Today I thought I’d show off a few of my recent finds from our local Flohmarkts (fleamarkets) and thrift/antique shops. As things have opened up a bit more, I’ve been able to find a few larger pieces that were on my wish list. I feel like our apartment was a bit bare before (deliberately, as I wanted to leave room for some European treasures!) but now it’s starting to feel more homey.
It’s hard to choose a favorite, but this huge gold mirror might be it, since everyone who knows me well knows that I have a serious gold mirror addiction. I found it on Facebook marketplace and am in love.
Around here, you can rent a van for about 5€ an hour, which is perfect for bringing large items home. I picked my husband up from the train station after he returned from a week in the States, we rented up a van, and drove about 30 minutes to Freiburg to bring this beauty home. I figured keeping him busy would help with jet lag–he’s a keeper because he didn’t complain a bit!
I think it will look best mounted on the wall but that’s a task for another day because as you might expect, it’s ridiculously heavy.
Also gracing our dining room is this antique rocking horse. I’ve seen plenty of reproductions over the years and even purchased a few, but this is the real deal. His saddle is leather and his tail is real horse hair.
Isn’t he handsome?
I originally thought I’d just bring him out as part of my Christmas decor, but I like how he looks between the two windows, so he’s going to get to stay out year-round for now.
I also bought my first chandelier (definitely not my last!). This one is about 100 years old and is an Empire basket-style chandelier. It’s already rewired and ready to go. While I can change out lighting fixtures in the States, I’m going to call an electrician this time, so I can see if the process is any different over here (we have 220v in Europe, for example). It’s also really heavy, and our ceilings are concrete–two more things that make it a job for a pro.
I’m going to put this one in our hallway (pic below) and hopefully I’ll find a couple of matching sconces soon:
I’ve also found a few smaller items that I’ve had fun working into my decor. For example, in addition to my gold-mirror addiction, I also like to collect silhouettes of random children. I have a few silhouettes of my own kids in the dining room, but I have a grouping of strangers in our entry as well.
I found two new-to-me silhouettes of German kinder (love that round gold frame!):
They fit in very well, don’t you think?
Oh, and the little ginger jar in the above picture is new, too. It’s harder to find chinoiserie over here as the blue and white items are more Delft and blue onion patterns, but this was just 5€ and I couldn’t pass it up.
I also added a few beautifully bound vintage books to my collection.
And I brought home a pair of watercolors of Notre Dame that work well with the colors in our living room.
We have a new couch in the living room that I’ll have to show you all soon; it was time for my husband’s recliner to go to its eternal reward.
Last but not least, I bought this old demijohn and wire basket in Poland. They are inexpensive and easy to find over here (WAY less than the brand new ones they sell in the States), and most people collect a specific color (brown, green, etc). This one is clear with a little blue-green tint. It might have a new job holding the ridiculous number of wine corks I’m collecting from living in Europe.
That’s it for today. I haven’t told my husband this yet as he’s still recovering from the mirror, but now I’m looking at armoires, vitrines, and Shrunks. He’s in trouble for sure!
Oh, and if you’ve never read this blog post by Victoria Elizabeth Barnes about a much larger gold mirror, I highly recommend it–it’s hilarious.
Enjoy your day, and thanks for stopping by~
