Goodwill Hunting: School House Decor (VIDEO)

Filed under: Know-How

One of this season's hottest antiques trends is school house decor. Think pull-down maps, old-school pendant lamps and those tall stools from art class. Want to know more? Join me as I go through B4 It Was Cool, a fantastic shop in SoHo filled all things academic-chic.

So I'm partial: Parts of my apartment look as if its been lifted from somebody's elementary school in 1960. I've got not one, but two Soviet-era globes (in case the Cold War breaks out again), three typewriters, a vintage arithmetic poster and a few cafeteria trays. Though I'm an extreme example, the vintage school house decor trend has become increasingly popular. Case in point? The brisk business reported in stores like B4 It Was Cool, seen in this video.

Owner Gadi Gilan told me that the demand for the industrial-chic furnishings and accessories hasn't been this high in the over 20 years that his store has been in business. Though he still gets requests from those looking to add a little school style to their homes, his primary customer has become restaurants. So, his biggest challenge is finding multiples to sell (like matching sets of lights) rather than individual pieces. What does this mean for you? That you'll be able to find smaller sets of items (or single pieces) that secondhand dealers can't sell, at flea markets or salvage shops.

My biggest tip for adopting vintage school house decor? Signing up for your local college's Material Surplus sales. (Often found by contacting the college's building management department.) These are scheduled sales or auctions that happen a few times a year, where excess and old furnishings are sold off for exceptionally fair prices.

And now that you've got bargains on the brain, brush up on your flea marketing skills...
How to Bargain at Flea Markets
Our Picks: Top 5 Flea Markets in the Country
The Best Flea Markets in the World

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.diylife.com/2011/06/14/goodwill-hunting-school-house-decor-video/

building and remodeling building company building construction building contractors