Vintage lover Pearl Lowe shares her tips for finding your own second-hand treasures
From where to look to how to spot a piece worth snapping up, the vintage maven has lots of sage advice.
A former singer now known for her love of vintage interiors and fashion, Pearl Lowe is an expert when it comes to buying preloved pieces. Pearl is based in Frome, Somerset but now spends the “best” part of her year in East Sussex, at her new house by the sea.
It’s a home she has poured her soul into, documented in her new book Faded Glamour by the Sea. Built in the 1940s for an artist whose shell sculptures are still dotted round the garden, the house and adjacent cabins have been lovingly restored by Pearl.
Here, she shares some tips for those of us who love vintage style, but are perhaps not sure how to find the best pieces for our homes.
Where are the best places to find vintage pieces?
I find the best pieces in my local flea markets, so I always advise people to seek out the best places close to them, whether it’s a charity shop where you can get to know the staff or a nearby market.
I’m quite lucky as on the first Sunday of every month there is a Frome flea, which is five minutes from my house. I often find the loviest treasures there.
There is also a great vintage fair in Frome called vintage bazaar and Shepton mallet has a couple of antique and flea markets every month.
Do you have any tips when shopping for vintage interiors pieces?
Buy the pieces you love. If you haven’t got room for it, then replace it with something at home you’re not that keen on. You can always sell it on eBay or Etsy.
I have often gone to a fair seen something I love, thought I didn’t have room for it, gone home and regretted not buying it. Then of course that piece has haunted me forever.
What kinds of vintage pieces would you advise someone to keep an eye out for if they’re new to buying vintage? Is there anything to avoid?
I love antique Piano shawls, but they very pricey, especially the original 1920s ones. They have heavy fringing. In fact, that’s how you can tell if they are authentic or not. The thin fringed shawls are also lovely, but a lot cheaper. So don’t spend huge amounts on thin fringed shawls.
How do you judge whether it’s worth trying to restore/upcycle an old piece or not?
If it’s a chest of drawers, or an Armoire, make sure they don’t any have woodworm or that they’re not rotten inside. Also, make sure that the drawers work ok. It’s the first thing people ask when buying wooden pieces. It will be a waste of your time and money otherwise.
Do you have any tips for styling awkward spaces in your home?
I love filling spaces. When I’m styling a dead space in a room, I will use an old mannequin and dress it with antique beaded necklaces or silk flowers. Vintage hat stands are great too.
Once I found the most beautiful antique jade green hat stand in london. I bought it back to Somerset on the train with everyone staring at me. I found a place in my office and hung all my old costume jewellery on it. It still looks great and well worth the effort of bringing it home from London.
What are some of your favourite vintage pieces that you’ve ever found?
Oh my goodness, I have found so many incredible things on my travels, it’s hard to choose.
One of my favourite pieces is my antique butterfly mirror. I found it in the Shepton flea market and it was £500. Which at the time, seemed such a lot of money. I splashed out, because I knew if I didn’t I would regret it. The other day I saw the exact one sell for £6,500. So it was an investment.
I also found a wonderful large art deco mirrored chest of drawers 20 years ago, that I still have in my bedroom.
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