We have a guest! Who knows how to find the best vintage furniture.
Ali LaBelle comes through to teach us her ways.
My own personal movement through the internet tends to be a chaotic blackout, wherein, at the end, I’ve somehow managed to unearth something/someone/someplace of particular interest. I don’t really know how I do it. That is essentially my story of today’s esteemed guest, Ali LaBelle. I haven’t the foggiest idea how and why she first crossed my path, but for years now, I have followed her evolution out of the Bando-sphere and into her own consulting business, recently launched Substack (!), favorite Pastagram, and inspiring personal style.
The last bit is why I asked her on today! One thing that’s always struck me is her gift for finding and securing vintage (not to be missed: IG highlight “digital vintage”). She will frequently post things she’s found from Craigslist/Marketplace/etc. and I’ll say to my own personal self “How tf did she mine that out of the chaos?”
And whereas my own digital finding process has no “process” to speak of, Ali does have quite a bit of order and approach to hers. And so, I asked her to come on, to lend us a few of her tried, true tricks.
Whether I’m looking for a specific piece or I’m in discovery mode, the search for vintage furniture is one of my greatest joys. Furniture is just like fashion — they just don’t make it like they used to! West Elm, Wayfair, and the rest really are just the furniture equivalents of H&M and Zara, which is frustrating because a sofa from West Elm can easily set you back $2,500. But to make great furniture that will last decades takes labor and materials, neither of which are cheap if they are fair and ethical, and that means you’re looking at a substantial price tag.
Enter: vintage. In addition to being built to last, buying used furniture is a sustainable option that saves a sofa or chair from getting thrown into a landfill. And it’s special! I love that my dining table was probably built by someone for their own dining room and that my end tables were my grandma’s. I’m not a purist — I also have dining chairs from Anthropology and a Sixpenny sofa — but the character of the vintage stuff really shines against the more modern pieces.
Here are my 5 tips and tricks for finding treasures on resale platforms in your area:
Don’t try to do it all at once. My last move prompted a flurry of selling old furniture and looking for new pieces and I was antsy to cross it all off a list. But patience pays off — playing the long game and waiting for something that’s right for your space feels so much better than buying something you aren’t in love with.
Search by neighborhood in a 1 mile radius. I live in LA, which is famously huge, and when I search by a wide radius the algorithm is taking a tiny sampling of things it thinks I *might* like from all over the city. But when I search a particular zip code and set the radius to 1 mile, I tend to find some hidden gems. The same method works in smaller towns, too! Just keep adjusting the zip code and moving your radius around.
Consider the effort into the price. It’s so tempting to buy a sofa that has great bones and want to recover it, or to buy an ultra-heavy armoire that you’ll need movers to maneuver up the stairs. Before you buy, factor in the price of what you’ll need to do to fix up the piece or get it into your home.
Keep an inspiration folder handy. If you’re like me you might be attracted to a lot of different things: Shaker-style furniture, mid-century Italian design, Mexican folk art, an English countryside vibe...the list goes on. I’m all about mixing styles, but keep an album on your phone of inspiration images that, when in a folder together, sum up the feeling you want your home to have. When you find something you might want to buy, consult the folder and imagine if that piece would feel at home amongst the images you’ve saved.
Follow vintage accounts in your area. I have a secret Instagram account from where I only follow furniture resellers in LA, so when I’m really on the hunt for something I can really focus in on what’s out there. I’ve unfollowed them from my main account so I’m less tempted to buy something on the fly that I don’t need.
If you need some inspiration, here are some gems I found on Facebook Marketplace in my area that are for sale *right now*.
This vintage Scandinavian plaid sofa. This is not cheap, but I’ve been watching it for months and they’ve been reposting it at different prices. I don’t need it and probably won’t buy it, but it’s been fun to stalk and I’ll be sad once it’s found its home.
Another one in my saved folder: this rattan chaise lounge. I love the shape and can imagine it in the corner of a large living room with a cute side table. I’d love something like this (but weatherproof) on my patio for afternoons reading in the sun.
This vintage French armoire is the perfect thing for a funky corner in a living room or dining room. I love that it’s stained vs. painted — sometimes painted furniture can have that gummy DIY look, but stain shows off the woodgrain and maintains the texture of the piece. If I had a spot for this it would 100% be in my house.
Thank you to Zinzi for having me — happy hunting. :)
Ali
Listings
(As if you need more!)
After last week, you maybe thought I was done looking for good-looking toolboxes. You were wrong. (LINK)
Waiting, what feels like very patiently, for a great excuse to order Solid Wiggles on Goldbelly. (LINK)
Free cafeteria trays in actually, really good colors. What would you do with them? (LINK)
A rec from my favorite hook rug account (lol, hi): Ribbon Candy Rug Hooking is holding a two day online class for those interested in picking up the craft. (LINK)
Newcomers and oldcomers, alike: If you have an announcement you’d like to see in this space, send me an email or reply to this one.
Notes
Whoee, this email got a little long, eh? Short/sweet in the Notes today!
I will send a separate preview email about the first print edition, next week.
Suffice to say: All content is currently IN (praise hands, etc.) and I’m shuffling it around in the layout. For those who have already pledged support (ily): I will likely switch the paid feature on mid-April, about when I start sending these pretty little guys out. ☾