I don’t need any new collections. Fact. I have too many already but I can clearly see a new one forming! I received this ceramic piggy bank for Christmas which is made by Carltonware in the 1960s/70s. I love the colours as well as the fun psychedelic style. He comes in other colours too but […] Read more…
It may be autumn but there’s nothing stopping us from dressing our homes in pretty pastels. I have recently been introduced to the handpainted and ethical tableware by duckydora. There ceramics with matching linens are so pretty with their pastel colour tones and beautiful provenance. Each one is slightly different which is why I believe […] Read more…
I originally wrote this DIY tutorial for Mother’s Day this year, but you could make these letters all year round, and will also make a great Christmas present. Using vintage plates and cups that have been chipped or cracked, you can create a lovely gift which they can display on a dressing table, mantelpiece or […] Read more…
I love to fill my home with vintage items, whether it be home wares, books, records or clothes. When I wrote my book and added a chapter on the 1980s, many die hard vintage fans were shocked. The 1980s? Vintage? (hey I even included the early 1990s!!) So to back up my love of all […] Read more…
Recently I received a new book through the post to review: Art Deco by Eric Knowles. To be honest, the Art Deco era is not the period I know the most about and had to research it fully for my own book, Style Your Modern Vintage Home. So having a glossy book that shares the […] Read more…
The last 2 weeks has been busy with our first National Vintage Wedding Fair as well as half term. We formally took over the reigns of the fair on the hottest day of the year. It was great to meet all the exhibitors and brides to be as well as launching new branding, signage and […] Read more…
“In the 1940s china production in the UK continued but anything ornate was exported abroad. If anyone bought these styles they were usually factory seconds. Utility tableware was plain, nicely glazed, came in pretty pastel colours and was the choice of millions of Brits. Woods Ware made the classic pale green Beryl which was the […] Read more…
February has come and gone in what feels like a whirl wind….I know it’s a short month but we have been so busy the weeks have simply flown by. And what with launching our new business on Monday…(yes you heard right, we are launching a new business next week)….it seems March will go just as […] Read more…
Hugh Casson was an influential figure in the world of architecture and design throughout the middle of the 20th century. As the director of architecture for the Festival of Britain in 1951, he led a team of young designers and architects to build the famous buildings along the South bank, London. A particular favourite is […] Read more…
Well it’s been a dreadful week for most with storms and flooding – we really feel for people who have lost their homes. We can’t even begin to imagine what that feels like, but for someone who loves their furniture and “stuff” it must be devastating. We drove across the country on Saturday, last weekend […] Read more…
Last weekend was all about Vintage Academy. Our first event launched in central London and went really well. The day was packed full of vintage business advice and inspiration which was well received. Some of the comments from the people who came really blew us away! “What a fantastic day it was too, really informative […] Read more…
For those of you that follow our blog regularly you will know we have totally renovated a 1920s house. Read about it here and here. Well there are only 2 rooms left: the bathroom and the spare room. I cannot wait for the bathroom to be done as it is so grim. It has a […] Read more…
Up until recently the only Crown Devon we had bought were retro storage canisters. Think funky orange flowers, very typical of the late 1960s. Then Mr YVL bought a box full of vintage Stockholm ceramics, and this is when I fell in love with Crown Devon. It was designed in 1955 by Bill Kemp and […] Read more…
Last week we were in love with Jessie Tait (well, we still are!) but this week we have moved forward a decade. We love Kathie Winkle’s designs also on ceramics. source Kathie started her career as a painter (or a paintress as was called then) at Broadhurst in 1950. However, it took until 1958 for […] Read more…
Jessie Tait was born as Dorothy Tait in 1928 and became one of the most famous and well loved ceramic designers of the mid-century period. She joined Midwinter in 1946, staying until 1974. She went on to Johnson Bros and retired in 1990. Her designs really sum up the 1950s with their quirky style and […] Read more…
Last week a great new book dropped through the letterbox courtesy of Octopus Books. Judith Miller, the well respected antique and collectible expert has written another great book called “Mid-Century Modern: Living with mid-century modern design”. Well we love to review a book but this one is just a dream. It is packed full of beautiful […] Read more…
Firstly, Happy New Year from Your Vintage Life! We thank you for the support over the last year and look forward to hearing from you in the year ahead…… But, before we move into the future and all the exciting things planned for 2011, we want to share some of our Christmas vintage and retro […] Read more…
