HGTV Design Star » The Designers

10 Shopping Secrets From a Stylist

Emily Henderson — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:59:22 +0000

Since I’m a vintage girl (I was made in 1979 to be exact), I shop a lot at antique malls, flea markets and thrift stores. I’ve been doing it since I could shove my first silver-plated fiddleback spoon in my mouth, and I’m pretty sure my first word was “ironstone,” so the dos and don’ts of second-hand shopping are second nature to me. I know thrifting and flea-marketing can be overwhelming (and yes, there is a lot of crap out there) so I’ve come up with some tips (or shall I say secrets) that will help you get a vintage collected look, without all the junk.

1. Start early and shop BIG first. Don’t go into the stalls or booths unless a BIG piece of furniture grabs your eye. All the best furniture gets bought first, mainly by dealers/store owners, so if you take your time and meander slowly, all the best pieces at the best prices will have been snatched up. I literally race through, like a crazy person at 8am, because there is nothing worse (ok, there are probably worse things) than seeing the perfect dresser, finding out it was $40 but was just SOLD. Doh!

2. Think small SECOND. After you go around once, make your way back through to look for smalls (a generic word I use for anything, well, small), i.e. lamps, vases, objects, art, flatware, books, etc. These items are a bit more common, less desired and aren’t snatched up by dealers as fast. Etsy or eBay are also good sources because shipping is more affordable on smalls than furniture.

3. Focus. Focus. Focus. It will be physically impossible for you to look at every single thing at a flea market. Come with a short list of NEEDS and reference them constantly. Last weekend for instance, I went looking only for an iron candle chandelier, a floor lamp and wooded farm chairs. Of course I found other things, but those were the three things I NEEDED and I had to keep reminding myself of them, or else I would get caught up looking at the vintage measuring cups that somehow I have convinced myself will make my next baking party so much more fun. (Hey, Emily you don’t bake! Put the measuring cups down!) When I was shopping at the flea market for Ian I knew I needed maps, objects for the shelves, frames for artwork and barware, and that is what I looked for. Focus.

4. When it comes to “smalls” think “big.” As much as I love my miniature dollhouse fly swatter collection (It truly is amazing. They are these teeny wire sculptures that some lovely grandma rendered with such care and perfection for her granddaughter 60 years ago), in general I would recommend staying away from the bitsy-er things. Choose instead more substantial items that can be clustered with others or live on their own. If you already have a lot of bulbous-shaped objects for your display shelf, look for something cylindrical or low and wide. A contrast in shapes and scale will help with balance and will look intentional.

5. When thinking small, the trick is to displaying or framing them together. Many small things styled together can have the same impact as one large thing. Spreading out the collection will look cluttered and unintentional and then they become tchockes, which in many circles (especially with my husband) is a four-letter word. You don’t need to collect the world. Pick a few things you are always drawn to and make the best collection you can.

6. Color. Yes, you should keep your color palette in mind while shopping, but don’t worry about matching colors exactly. In my display shelf, I have a few tones of light blues, white, creams, woods and then, oops, look there’s a big pop of indigo up top. And I love it. It wasn’t intentional, but when I saw the vessel in that color for $10, I thought, “It’s in the same family. I can make it work.” Then I balanced it with a vintage Japanese plate leaning against the back on the bottom. Let your color story evolve as you collect your pieces and it will add character and interest to your home.

7. Anything can be art. Frame it or don’t. Yep, you heard me. It could be an old map, an old love letter, a silhouette, a collection of antique spoons, student artwork, industrial letters or stencils, even random portraits or vintage photographs of people you don’t know. Some people have problems with this last one, but I find other people’s lives and histories endlessly fascinating. I’m not talking weird glamour shots from the ’80s, I mean photos from the ’30s of a decked out family picnicking at the beach with an original Ford in the background or a late ’60s gathering of hippies at a party. You can find something interesting and provocative in moments from the past, even if it has nothing to do with your own.

8. Mix and match. The great thing about vintage is there is a reason it’s lasted so long – things are well-made and sturdy. But the drawback is that it’s harder to find sets of some things, for instance, barware. I was lucky enough to find six ’60s blue pop glasses for Ian’s bar, but I didn’t hesitate to mix it with the Moroccan tea glasses and bring back in a few of the FDR scotch glasses. As great as matching sets can be, nothing says a party like not caring about matching glassware.

9. As long as it holds water, it is a vase in my book. Jars are vases, teacups are vases, cafe au lait bowls can be vases. So when shopping at flea markets/thrift stores, look for anything that can hold even a flower or a fern leaf. I used vintage mason jars and pharmacy jars for Ian, and they worked with his antique feel, while having a simple silhouette. You don’t always have to have cut crystal to feel antique and old.

10. Anything can be reupholstered. Well, not a shoe or a tree, although I suppose it could be, but you know what I mean. The wingback I got for Ian was $50 and U.G.L.Y. But since it was so cheap and had great bones, shape and scale, I knew it was worth the investment to reupholster it for $350. Same with the bench in Ian’s bedroom, which was originally $70. It took two yards of fabric and a very quick reupholstering job of $100. Now, both pieces have so much more integrity and character than a new piece that would cost twice as much at a big box store.

Consider yourself 10 steps ahead of everyone else at the flea market or thrift store this weekend. For more design inspiration, check out my blog, The Brass Petal.

Secrets From a Stylist Premiere

Chelsey Bowen — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:17:47 +0000

Tune in this Sunday at 10/9c to see the premiere of Emily’s new show, Secrets From a Stylist. She transforms Glee co-creator Ian Brennan’s home to reflect his personal style.

Also, head over to her show page to see before-and-after pics, behind-the-scene photos and can’t-miss design secrets.

