it’s virtually a given that whenever i venture back home my suitcase is going to be heavier on the return journey than it was going out…
after many years of travelling the globe i consider myself quite the accomplished packer…
i’ve learnt to be a little more realistic about what i’m actually going to wear on holidays & resolved to simply make do with less of everything else {toiletries, etc}…
but when it comes to paring back on my travel finds: well that can be another story entirely…
because shops & markets aside, i’ve tapped into a fantastic source of vintage homeware finds that never, never fails to impress: it’s called the vaults of ma & pa…
raiding the cupboards & back rooms of our parents’ houses have yielded some of my favourite ever homeware finds to date…
& not only do these pieces bring individuality & quirk to our home, but they’re positively laden with memories of moments that can never be replicated {& moments that were, until the unearthing of some of these pieces, forever consigned to history}…
my latest haul yielded this…
that cheeky chap is none other than my boyfriend as a rambunctious two year old immortalised in bronze by his very talented cousin…
& i love it {all 11.5 kgs of it}!
i’ve coveted it for such a long time & since it had been relegated to a back room at his parents’ house i thought now was as good a time as any to ask if they’d mind my relieving them of it…
not only is it such a tactile, beautiful piece of art, but it represents a piece of my boyfriend’s history {a perspective sadly lacking in our home}…
other trips home have been equally fruitful: a painting by my mum, a second by my brother, some groovy old coffee jars repurposed as vases & some beautiful decorative ceramic plaques {seen below} mounted on wooden bases…
these were salvaged from my dad’s childhood silver cross pram & gifted to me by my mum after he passed {though my dad never did display them in his home, i do so with immense pride}…
for the most part, a lot of these vintage pieces now hang out in what has quickly become my favourite place in our home: the dining nook…
it’s a pretty modest set-up {& given we rent, we’re a little limited in what we can change}, but the impact of this room has been elevated by the recent acquisition of a glossy, slimline console table which provides a good-sized, prominent spot for me to display many of my favourite pieces {alongside some much-needed storage}…
filled with vintage finds that are, in turn, filled with memories, this nook makes me smile every time i happen upon it: without fail…
{this post is being submitted as an entry to the fashion for home: home love photo contest… if you’re a uk blogger & want your own chance to win £500 to spend on homewares from their website check out all the glorious details here: the contest closes today, 18 april 2013}
