Opendoor Studio

Home tour series from the original interview Spring 2012 with Katherine from The Vintage Bazaar

Part 3  

part 1 published on 11/11/12

What’s your favorite room in the house?

I spend the most time in my living room. It is flooded with light from the large southern windows and is my winter painting studio. I love my dining room but spend the least time in it!  Kitchen is great, is newly done and I love adding vintage touches where I am able… like adding little mirrors onto the chipped saucers and hanging them above the archway between my kitchen and dining room.  Something unexpected but brings a little bit of light to an otherwise dark spot!

What do people say when they visit?

They enjoy browsing around.  I have a story for everything. They love the creative touches and things they would have never thought to pair together. They love the bright pops of color and feel comfortable here. It is lived in and time-worn. I never use a coaster on a table.

Extended family and friends love gathering here for Christmas. They often wonder what I will have up my sleeve to decorate it with each year.  My Chromatic Christmas tree is still the talk of the town. Some call it my “rainbow” tree — ornaments arranged from top to bottom on a white tree using the color wheel as inspiration… all vintage and wonderful!

 

 

How long have you been re-selling?

I began in 1993.  I have been collecting all my life and needed an outlet.  My dad passed away on January 13, 1989 and on January 13, 1993 a new antique mall down the road advertised they were looking for dealers.  I took that as a sign… and I have had my hands in it since then! I have had booths at local malls and have done many flea markets including The Vintage Bazaar at the Dank Haus.

 

 I also throw open the doors of my “studio” on occasional weekends / catch as catch can.  I post the sales on myFacebook page.

 

 

What kinds of things do you sell at the Bazaar? Will you be selling at the markets at Aragon this summer?

I will be at the Aragon this summer for sure! I love bringing a feel of what you might find in my own home: Mid-century, scientific, schoolroom, colorful, bold, oversized vintage finds! Globes, boxes, industrial tables and chairs… color, color, color…. that is what inspires me!

 

What advice do you have for people out there on how to get your look?

Collect what you love. Use things in different ways. Don’t be afraid of adding bold statement pieces to your space. Think in terms of collections. Don’t over clutter but pull in things you might not normally find in a home, like the Lube drum side tables, cast offs from local schools and warehouses… just LOVE what you have and use what you love.

 

What’s one piece you got rid of that you wish you never threw away?

After getting married and having my dad pass away, I found I was pregnant. Everyone I knew was having little boys and I thought for sure that would be me, too. I lived in a townhome and had a storage unit. When my mother announced she was having a garage sale, I told her to go ahead and sell the little doll houses that my father had made for me.  

She did… and they sold to a neighbor. A year later I had a baby girl, and would have loved to have been able to pass that on to her. I called the neighbor but she had donated it to a charity. That is ONE thing I wish I had kept.

How has your taste evolved over the years? What did your place look like 10 years ago? 

I was really into “shabby chic” before it was given that name, everything white, feminine (my poor hubby) and roses all around! YIKES! I think I am still trying to sell some of that, but it doesn’t fit into the aesthetic I am going for in my booth these days.  Oh well… I can always donate it to the resale shop where I work!  After all, one man’s (or woman’s) junk is another man’s treasure!

 

Be sure to check out part one and two of the At Home interview with Katherine from the Vintage Bazaar in Chicago