Flea Market Decorating: Creating Style with Vintage Finds (Better Homes and Gardens Books) (Hardcover)

by Better Homes and Gardens Books (Author), Vicki Ingham (Editor) "The call is compelling: Somewhere in the acres of booths and piles of junk awaits a treasure with your name on it..." (more)
Key Phrases: retro rustic, paste wax, Mary Anne

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
This is an excellent introduction to the hunting of old objects and the incorporation of those discoveries into a home. It is not, as the editors are quick to point out, a guide to cashing in on the next hot collectible; instead, it is filled with information about the how-tos of antiquing, eight examples of decor, room-by-room ideas, and notes about restoration. Pictures tell the stories well; an architect-collector talks about repurposing objects, exemplifying his philosophy by transforming antique faucet handles into towel holders. Every scrap of data is valuable, whether it's almost the technique of paste wax application to decorations or about purchasing old objects. Great for the just plain curious and the novice; a good refresher for the initiated. Barbara Jacobs

Product Description
Do-it-yourself decorators will discover creative inspiration in this book, along with smart shopping tips and easy-to-follow guidelines for giving a room unique character and personality with vintage finds.

Practical flea-market shopping advice.

Hundreds of illustrated ideas for decorating with vintage finds, room by room.

275 inspiring color photos of homes and rooms featuring creative decorating ideas.

Easy how-to for evaluating, salvaging, and refurbishing finds.

Favorite flea markets and antique fairs around the country.

Internet antiques-shopping tips, including the best sites for auctions, on-line antique malls, and state-by-state flea market guides.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Better Homes and Gardens (March 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696208822
• ISBN-13: 978-0696208829
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,350 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #33 in	Books > Home & Garden > Interior Design > Style
  #36 in	Books > Home & Garden > Interior Design > Professional Reference
  #49 in	Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful! Whole new way to look at flea market finds!, March 29, 2000

By	Fran "fmk98" (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

After seeing this book mentioned in Better Homes & Gardens, I had to have it. Once I got it from Amazon.com, I couldn't put it down. It gives you great ideas on how to decorate your home using simple things like a balaster to make a one of a kind lamp - or even a candlestick. Antique doorknobs become curtain tie-backs. I can't wait until the weekend to start my treasure hunt at the local flea market to make my home as individual as I am.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS BOOK!, July 13, 2000

By	beth (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This one will be in my library for years to come! It was one of my first decorating book purchases, and since our funds are tight and our style rustic cabin eclectic, it seemed like it would apply. And it has! I have drawn many practical ideas from the pages of this book on how to "re-purpose" items to creatively use thrift finds for attractive storage, decoration and more.

I found the "how to" section on cleaning, fixing, and caring for thrift items very helpful. I fully enjoyed going through the 8 or so homes that they took us through and I found it refreshing that a bunch of them were quite small (what I can afford) and NOT CLUTTERED with junk. Instead, they cleverly and neatly displayed collections and really didn't pack the houses with too much STUFF.

Not every room was my style, of course, (one can never expect that) but I recommend this book to people who like to create an attractive and interesting home with neat old stuff. Especially for do-it-yourselfers.

I'm not a big reader, but I read this book cover to cover in a short amount of time and I keep going back to it for inspiration!

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST flea market book I've seen, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

Wow. Ilove it, I love it, I love it, I love it,I love it. Thanks to a story in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, I learned about this book. Picked it up at a local bookstore but got it from amazon, (because amazon's price is better). Why isn't amazon showing the cover on its site? This book is gorgeous,and it shows me lots of great ideas as well as lots of different styles so I can do my own thing. The author has the focus right -- this is about creating personal style, not about buying junk.