Caption This: Episode 3

Chelsey Bowen — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:10:49 +0000

This week, the designers head outside to design a patio. How would you caption this photo of Tom?

Fan Vote is Back!

Chelsey Bowen — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:47:31 +0000

Design Star premieres this Sunday at 10/9c. Time to catch up on past episodes, get to know the new designers, visit us on Facebook and most importantly, the fan favorite vote is back!

Every day, you have the chance to vote up to 10 times for your favorite designer and the winner will win a show on HGTV.com. Last season’s winner, Dan Vickery, transforms kids’ rooms and nurseries for our Kid-Sized Design series.

Plus, check out our preview of the premiere, where the designers tackle the white room challenge first.

Meet the New Designers

Chelsey Bowen — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:26:05 +0000

Creative stylists, seasoned interior designers, out-of-the-box landscape designers and a few innovative artists — meet the new cast of HGTV Design Star! Check out their bios and see the designs that earned them a spot on season five »

Dan Reveals His New Online Show

Chelsey Bowen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:46:54 +0000

You asked for it, we got it! Dan reveals the details on his upcoming online show.

Plus, check out these other videos from Dan, including his thank you to fans and his favorite behind-the-scenes moments.

Chat Live With Antonio

Chelsey Bowen — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:04:18 +0000

This just in! We’ll be tweeting with Antonio live this Sunday, 10/9c for the premiere of The Antonio Project. Plus, he’ll be joining us live on Facebook!

Dan is Your Favorite Designer!

Chelsey Bowen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:22:46 +0000

You have spoken! After nine weeks of voting, we have our favorite designer and winner of an online show: Dan Vickery.

Details on his online show will be coming soon!

Jennifer Bertrand Update

Chelsey Bowen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:00:09 +0000

Jennifer, a fan favorite and winner of season three, wrote a wonderful guest post over at Jenean Morrison: Art, Design and Inspiration blog that tells what she’s been up to and the heartwarming story of her son.

Also, if you missed her show last week, we have all the full episodes for Paint Over here.

Own a Design Star’s Home

Chelsey Bowen — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:50:47 +0000

Jason Champion is selling his Sarasota, Fla., home and HGTV’s FrontDoor has the sneak peek inside!

The mid-century modern home was designed by architect James Padgett in 1965 and is known as the Padgett House. Jason has infused the home with his eclectic yet glamorous style by blending vintage furnishings with traditional elements. (Check out his collection of shoes!)

Take a tour of the entire house »

Design Star Duds for A Good Cause

Chelsey Bowen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Want to own a little piece of Design Star? Our two finalists, Antonio and Dan, have designed custom HGTV shirts! You can buy them here »

Antonio’s shirt

Dan’s shirt

A portion of the proceeds benefits our non-profit partners in HGTV’s Change the World, Start at Home initiative.

See What Tashica Had to Say

Chelsey Bowen — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:00:10 +0000

The Washington Spaces blog is interviewing Tashica every week after the challenges to get a little behind-the-scenes scoop and her perspective of the competition.

I know a lot of you have very strong opinions about the choice the judges made last Sunday, but thought you might want to see her side of the story. Also, if you want to check out what she had to say about the first challenge, you can see that here.

Who Would You Pick?

Chelsey Bowen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:30:52 +0000

Only one of these designers will be voted into the house this Sunday on the premiere episode of Design Star. Tune in at 10/9c!

Get to Know Amy and Jen

Chelsey Bowen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:35:02 +0000

Find out more about color-expert Jen and multi-talented Amy (she can weld!).

Get to Know Lonni and Dan

Chelsey Bowen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:22:52 +0000

Lonni may be secretive about her age, but she’ll tell you her guilty pleasure and favorite raunchy movie. Plus, learn more about the handsome Dan, who counts his grandma as one of his design icons.

Lonni Paul: Designer to the Stars

Get to Know Jany, Jason and Antonio

Chelsey Bowen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:44:49 +0000

Find out a little bit more about the world traveler, the funny one and the bad boy of this season’s HGTV Design Star.

Get to Know Nathan, NataLee and Tashica

Chelsey Bowen — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:36:56 +0000

Design Star premieres this Sunday at 10/9c! Get the scoop on three of this season’s design hopefuls: Nathan, NataLee and Tashica.

Design Star Season 4 Fun Facts: Who Did What?

Jeannine Shipp — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:02:57 +0000

Get ready for a cast of characters this season on HGTV’s Design Star. If you’ve read the season four contestants’ bios, you shouldn’t have any trouble identifying who did (or does) what:

Who is a radio host, a product designer and says his or her favorite movie is the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?
Who is a model, does impersonations and likes to sculpt and scrapbook?
Who worked in an iron mine, wanted to be an archaeologist and enjoys surfing, skateboarding and making lists?
What Salt Lake Citian likes to clog and eat sushi?
Who says his or her favorite colors are flat black, hot pink and fluorescent green and has experience designing restaurants and clubs in Manhattan?
Who has a decorative pillow collection, enjoys hip-hop dancing and went on a last-minute honeymoon to Mexico?
Who is the youngest contestant? This person likes to play board games and break a sweat at spin class.
Who enjoys the art of jewelry design, worked in the comedy industry and claimed to be a Dead head?
Who has an economics degree, backpacked around the world solo and lists the movie, Matrix, as his or her favorite?
Who grew up on a farm, lists his or her grandmother as his or her design icon and is currently #3 in popularity in our “Who is Your Favorite Designer So Far” poll?

Check your answers by clicking below!

1. Jason Champion

2. Lonni Paul

3. Jen Guerin

4. NataLee Callahan

5. Antonio Ballatore

6. Tashica Morgan

7. Nathan Galui

8. Amy Sklar

9. Jany Lee

10. Dan Vickery

Who do you think will be able to add Design Star to his or her life story?