market finds sparingly, Flynn says, mixing them in with the pieces you already own.

MONEY ADVICE

“The best way to get an amazing deal is to buy a bunch of different items from the same vendor,” Flynn says. “This way, they can actually lower their prices since you’re guaranteeing them more sales.”

You should bargain, but don’t go so low that you’ll insult the seller. “If something is marked $185, it’s probably not ideal to offer $50,” Flynn says. One option is to negotiate for a 25 percent to 35 percent discount.

And do bring cash. “If you bring enough cash with you, you’re more likely to be able to negotiate successfully,” Flynn says.

Above all, choose items that delight you.

“I never focus on eras or hunt for specific designers,” Kleinhelter says. “Pick what you like.”

HomeStyle, Pages 34 on 04/19/2014

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