The Find

“What front porch did that metal glider once call home?” When I read Stan Williams’ words I knew I had found another kindred vintage porch furniture spirit. Stan’s book, The Find, The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects and Vintage Details is not only  about the above mentioned things, but also a philosophy that is very similar to ours here at Mulberry Street.  We know that each piece of furniture we find has a story. We don’t know the specifics usually, but we can feel it and appreciate what it might be. Stan says, “The beauty of buying vintage furniture is that it comes with a past life. Vintage furnishings provide us with a link to past eras and past lives – in essence to one another.” Well said, Stan. I think of people sitting on their porches on some of our chairs from the 1930s, enduring the Great Depression, but still together, still finding pleasure in each others company and conversation. I think of servicemen coming home from World War II in the 1940s, sitting on their mothers’ porch gliders telling stories to family and friends or just enjoying the quiet, gentle motion that told them they were really home. I think of the babies being rocked, couples courting and the Moms and Dads who are all still here with us in a sense because we are sharing their furniture.

Stan begins his book with the Introduction entitled “The Adventure Begins”. He gives a delightful description of his family history at garage sales when he was a boy. He uses words and phrases like “element of surprise”, ” intrigue”, “the unexpected”,  and “spy a treasure”. That is exactly how I feel when I go looking for vintage outdoor furniture for Mulberry Street. I often refer to it as going on a treasure hunt. It is so much fun and so gratifying to rescue and preserve this furniture for today’s families. The Find is all about how creative people adapt and reuse vintage items to make one of a kind design statements while “adding a sense of history and permanence” to their homes. You can find The Find in my book section under Vintage Finds. It’s full of exquisite photographic examples of using vintage pieces in most creative ways.