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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.
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.
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.
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.
