15 Comments

Where to start? I just devour your content I love your approach (your book sits proudly in a coffee table stack BTW) I love the way you break everything down and provide the Inspo so if you were to take us on a live where we could ask you questions that would be amazing. So keep it coming! PS you need to go thrifting in Vancouver there are so many great thrift stores and the consignment is also amazing! West Van is a hot bed and check out Wildlife thrift on Granville street.

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What a wonderful comment to read! I’ve added your recommendations to my list! Thank you so much for reading ❤️

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I'd love to see a series on YOUR house! :-)

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You had me at the velvet Elvis!💕 I love thrifting and agree with Catherine’s advice on Vancouver secondhand- I do an annual trip there from Victoria just for the shopping.

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I love this. I’ve learned so much from, and your book… ( three great Maitland- Smith pieces, and counting!) I would love to hear, once again, your process before you begin to resell… (For instance, how you store and list things the easiest and most efficient way, etc… ) I understand that probably not everyone on here is a reseller, (and I myself am only doing it very part-time and casually), but! I am still very interested in new processes and flows AFTER you thrift things- and bring those items home (and your process in particular!) Thank you so, so much again for all of this wonderful content 😊👍…

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Thanks for the shout out! And cool to see what you are doing with video. I just followed you on Instagram and can definitely see how you can take a bit more time with everything on Substack. In general just loving the style, similar to the Ugly-Chic vein there is a lot of boldness going on and over here at Design Talk, we find that kind of thing very appealing :)

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So glad we were able to connect on this little corner of the internet!

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Virginia, I love your style and how you create synergies with different eras. I am attracted to really old stuff, like late Victorian, combined with more boho. I am still educating myself on antiquing and love thrifting and was curious if you had suggestions for items, designers or styles I might want to keep an eye out for?

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What a great question! I think Art Deco tends to mix really well with Victorian. I would also try searching "Victorian" on Chairish and 1stDibs and really fill your head with the pieces that most resonate with you (both of those sites have little hearts that allow you to save the items, so you can go back and reference them). I find that constantly perusing these sites helps me educate myself about makers and specific designs so that when I see them in the wild, I know immediately what they are.

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Super helpful- thanks!

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I’m really enjoying your content! I appreciate that you share WHY you chose the pieces you end up buying. I like that you have a particular aesthetic that helps you hone in on what you’re going to purchase. I love to thrift & have been doing it for years but I do sometimes get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of objects & it has helped to do what you do - define my particular style (which changes & evolves over time).

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This is so kind of you. I find that most people are overwhelmed by thrifting because of the styling aspect. You have to have an imagination and be able to see what something might look like in a new space (not always easy in a thrift store, when items are covered in commemorative coffee mugs or stacks of old books!). My style evolves, too, which is I think the fun part! We can be who we want to be at any particular point in time. And thrift stores have something to suit every aesthetic.

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Omg ELVIS!!! Was cleaning out my garage yesterday and have a life-size cut out of Elvis from my father‘s 80th birthday celebration and my friends were asking me why I did not want to hang that in the garage. Not opposed to it, and it may still make an appearance.😉

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He has risen!

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Haha!

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