Name: Shelly
IG: @brass.bed.manor
What was the first antique you ever bought?
I think the first true antique I ever bought was only a few years ago in 2017. It was a gorgeous 1920s walnut buffet that caught my eye on Facebook. This was on a local sale site before Facebook Marketplace became popular.
This was my first true antique. Everything I had before that was more along the lines of vintage or thrifted.
Do you have a meaningful heirloom that was handed down to you?
I only had one grandparent growing up, and that was my grandmother who I called Nanny. She didn’t have many heirlooms, but when she passed she left me a peridot ring, which was her birthstone.
It was more of a costume-style piece. It was a large stone, but it was in a more gaudy ’70s band and was too small for my hands. I had it reset in a delicate gold rope setting. I wore it on my wedding day which was very special to me since she had passed several years before.
I am a very sentimental person and very family-oriented. That’s what makes things special to me. It may have been a cheap ring and not worth much, but it’s about the sentiment. It’s about the fact that she was the only grandparent I had ever had, and the endless Candyland games and summers at the pool. It’s all the memories I have of her that make that ring so special.
If you could only acquire one category of antiques or collectibles, which would it be and why?
Oh this is especially tough for me. Anyone that follows me knows I do not and cannot choose one style. When we first bought our house I was a little confused about what my style was. I am drawn to many different things and felt like I was getting pulled in so many different directions style-wise when trying to decorate our home.
For some reason, I felt as though I had to conform to one style and felt like a Victorian style was appropriate for our house. At this point, I was under the impression our house was a ‘simple queen ann’ style. When we took the siding off and I realized our house is actually considered a Colonial Revival. I (obviously) did research on that style.
I learned that Colonial Revival homes are more or less a mixture of a ton of different styles. Learning this kind of solidified in my head that I CAN mix everything that I like, so that is what I began to do, and that is what feels most authentic to me.
ANYWHO, all of that long-winded story just to say if I HAD to choose a style, I would probably pick the federal style. Shocking because I don’t think I have a single Federal-style item. However, my favorite style of home is Italianate, and I feel like the federal style really looks classic in that style of home. That would be my ultimate combination.
*Responses may be edited for length and clarity.