Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge [Hardcover]

Chris Mead (Author), Emelie Tolley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 1998

From London's legendary Portobello Road to the humble neighborhood tag sale, the flea market is the destination of choice for savvy shoppers.

Part collector's guide, part decorating manual, Flea Market Style celebrates the marriage of two great passions--shopping and home design--and answers the important question that lies behind every purchase, big or small: What will I do with this once I get it home?

Best-selling authors Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead offer exciting new ideas for choosing and decorating with flea market finds, illustrated with lush photographs of a variety of interiors from formal to funky. Beginning with the basics of  "working a flea," the authors offer helpful strategies for indentifying the genuine article and  getting the best prices, ideas for new ways to use collectible items, and hints on caring for them. Chapters are devoted to every major category of flea market merchandise, from old textiles and paper goods to sports memorabilia, garden ornaments, kitchen collectibles, and major pieces of furniture, among others. With a resource section listing major shows and relevant publications, and eight unique projects that will cleverly allow you to transform your purchases into singular home accents, Flea Market Style proves that anyone can use flea market finds to give their home a distinctive, personal style.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Learning to "work a flea" is the key to successful secondhand buying. Armed with the solid practical advice in this informative and stylish volume and inspired by the hundreds of handsome color photos, you'll discover both how to collect at these potential treasure troves--located just about everywhere--and how to decorate with your discoveries, whether your tastes run to old kitchen utensils, hand-painted china, antique books, vintage linens, or almost anything else to be found at the humble garage sale or the world's legendary markets. Seasoned flea tracker Emelie Tolley explains how to plan and execute your hunt and then explores each major category of merchandise, from major pieces of furniture to assorted funky knick-knacks, showing how collectibles--as well as plain old great junk--can be effectively incorporated into virtually any type of decor. If you haven't already been bitten by the urge to flea, you're sure to be an addict by the time you're done with this book. --Amy Handy

From the Inside Flap

From London's legendary Portobello Road to the humble neighborhood tag sale, the flea market is the destination of choice for savvy shoppers.

Part collector's guide, part decorating manual, Flea Market Style celebrates the marriage of two great passions--shopping and home design--and answers the important question that lies behind every purchase, big or small: What will I do with this once I get it home?

Best-selling authors Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead offer exciting new ideas for choosing and decorating with flea market finds, illustrated with lush photographs of a variety of interiors from formal to funky. Beginning with the basics of  "working a flea," the authors offer helpful strategies for indentifying the genuine article and  getting the best prices, ideas for new ways to use collectible items, and hints on caring for them. Chapters are devoted to every major category of flea market merchandise, from old textiles and paper goods to sports memorabilia, garden ornaments, kitchen collectibles, and major pieces of furniture, among others. With a resource section listing major shows and relevant publications, and eight unique projects that will cleverly allow you to transform your purchases into singular home accents, Flea Market Style proves that anyone can use flea market finds to give their home a distinctive, personal style.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (October 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517701677
• ISBN-13: 978-0517701676
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Style

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I also recommend another book, Flea Market Decorating, March 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge (Hardcover)

This is a delightful book, but I also recommend a new book that's just out. It's Flea Market Decorating, which is full of fresh new ideas, especially about recasting old objects in new ways. For me, it captures the fun of going to flea markets and using those little treasures to personalize my home.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must!, March 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge (Hardcover)

I have read them all and I like this one! I am truely the flea market shopper! I loved the photo's this book offered and the idea's. With all the garage sales in our area we are never at a loss..I especially loved the way it taught me a little bit about each subject you find at a flea market..i.e. china, books, toys. The best part though would be the photo's. They lend your eye the lasting look of oh! I could use this technique with this.....

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book. just what I've been looking for., February 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge (Hardcover)

This book has nearly everything I've been looking for. It has suggestion on how to work a flea market, what to wear, bring, what to do with your treasures. Fablous, marvelous! I would surley buy other books on this same subject by these authors.