We just returned from a short antique buying trip.

In this post, I'm sharing some of my secret tips on how I decide what to buy

at antique shows, flea markets and antique shops.

It was a wonderful trip - filled not just with antiques, dealers, new little shops to discover

as well as making new friends,

but also some fun. We booked a few days on either end for traveling through vineyards

and visiting little towns.

{and enjoying a few glasses of their wines!}

I was also able to obtain some absolutely fabulous pieces for clients and for our FrenchGardenHouse shop.

What I curated ranges from antique textiles to French enamelware to hotel silver

and everything in between.

You'll see most of it for sale soon and hopefully love it as much as I do!

In the past few years, the clients who shop at FrenchGardenHouse for antiques

includes more and more younger people furnishing their 1st homes, which is exciting!

Many of them {you!}

have questions about what to buy, what to look for, "how do you K N O W?"......

The way designers that shop at FrenchGardenHouse are incorporating antiques into their client's homes,

blending the old with clean, crisp modern pieces for a totally new look is thrilling.

And something we all want to do, too.

All of you think I have the most fun, glamorous job around ! And I'll admit, I DO love love love what I do!

But there is also the w o r k side of my business.

Making your way around the antique world, the shows, the auctions, visiting flea markets

far and wide can be exhausting.

I am truly always shopping, everywhere!

I love doing it mostly because of what the antiques do for YOU.

The antiques you buy from FrenchGardenHouse

allow you to create a home that reflects you.

When you create arrangements of one-of-a-kind objects at home

they create an environment that tells your own personal story.

It’s all about individuality and what best expresses your style and personality,

you want to surround yourself with something that isn't in every store display.

Even one interesting antique, next to your contemporary sofa, can literally make a room come alive .

It's my goal at FGH that you feel you are buying something

fresh, different and right for you and your family.

So many of you ask me for advice on how to shop for antiques....

and wonder how I source the unusual pieces that I do.

It's the number one question clients and blog readers ask me! "Where do you GET all that great stuff?!"

Unfortunately, it's a state secret. : )

Here is my advice for what to look for when you go out to shop for antiques, both here at the online FrenchGardenHouse shop and everywhere else.

BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING - ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS: 1. IS IT UNUSUAL? This is my #1 draw to a piece. If it's something I have never seen before, it immediately grabs my attention. Train yourself to scan through stalls or shelves, and focus on something that draws your eye to it. 2. WHY IS IT SPECIAL? Maybe you have seen one or more of the piece before, but is this one special? Is it in pristine condition? Does it have colors that other ones of the same do not? 3. DO I LOVE IT? This one takes practice. When I first started buying and selling antiques years ago, I could easily fall in love with many, many things. Now? I've honed my "coveting" down to exceptional examples only, both for myself and for you, our clients. You want to buy things that make your breath stop for just a second, things that you have a heart connection with. Buy antiques that speak to you. And if you find something like that, BUY it! 4. WHAT CONDITION IS IT IN? Antiques are never going to be new. As Americans, we have a tendency to expect perfection, even in pieces 100 years old or older. But antiques come with history and stories...ones that we cherish. A little wear, patina and a small imperfection show that the piece was used and loved before us. Having said that, too many chips, cracks and peeling paint are not always a good thing. So be sure you are happy with the condition. Expect to pay premium prices for things that are in premium condition. 5. IS IT HUGE? OR FRAGILE? This is one thing you need to take in consideration if you are shopping out of town. Large pieces or very fragile pieces can cost quite a bit to ship home. A good friend bought an exciting French basket on wheels while on a trip, at a really good price, but it did cost quite a bit more to put it on the plane with them to get it home. Be sure to figure the shipping part of your purchase out before jumping up and down at something large and inexpensive, because your "deal" can cost $100.00 or more to ship home.

Most of you want to design a home that is individual, decorated with an aesthetic that is personal and in a style you love.

Antiques, one-of-a-kind finds, can bring personality to your home

like nothing else will.

DO YOU HAVE ANY GREAT ANTIQUE BUYING TIPS OR STORIES YOU WILL SHARE?

à bientôt